The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-18

ed that the crime would be committed on
August 18th; / understood from Valen-
tine that they would go in at the front
door; on going to the house OF Adam
Westphal we looked over the ground and
at dark, about s o'clock, we took our posi-
tons; points different rooms, doors, gates,
road, etc., Ankrum took his position at
the pig pen; Herkert at the bushes in
front of the house; | was in the pantry;
the old folks went down cellar. A few
minutes after 10 o'clock heard some one
open the gate; the parties came; [ held
the pantry door open little; they came in at
the front door; Iheard them open the screen
and the other door; they came into the
room and came to the pantry door; en- the
way some one said, straight ahead, three
times, in whisper; one of the parties
pressed the door times and the door
| gave way; | said, Jack Currants sur
lrender or I'll shoot you on the spot" [
| then received blows; then [ got Sd
blow on the head that dropped me; |
| groaued as though was finished; [ then
raised and fiji ed shots; then we clinched
| and we had struggle; | lost my revolver:
| him; then Currant surrendered; we then
got a light; Currant was brought
out OF the room; We found that Currant
was badly injured; Valentine pointed to
bottle of chlorotorm on the floor; | went
into the pantry and found Colts revolver
in it; | found my revolver in there also
under some rubbish; after getting the old
folks quoted we started for Rock Island; ]
don't know how many burglars come in,
but there's were more than one; Currant
said Bill, help help" when we were
struggling on the floor; herkert asked
lCurrant what he was there for; he said for
money" This is the bottle of chloroiorm
we found there (pointing to bottle on the
table,
Cross Examination-Va lentine called
my atte..tIon to the chioroiorm on the floor
Ben Stenpe FIRST told Inc OF the plot. that
Valentine and Ed Westphal were to do
the work, and he had been solicited to 90
into it, aud had went out to see the place
but Ben. had refused to 90 into it,
Redirect eXamination-l also got in
formation of tlis plot in June or July from
Jack Atkinson, Of this city, on TIE rear
end Of street car: Jack wanted to make
4 reward for squeaiing. He wanted the
burglary to be committed, when reward
would lie offered ard then he would have
the thieves arrested.
Jackson Currant-Ny name is Jackson
Currant; am 33 years old past; my
birthday was 18th of June last; | was ar
rested the 10th or lth of August; L have
been in Jail ever since; Westphal has been
IN Jail also; he was brought there 4 or .
DAYS after | as;-I have talked with
I Westphal about testifying in this court
and after I testified before the magistrate;
) he talked to me almost, every day;--he
said for me to state the facts as far as
could; | was sworn in the preliminary
examination and | told the whole facts
the justices told me need not testify un-
less | wanted to, and was advised of my
rights, but testified. and told the whole
facts; Ed. Westphal was called to testify and
he refused because he did not want to
criminate himself. Isaac was also called
and did not testify for the same reason
| Before | was sworn | had no talk with
Westphal about the 81 had no coun-
sci then; Vim. NJ. Smith is my counsel
now; never talked with Westphal about
having Smith FOR my attorney; | had no
mon,y when | was arrested and have
none now; had no conversation with West
phal about getting counsel for me; came
) to Rock Island the 3rd of July. that was
| the first time was in this county; L came
: through the harvest from the south; /
came on the L. L. l. & St. L. Il. Il. got
on at place some distance from here;
otaid here days and then wentto the couD-
! try went southeast from Rock Island;
; met Westphal on the road between Mo
0 line and Coal Valley, tie other side OF
; Rock RIVER; | did not know him; | ask,
/ ed him for harvest work; | went 70 his
! house. and made it MY home till was ar
| rested; while lived there / worked Ter Mr.
t Jordou AID Mr. Fields; they both live
4 close 10 WesIphal; ! worked for Sny
G Westphal came to Moline with uie and
e he bought sotnething there; | put the
4 mark on the cap box At Westpbars house
e he was cleaning up tie revolver willie
g was marking the cap box: that locks Ike
e Westphai's revolver; il looks like i
q there he Was shown the revolver cap
Y tured on the night OF the burglary; West
{; phals revolver was cut of repair: West
| phal tried to fix it and then it worked;
! don't know where Westphal got his revol
4 yer; | heard Westphal say he had taken
L it to get it fixed; he said the catch which
c makes the cylinder revolve was broke;
e Westphal loaded it; he loaGed it witt
4 balls and powder; part OF his powder ht
u kept in bottle, that looks like the bottle
n there he was shown the bottle that wa,
It found on the night Of the burglury1;
a remember about the brass plug; West
f. phaI moulded the bullets at hi,
It house; | had no revolver caps, bull
h lets, powder, nor cloroform; | saw
It the chloroform at Westphal'
It house; saw it in bottle; stated befor,
e the magistrate that the chloroform was il
l. a bottle about that size, (showa the bottle
e about five inches in height stated before
C the magistrate that Nestphal took the
F.; chioroform out of the cupboard and show
It ed it to Byron Jordon and Others; IstateC
u before the magistrate that Westphal said
n he had read in paper about some one
/, being chloroformed aid murdered, Val
II entine was at Ed Westphal's three or foul
lie times while | was there myself, lsaa,
y and Ed. Westphal aud Valentine talked il
y the barn on Sunday about the burglary
1T Ed, " estphal, Isaac, myself and Valentin,
'e talked in the house and in the barn; | sale
e to " estphal that | had struck through
k the harvest aud bad lost money; | stated
n before the magistrate that Westphal tolC
t; me he knew where could get some work
lie aud | stated that Westphal told me where
ie | could get some money; at the talk wC
a bad in the barn, we talked Of the money il
IT Adam Westphals house; Valentine came
t, to the barn to talk to us about going anC
ID gettlDg the old man S money; the time wa.
d not set: then we all talked about it: Val
,; entine asked Westphal to get it; Valen
| ne said he would come and see us three
r men again; Valentine proposed to go il
1T with US to get the money, and ne thought
al thera WAS n poo1 deal of If in the old man