Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-10-18
Trial of the Barre Burglars.
Court OF Common Pleas, for Criminal
Cases.
BEFORE JUDGE BISHOP.

ers, IN Barre, about O'Clock on the morning Of the
Both August, armed with pistols, &c, and stealing
therefrOm silver plate, &c +, to the value of $22
Gearge Gardner, alias Charles Southwick, and
Piny II. Rabbit, were arraigned for aiding, incl
ting, hiring, and abctng the above parties, in the
neiarious acts charged against them.
District Attorney Aldrich, am, John H. Mathews,
Esq, conducted The case for the government. The
counsel for Gardner, alias Southwck, Robinson, and
Smith, were H. D. Stone and C. X. Wetherell
Esqrs; Williams was defended by John c. Park,
Esq, of Boston; and Babbu was defended by Geo.
Farley ESQ.,, OF Groton, and N. F. Bryant, Esq, of
Barre.
The prisoner Gardner, alias Southwick, is short,
somewhat corpulent man, of respectable appearance
His face is full and rosy, and the curls Of juvenile
brown wig cluster round his head. He wears
handsome breastpn and massive gold ring lies
embedded amongst the muscles of the fat little finger
OF bis left hand. He has pair Of small, cunning,
black eyes, around which there lives and moves
expression Of what decidedly may be called "hard
ness" He is much the senior of the other pris.
oners
John Williams is very prepossessing in his ap.
pearance. He is apparently about 10 years of age,
is smarlly dressed and has peculiarly wide awake
countenance. His eyes are dark, and his dark hair
is sicked down in ''Jack Sheppard fashion.
Jasper R. Robinson, also about 10 years Of age,
has the appearance Of country boy. His hair is
light, his face full and the general expression of his
countenance is favorable.
William is SMALL good looking boy abont Is
years Of age. He does not the young desperate
he is alleged to be- He manilests cool Indifference
to the proceedings of the Court not for lack of
intelligence, but apparently for want of feeling.
PIiny H. Babbitt is about 40 years Of age He
was Deputy Sheriff at the time the bun glaries, TO
which he is charged with being accessory, were
committed.
John II. Matthews Esq, opened the case for the
government. He went into particular and detail
ed account Of facts which the government intended to
prove reat,vet to the movements of the parties i'm
picaed in this case, from the time that Gardner,
Williams, Pond, and Smith, took passage to Barre,
in the stage from the Worcester House in this civ,
until the parties were arrested.
According to Mr.. Mathews's opening address,
Gardner, Williams, Pond, and Smith hired FIVE
seats in the Barre stage, the morning of the 29h
August, and paid their fares. These fonr individ.
mails took their srats, but Robinson did not get up
ill the stage reached the Andres house on the Tat.
nick road.
Gardner remained at West Rutland, Robinson got
down al the house Of PIny H. Babhiti, and vii
ams, Pond ,and Smith went TO The Massaso house
and took lodging. Mr.. Mathews gave descriptions
Of interviews which took place between one or other
Of the prisoners and Gardner and Rabbit severall,
at which Gardner presented firearms to them, and
advised them moi TO be taken alive, and, at which,
Rabbit gave them information where they could
best prosecute their robberies, besides supplying
them with phosphorescent matches, in order 10 aid
them.
On the night Of the robbery OF Lyman F. Rogers's
house, Williams, Pond, Smith, and Robinson retired
to bed about nine O'clock About one O'Clock IN
the morning, stranger accidentally shown TO
their room, which he found vacant and in which
he went to bed About four O'Clock in the morning,
he was awakened by Williams and Smith coming
into the room through a window, aud he aroused
the house.
MIR. Mathews then detailed the measures taken
TO apprehend the prisoners, and other circumstances
tendag furthe, to implicate Rabbit as an accom-
plice.
Previous TO the trial commencing Rabbit was
ordered to recognize in the sum Of $1,000 in add.
ton to his former recognizances. for his appearance
to answear a charge of shop breaking, preferred
against him.
Samuel + Ripley, stage driver, was put upon the
stand, and testified all the circumstances connect
ed with carrying the prisoners from Worcester.-
He left Gardner at West Rutland, and get Robinson
down at Babbitt's house.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The examination Of Samuel +. Ripley, VAS re-
sumed.
A. P. Barnes testified that on the POL day Of Au
gust he took ttage fare from Gardner, and Pond.
Williams, and Sunb, to West Rutland. Each paid
his own fare.
Geo. P. Baker, Of Coldbiook, rode to West Rat.
land on the Barre stage, the day in question,a and
recognised Gardner, Robinson, and Smith, as fellow
travellers.
Lyman F. Rogers, Of Barre, testified that he went
to bed on The night Of the 29th Of August after hav.
ing closed his house, except the back door, which
he left unlocked for his brother. On the morning Of
the Both, he found his secretary broken open, and
It's contents scattered about the room. He found a
small tin lamp the secretary, and some fragments
Of halt burnt lucifer matches lying in the room where
the secretary stands. He found that cupboard in
his sitting room, had been ransacked, and some
silver plate taken away. (Some silver plate was
presented TO the witness, which he recognised as
hs.) He also found that the grass outside Of an
I'D a. L.,
The witness, on discovering the loss Of his prop
eTty, made inquiries. in the Of which he
heard Of the trouble which had taken place with The
prisoners, at the Massasot House; he then went to
Babbitt's house, TO inform him about the robbery
and after doing So began to mention what had oc.
CURED at the public house, when Babbill interrupted
him, aud told him that Robinson had sald at his
tBabbiu's) house over night. He stated that be
accidentally saw Robinson, in company with others,
on the evening previous, and was accosied by him.