Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-08-05
LOCAL NTELLIGENCE.

JosssoH Jor hobbery.-To-day the Court met at
the usual hour. The two prisoners were con-
ducisd into Court, and the trial began. The par
ties were separately indicted, and Mr. Cross for
the prosecution proposed to try them together
Mr.. Norris Tor the defendants objected prefer
ring 20 have them tried sepaTately and II wa, so
ordered and George Johnson put upon trial
FIRST, for attacking and robbing John c. Cornell.
On the Sd day Of April last
M Norris here consented to try both cases at
one time, and Heissler was also put to trial.
he witnesses for the prosecution were called
and swOrn.
Mr.. Cross, for the prosecution, then opened the
case TO the Jury, stating the circumstances under
which The robbery was committed
MI. Norris followed, for the defence, stating
that he expected TO prove the crime charged to
have been committed by man whose name had
long b en- notorious in this community and re-
Gently odious, he meant William Johnson alias
SwypeT Johnson. This was the witness upon
whom the Government relied TO sustain the
charge against the prisoners. Ii the whole truth
was to come out in this trial, the jury would find
that the man who was to testify principally on
the part OF the Government, was the very man
who placed the robbed man in jeopardy of his
life by placing pistol at his head
Toe prosecution then called
~ohH L. Cornell, sworn On the mis- bit In Ques-
ZION witness was going out Fourteenth street, and
when be got to street he saw two men ahead
whom he took Ia be college students; as witness
hurried on 10 see ii be was right he came up and
found that he was miSta ken; he got near them
they opened ranks and permitted him to pass;
witness passed on, and when he got to the Cath
olic burial ground he looked around and noticed
tnat they Were following rapidly; they soon
took witness and asked him for chew of tobac-
co; witness then spoke to them about the weather
and they walked along with him far as Boun-
diary street; witness, not Hiking their appearance
was getting over the stile that leads up to the
College grounds when one of them stepped in
front of him and asked him if he not the
baltimore man who WAS here running with the
Northern Liberties Fire Enxine witness an
swered that he was not, and just then three per-
sons who came up on the other side of the street
they then asked witness for a quarter to yet q
drink and witness gave them a quarter with
which they did not seem satisfied, and asked
witness II he had any more; one Of them then
presented pistol to witnesses head and thev
pW their hands in witness's pocket and took
away his money, some two or three dollars, his
watch worth some fifteen dollars, or So and his
breastpin; they also began to take witnesses
clothing, but witness demurred against their Ia
king his clothes, and they gave him back his
bat which they had taken witness has seen
them since, once at the watch house, then at the
Jail, and witness them now the tall man
outside the prisoners box (Wm Johnson) is the
one who took witnsss'S bat the other two In
the prisoners box are two more of the party who
assisted in the robbery; witness Identifies n els
sleT as well as William johnson by the clothes
IN which they were dressed at the time and
which they wore when witness saw them sub,e-
9uentlY at the Jail; witness Is confident that
heiSseI Is one OF the Partyi he had on peculiar
plvsh cap; his size also identifies him one of
them was quite tall the pistol was held at wit
ness head some two or three minutes long
enough for them to get all witness had about him
. CroS- er1ht'Hed.- The mig hi was star light not
rery dark; u was not cloudy; no lamps were near:
witness had all the parties befo.,. had
Known them when he met them; had no speak
eng acquaintance with them; gave testimony at
the watch house; witness did not then CLEARLY
identity but VIM Johnson, but felt confident in
ms own mind that the others were the parties
VINO robbed him; he now charges them all for
The more he has thought OF II the more he is con.
WINGED they are the PARTIES; another good reason
Is, that Van Loman Johnson and his father tried
OH frOra.
JohnsoniN Van LomAn offered witness $3.50 TO lsavs
town; his father had told witness if he would n.
easy with George, he didn't like to say he would
Pay MN, but he would do what was right about
~ witness had no intention of leaving town. wit
ness saw Heissler In Jail with plush cap on sim
laf 10 that worn by one Of the attar king party:
witness don Z know that VIM. johnson was eY
ahmed at the watch house; witness pointed him
out at the watch house as one Of the parties. AZ
forwards heard that he had turned States evil
uencei there was three small men, and one tall
man, and medium sized man. about thu ,izs N
hsiAeti tne man who presented the pistol was
sat-ss tall as witness; witness is FIVE feet ten
ihcnes IN height; tAe man who presented the pis-
tol could not have been taller than witness: The
smallest man in the party was the one who first
asked Tor money but they all had a hand in wit
nesss poe kets, except the one who held the mis-
toii witness recognized George Johnson nv his
size, and also, by having seen him before; wit
asSx mas no lil-feeling towards the prisonsrs
H'H'aW (StcyPsrD JOHNSON, sworn-On the
night IN question, about O CLOCK Geo Johnson
Ons Hefssler, Thomas Brown, Ed Meads and
witness went out Fourteenth street to M and
at'N asked tue party to 90 in and take some
cigars they all went in, and Brown called for the
cigars; the man asked who was to paw for the
SSIsafs, ana The party all went out without paw
ihS lot the cigars they had Ia ken; Brown Heiss-
Ter, and George johnson took the Ieft hand sids
tbat is, Tue west side, and witness and Meads
toOk The other side; they saw the other parties
-, ant, anu run, and witness and Meads went over
10 WheIe they Lad got mp to Cornell, and the
three-Brown, George Johnson and Hei,sler-
wore searching his pockets; George johnson
diS d DoIneu 10 give him quarter, which he
uIni during this time HeissleT ran up TO Cornell
ara heu 10 take OF his coat; witness told Heiss-
yer NOT 70 take the mans coat he then I,t IN oo
tnIhks Helsslrr held a pistol to CornelIIs head
ne was the only one in the crowd that had a mis-.
iol; saw George johnson have some money. Saw
nm nave gold eros breaStpin; didn't see the
Meen, witness took COnrell's hat OF his head |
ana eHeIward gave il back TO him; witDes, did |
no' see HeiSsser point pistol but saw hi have
PisIoi oelore Cornell was stopped witness saw
r. sIto Insy came out Of the grocery store saw
neSslef showed witness the pistol In Dutch
oeoIses tavern, about hour before Stooos
49, no,i SeeIge johnson saw witness hand it |
oock 10 helss!er after looking at It,
John Nelly Swo1n.-Saw the party on I4th he
tween y and % streets, al Mr.. Moore,s store nm
1ne hlSnt In question; three Of them went in and
george Johnson as two Of this party; William
yohnson had something like slung shot in his
hand one OF them spoke TO some one outside
by the name Of Bill, asking him To come Tn .nS
get something to drink. they got cigars and left
without paying for them witness did not see
which direction thew took after leaving the
sohe me third man who came In witness could
not identify. -N
IhomaS Moore, sworn Witness knew two ef
tne tnree merely by sight; they came in and
took cigars; George Johnson asked for the cj
gars; witness thinks William, George and Van
Loman Johnson were the parties who came in
witness thinks II was later than nine O'Clock in
tbr evening two Ct thsm had been at Witness.
house befO.e.
James 1homPSon, sworn-On the night in
question Was IN Mr. Moore's store abo1t or
ctoek found Moore and Kelly In coDyerxation.
Nthess Joined them. and presently William and
UeOfge Johnson and another man came in. ~,
hess ala not recognize the third man; two o,hsr
men stood ON the platform outside; George Jobn
son called Tor cigars, and Swyper johnson rad
ms nat down over his eyes and bis coat IN about
NJ tdce' the Two zen outside Were asked in IN
dnhf they did not come In, but peeped I'm tvvies.
Wheh the three went out Kelly proposed 10 Uo
nome, and witness, who lives ia KslIy,s neig6
DoLnOoo, remarked that II was not safe to 90 out