The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-10-17
FROM TIE AURORA, Oeobsr 8.
M-4rOR's COURT.
Commonwealth Us. Luke Price


On Saturday evening the trial of the perfon,
who had robbed the Aurora Office, came on be-
fore this court. The prifoner having pleaded
not guilty, witnenes were called on the part of
tie profecution.
VIM. ]. Duane, having been fworn, informed
the court, that the information he could give
them was merely incidental |; that he had no
other knowledge of the detection of the prifon-
er than by information from the perfon who had
feized him, and who had aroufed him from leep
10 fate the circumstances of fcizure, and know
what courfe had bea be purfued
On intimating that two other witneiIes could
give full tehimony, the court difpenftd with the
examination of the fri witnefs, and called the
fccond.
Charles Kean having been f,vorn fated TO the
court, that of late it had been dfcovered by the
perfons employed in the Aurora Office, that a
great many newspapers were frequently defci-
ent, of the actual number reoniHte fer fabicri-
bers, particularly thofe in the country, that AZ
firlt it had been imagined the deficiency was
owing 20 the neglect or perfons EMPLOYED to
print, bnt that the repetition excited fuipicion {;
and it was at length determined by The perfons
III the employment Of WIN. Duane to watch.
Thaf il had been found that the newfpapers
were niRine, after they bad been folded and pre-
pared fOT fubicribes5, and confcquentIy that
the theft mar have been committed in the count
ing honic. That under this impreiIion, differ
ent ptrioHs hsd watched fevera nights in and a.
boat the counting houf, ; bat that - difcovery
was made until Eycdnefday night, Of the 81 Oc-
tobsr That about o'cloch: that riEh+, the
witnets AM JJnathanStone, tad concealedthem-
fsivcs in the counting houfe, and there rer, ain
Ell that about one O'Clock, the w;tncfs heard
key PIT i.lto The lock, from the outfide and the
door orsned, that he looked towards the door
ant1aH a man enter lint coufd uct recor-ic.
VITO ne was /; tina. he fuTered this man to enter
aid tdks mp number of newspapers which had
b IN prepared for fuofcrioers that when the
otcndsr was about Co p1fs out Of the door, he
4 zed him by the collar, and immediately knew
him ~ be the priio1eT AZ the bar. ne he had been
formerly in the employment of William Duane
as ? carrier. That OF the fixture Of the pril,n-
e. ne had dropped the papers he had intended
10 fteai, which were collected and kept. That
the wi,ncfs, with jonathan Stone, who had sGjc
tel 10 watching, then feared the kew, locked
the door, S:wrrc proce( dingtothe printing Office
where there was a light, the men being at wor,
al prefs where they found fort Of towel fpread
battle-ground, & in which the prifoneri: was fup-
poied, intended to carry offhefc papers. That
hlYing tecured the prfoacr, the witncfs proceed
TO William ]. Dudnc's room, awoke him, and
alter informing him Of the irlnfactor, afked
woat was belt 20 be done that it was deemed
bet to- commit the prifoner TO the watch houfe,
and ne was accordingly committed.
Jonathan Stone, having been affirmed, related
= the court what had come to his knowledge :.
his teitmony agreed with that of the lar Wit
neis but being eUtrufed with the care Of that
part Of VIM. Duane's efablibment, relating TO
the diitrlbution of papers amongft flbfcribcrs,
he added few particulars not ftatcd in the for
mer part Of the tefimony. he faid, that it was