The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-06-20
TRIAL or TIKI MICHIGAN COSsPIRAFVRs.
UNPARALLELED vlLLANY.
SKETCH OF THE EVIDENCE.
From tho Detroit Daily Advsrtiso,


/ John Is. Cochran testified.
On the night the guns f-ed (about the time Of
The state Fair at Ann Arbor), in the fore par. OF
the evening, placed myself where could see the
movements; saw two mon come out of FIley's bar
room, cross over the track, and heard them talk
about widening the track; they got out of my
hearing lay there sonfe two hours, aud saw ano-
ther man coming IN from the north: he walked ba k
and forth some time, aud by and by second man
came up with him tths about nine or ten at
nisht); heard something said by them bout wheat
buyer VINO was there; they continued to walk back
| ana forth near the track; when | heard the cirs
| coming from the east they walked back to tho
north from the track; when the cars passed third
man came from toward; Filey's tavern or ball al
ley, with gun and bayOnet they all went up to the
track, and one of them remarked tina. the cars run
so slow they could not do anything and ono of them
said ii they could do any thing else thoy could
stone them like i: then the one with gun and
bayonet said, elf could see one of them ID
railroad spies, would spear him ID quick" |
soon heard the cars go into Jackson, some four
miles oil; heard them leave Jackson and cross the
bridge; one OF them said he was going home. as the
western train was behind time; one with the gun
and one Of the others went off east; the other went
north, some thirty rods off, ten minutes after,
heard what supposed to be two pistols fired Oh
Geo McMichael sworn.-Resde at Spring Ar
Dor, Jackson county, twelve fourteen miles from
Leoni; know VIM. Corwin had conversation with
him about railroad; thinks it was in September
last, ut Jackson, back of Morrison's grocery
Corwin wanted should go in with him and help to
tear up track of railroad; also wanted me to helm
o ire the depot at Jackson belonging to the rail-
road he said, 1--WE will be well paid for doing it )"
said Fitch would pay for it; said they wanted to
inJure the company all they could because they had
run over cattle.
Henry Brown (colored) SWORD. Have heard
tilley speak Of the railroad company; heard him
say he could not have any feeling and no sympathy
for the company; have heard him say that people
VINO travelled on the road had better be cautious
that they had been warned az iinst travelling it;
he urd IL.
Filley's; "that they would let them know there
was God in Israeli" supposing they meant the
railroad company; heard Jack Freeland, Mr.
Fitch and MIR. Amm Filley use the above expres.
sion heard them speak of the dry marsh ; heard
Mr.. Filley in particular say that the way they had
conducted, this would be a very good place to run
the cars Oft would be apt to let them through.
One time when Filley and me were alone, he told
me If had mind to go to work, there the TOOLS
1 might take them; one evening, Filley said to me,
that If was mind to go down below his house
and work ON the track to take it up-ths on Sa-
turday night about ten o'clock replied to him that
had no interest in the matter, and refused to go
he then told me to say nothing about it while
there found two bars under the stable floor; one
was "claw bar used to draw spikes out of the
track, the other they called heel bar" used for
prying off bars had often seen such used on rail-
roads subsequently found the same similar ones
on the dry marsh, concealed under the grass near
the fence; those under the stable were moved be-
fore found those on the marsh /; heard Jack Free
land say there could be plan fixed to blow up the
road 1t was when he was dragging in clover seed
on the HILL and was sowing IL; the plan was this
powder was to be concealed under the track and so
fixed that it would explode when the cars run over
Joshua Mills heard the conversation this was a
plan +. said was talked of, and spoke of the dry
marsh as the place to try 1t, and said he knew il
would work, as the cars passed over il would
blow them of the track.
Jacob Wolver sworn.-knew the parties; said
they would give up until they were amply si.
ha anpla ,f ha
place; they would carry out their object in some
shape or other; the object injure the read by
stoning the ears and throwing them off the track;
nj different times have seen all that have named
then when this subject discussed think | have
heard them all make ark, of this kind and they
all seem I'd to coincide; they appeared to be pretty
well agreed in their operations had heard Fitch
called captain; heard it told that they would aid
and assist each other; heard Fnley, Corwin, the
Prces, q. ID. Williams, aud the most that | have
mentioned, say they would stick by each other; said
they could not get evidence enough to convict any
OF them. ms they could swear them clear: heard or
win, Williams, Price and Fiey say they would
swear fer each other; IL said in presence of the
others-they all agreed to II; remember when the
locomotive Gazellc was run off the track; il was
abou. the 18th or 10Th of August last; we were up
Mt Prices, south of Michigan Centre, haying; Fey
came up and said we must 60 and throw the tr ain
of; We went over TO Penheld's saw mill | took an
iron bar and an axe from Prices; started from
Prices at dark; "A. Filley, the Prices and myself
went to the road, got there about nine in the eve
AT u culNert some nall three-Juarters OF
a mile west of Leoni, took the chains that con-
hned the bars and moved the track ID one
side; the passenger tram from the east was
over, but the one from the west came; was
great deal of travel at that time; the object
talked Of was to throw the passenger train of
from the east, a the track was 80 situated that
this train would fare the worst; the banks were
some six feet high; went of some forty fifty rods
and lay down IN sight Of the train for the west.
when It ran of. did not tAe train after il ran OF
Filey and Price went next day, and said il
was injured good deal, and went back TO Prices
after II was done, Price and Filley said to they
did not care how many IL killed; that must not
say word about II, or they would kill me; they
said in case any one of them we're detected, some
body would be left to take care Of him: on our re-
tuin we went west of F'tchs house, and put A tie
IN culycrt to throw the engine Of il was the fret
west OF Fitchs; the culsert was open under the
track; the freight train coming from the west;
we alo laid an old road sill z;ross the track
by; the sill was about twelve feet long, foot wide,
aud seven eight inches thick; next morning, hoard
Fitch say that he aud Filley went down the night
before, where the cars were detained, and asked
ore Of the men what the matter was; he said
thing; he went round the engine, and asked another
one, aud he said to Fitch, 4" you ID rascals you
ought to be hung, every one ofyou:" Fitch said he
ana Ftey went be hind the cars, and put the breaks
on; Fitch said to me, that was PRETTY good trick
that you and Ami played last night, he said the OBJ
jet IN putting the break, to bother them in
getting up the grade, and IL was long time before
they found out what the trouble was; was not out
WhcH TUG cars caule aioiSs IN last, IL
ley said to me, want you TO 90 along with me;
am x lipg to give en- hell tonight up the east
end Of the SWITCH" he took his axe, aud we went
up to the east switch at the west end Of the marsh
ssous hour after dark; said he, "you must watch
and see II you can any ones" tried to get the
switch bar loose, Blu, 1t spiked hard he could
not get il out: got rail and pried it Oh some two
inches he said II wac Tar enough, as they could not
help but 60 of, and We will 90 home; the cars did
not run Oh; they struck the bar and il few back
its places the breaks from four TO xix feet high:
the freight train was expected fiom the West; IL
was at the marsh; Filley said the object to in.
jurc tho company all they could andhe would he ID
u he would not do "; In first part Of September, ut
Michigan centre an obstruction placed In the
west switch, Ivy Corrin and me; 1t WIS some kind
Oi n mill lfun. some five feet long AS mans arm;
We laid IL in frog IN the SWITCH it intended to
throw III the train, but did not do il: Corwin said
We will go over to Fitchs, get the bar, and throw
them ~, and stop them here tonight; saw Fitch
next mornings + sad you must not take anything
from my house to run the cars OF with, or they will
ma gufI Ia al 81