Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-01-26
FILkINS.
EXAMINATION YESTERDAY
why He Ran Away.

/ why He Ran Away.
THE QUESTION OF THE AIIBI.
A preliminary examination of Filkins,
the suspected express rob6er, was COM
menced at the Albany Jail yesterday,
shortly after the prisoners arrival, by
Justice Mcnamara. Egbert Rockwell,
clerk in the express Office, was sworn, but
his evidence simply related to the rob-
berry and the condition of Halpine, the
messenger, when discovered. Henry w.
Dwight, Superintendent of the Express
Company, was next sworn, and proceeded
to give the origin of the suspicious against
Filkins. We quote from his evidence:
1t was reported Saturday, January 7th,
that pistol had been sold received in
formation Sunday morning about 10
o'clock ; a man came to me and intro
duced himself, and informed me that he
saw Filkins looking for pistol went to
zee Mr.. T. the same as l would any other
citizen, without having any suspicion
that he was guilty think it was about 3
o'clock {; found him finally at No. 253
State street, the house of Mr.. Braid
wood, | believe / asked L. if be bought
pistol he said, "No, bought no pistol
his answer and manner to these questions
led me to suspect him of having some
connection with the robbery and attempt
ed murder, or knowing something about
it; that he might not think | suspected
him, said, 81 told Mr.. Sly if you bought
\ pistol You would have come and told
| .f4I tln
rion was commenced IN front of Braid
woods house, and continued as We walk
ed down street; then asked him if he
was looking for a pistol Friday; said
Yes :" asked him where; he said be
went into two brokers' offices; asked him
where, said down on Plain, or Hudson,
or Hamilton, or Division streets he mem
toned those four streets asked him il he
couldn't tell on what street the Office
was he replied, "it's down where the ex-
press stable is :" asked what he wanted of
a pistol, and what he was looking for
pistol for; said his man Valiant had
been attacked in the street one night
going home, and he had told him he
would get a pistol for him; asked how
long ago It happened, and after some hesi-
tation he
At this point of the proceedings, Hon.
s. W. Rosendale appeared, and stated
that he had been retained as counsel for
the accused, John l. FIlkins, and request
ed the examination be suspended for the
present. The request was granted by
the Court
WHY FILKINS LEFT.
. A reporter of the Express visited the
prisoner in Jail yesterday. In the CONVEX
sation which ensued, Mr.. Filkins gave an
account of his attempt TO escape, and
the incidents which befel him in hir
journeyings. His statement in the
main agrees with the reports al
ready published. He stated that up
to the time he left the city, on
| Wednesday morning, be had not even
thought of leaving. Daring Tuesday
evening several neighhors entered his
bakery and expressed surprise at seeing
him there, saying they had been informed
| that he was in all on charge of being
| the express robber. At various times
during the evening he also observed peo-
pie peering in at the windows, and stop
ping in front of the bakery and on the |
opposite side of the street. These actions
gave him much mental disquietude dur |
ing the night. In the morning be rose |
and went TO work as usual setting" his
dough, etc. Suddenly he was seized with
an impulse to flee, and did SO. He did
not eat mouthful before starting, and
took no eatables with him. Not having
knife, he took a broken shoe knife, used
to pair apples, with him. BE proceeded
up Lumber to Lark, thence to Second
street, and thence up to the Schenectady
turnpike, which he followed until about
three and a half miles this side Of Schen.
ectady. Here he turned North, and trav-
eled to BAllston. He says he ate nothing
until 9 o'clock Wednesday evening, when
he obtained some food at house by the
way. From Ballston he went to
Saratoga to Does Corners. After
leaving Does Corners, Friday afternoon,
he travelled until Saturday afternoon
without stopping at any habitation, max
ing a distance of forty-one miles. During
this jaunt be walked several miles on the
ice on the West side of Lake George.
Saturday afternoon he stopped at a pri
vate house several miles north of War
rensburgh, where he remained until Sun
day night, when he resumed his
journey, arriving at Schroon Lake on
Monday night, where he was arrested.
He stated that he felt glad when he was
captured, and at once experienced great
sense of relief as the mental and physical
strain which he had undergone was ter
rible. 1t was in consequence of his in
difference to capture that he entered the
stage for Schroon, and thus ran the risk
of being detected. On the day of his de-
parture be regretted the course be had
taken, and would have returned before he
had reached BAllstop, had he believed he
could have done SO without being arrested
before reaching home.
THE ALIBI OF FILKINs.
The argus evidently does not place
implicit faith in the statements of the
witnesses who testify to an alibi for the
prisoner. We quote from that journal:
The testimony of Filkins's alibi was pre-
pared before the mans arrest. II looks as
If it had been carefully prepared before
rhe preparation of the crime. To spring
IN to the starting train, to complete his
crime, and to return, need not have been
work of many minutes to one accustom-
ed to railroad work and ways as the ac-
used The care he took to call attention
to time, looks as if done with purpose.
In case long celebrated in the annals
# crime in Albany, the murder OF Capt.
Wbipple by Strang, on the outskirts OF
the city, the latter, swift runner, appear
ed at store in the city at a time SO near
to the minute when the fatal shot was
fred, that it seemed incredible that he
could have done the deed. He called at
tention to the time, while assuming to
make some purchase, and relied upon this
evidence for his defence. But. coupled