Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-11-04
EVENING STAR.
The Story Of a Family Of Thieves.

HOW IMMENSE RoBBERIEs WERE COMMITTED.
A correspondent Of the Philadelphia Press,
writing from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania,
says:
Zone of the most important trials took place
In our Criminal Court during the last week
that the people of this section have ever wit.
messed. The charge was larceny; the persons
indicted were John s. Buckholder, 1udish,
his wife, Julia, Lavinia and Mary Hawk, his
daughters, and Henry, Thomas, Perry and
Norval Hawk, sons and son .in-law. The trial
lasted three days and resulted in the convic-
ton Of all the defendants except Perry Burk.
holder and his mother
"The charge was for stealing a large amount
OF goods shipped in the cars Of the Pennsylva-
MIA Railroad Company. The head of tins de-
leetable family was a well-to-do farmer and
horse Speculation, living four miles east OF Al
toona, IN this county. His daughter, Mary
Hawk. and her husband, Norval Hawk, in Oc-
tober, November and December, 1864, and jan
nary, 1e65, resided in Altoona Margaret
Burkholder, not then married to John Bishop
CoZzen Ware, was frequent visitor at her
sisters, and here was planned this gigantic
"Hawk, as an employee, had got possession
of a freight car key, which was broken, but by
filling answered the purpose. During the last
three months of 1864 immense quantities Of
goods were missing from the cars. and no one
was suspected. The goods were carried to
Hawks, there divided, and the share of Lavi-
MIA and Julia carried to their mother and two
brothers, Henry and Thomas, down into the
country, to their home, on horseback. in the
Ware and Margaret were married. The cars
OF the railroad company furnished the N with
an outfit for Housekeeping. The stock of Mr..
Krause, from Pottstown, Montgomery county,
was pilfered, and great quantities of towels,
carpets, slips, silk dresses and shawls taken by
this woman from the cars, his goods having
been shipped for Indiana, Pa. John ]. Burk.
holder was opposed TO this match.
"Thlngs went on swimmingly until, in
March OF this year, traces of missing goods
were then observed. Search warrants were
Obtained, and the result was the discovery of
about a thousand dollars worth of goods at
Hawks and Wares. This being but a mite Of
the amount missing. led TO the suspicion that
some was concealed at Burkholder's. Ware
having been arrested, he told them where il
might be hid, and as the search continued,
great packages of goods were found hidden in
the haymow, in the cellar, under the potatoes,
in and ABOUT the clubhouse, and everywhere
oil cans of the railroad company were found in
the possession of Burkholder, and stolen goods
were found in every part OF the house-in the
chests and trunks of the girls and even upon
the persons of the boys. 1t was impossible to
convict all the defendants without the testi-
moDy OF Ware, as nine-tenths of the property it
was not possible to identify.
"John J. Burkholder owns a large farm, and
was IN no necessity OF resOrting 10 this mode
of making living. The trial was doubly i'm
pressiye, inasmuch as II is the practice in this
judicial district, under the act Of Assembly, to
arraign all persons charged with the commits
sion of a felony. 1t was strange and painful
family reunion-eight persons, from the gray
headed grandfather to the youngest son of four
teen years of age"