The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-03-02

ence to tho difficulties between Hester and
his wife, Mrs Hester, who has been in con-
slant attendance at court since the trial
opened was overcome by her emotion and
cried bitterly.
Several witnesses were called but their
testimony was unimportant.
At the afternoon session the court room
was terribly crowded, every seat being filled
and all standing room out side of the bar be-
ing occupied. Among the spectators were
large number of ladies who occupied chairs
within the railing of the bar.
Francis McKiernan was called as the first
witness.
l know Daniel Kelly; live st Dark Cor
ner it is about mile from Centralia; Kel-
ly boarded with me the year before Rea was
killed he was boarding with me about a
year he came to my house from Luzerne
county he left in the summer; Rea tore
down house that had been rented on the
land that he (Rea) was agent for; he used
to pass my houfe going to the land he was
| agent for, two or three times week and al
ways hitched his horse at the stable about
twenty yards from my house; l would not
believe him under oath; Kelly use TO 60 to
Centralia every Saturday night.
Cross-examination by the defense.
found out that Kelly was bad charac-
ter, when hunted him out of..the house ).
| Kelly drew revolver to shoot the woman,
who run him Kelly out of the house l
used to see Kelly on the street Sundays when
/ drove to church; never saw Kelly aud Rea
together at LCentralia Kelly must have
known Rea, as he saw him so often; Rea
pulled down the house all alone; it did not
take him very long to tear down the small
bit of a house he did it in an hour it was
a log house Rea tossed down the house and
pulled the woman out Kelly and l stood
by and did not interfere; / cannot say
whether it was one year or two years before
Rea was killed.
Benjamin Thomas was called by the
prosecution for further cross examination
but did not answer to his name.
Peter A. Mahon, of Shamokin, was called
|
Locpst Gap. .....
Benjamin Thomas then appeared and un-
derwent a most severe cross-examination
from Mr.. Hughes, in the course of which he
denied having said that he did not believe
in God.
M. G. Woodward, the Chief of Police Of
Bloomsburg was called and sworn.
4 In 1868 Donohue, Duffy, Hester and Pri-
or were confined in the Jail in this s,,place; l
was the jailor and had all the keys; Dono-
, hue, Duffy and Prior were confined in one
cell; Hester was in cell by himself; appli.
cation was never made to me to allow Don
ohue to see Hester when went out at meaI
time Parr had the keys. His cross-examina
tion did not bring out any new facts.
t While Mr.. Woodward was being examined
Thomas Donohue came into the courtroom
Donohue is slight built man, of medium
height, with full beard. .
When Woodward left the stand Donohu,
Z was called and sworn: / was confined il
the Jail in the rear of this court house upor
charge of being one of the murderers o
Alexander W. Rea; Prior, Duffy and Hes
ter were also confined there on the sam
CHARGE Hester's cell was opposite to m!
. cell; knew Lewis S. Parr who was guard
ing us; l asked Parr to allow me to go ant
see Hester in his cell l never asked Parr t.
allow me to go in Hester's cell, because i
was against the rules Parr never let me Wis
il Hester's cell, and he never visited my cell
| never told Hester it was "a bad 60 to xii
Rea !" Hester never told me that if he cha,
it to do over again (Hester) would no
have him (Rea) killed"
Crosse ss-examination.-I was brought her
from Schuylkill county Jail am undergo
ing sentence for being an accessory to a con
spiracy to assault and kill "Bully Bill an
+, in for two years (; i have never seen Par
since l left Jail never said Parr was
mean son of b. and that he used t,
warm the irons before he put them onIes
ter. but he put them on me cold / salt
) he was a mean man because he put tn
. irons on me cold; if told to officer Brdg
that Parr warmed Hesters irons told lie
: but he always put mine on me cold: | hav
been member of the Ancient Order of Hi
bernians for some time joined them afte
l was in Bloomsburg on trial; was not
y legal member until after the trial, as it wa
, not until | got out Of Jail that they gave m
the pass words.
John Britt was called and sworn. He wa
in company with Luke Richardson at Ash
land the night before Rea was killed, an
: met Hester in McLaughlin's saloon.
The defense then closed with the unde
sta nding that they were to be allowed to ca
two witnesses when they arrived in Blooms
Il burg. This was quite a surprise to nearl
: every one IN the house, as it was expecte
the defense would not close until sometin
the following morning. The cOmmonwealt
then opened their rebuttal with several wi
u nesses
Michael Schlithorn, a. former witness r
. called,-I lived in Mount Carmel in 1868 b
| never heard of the finding of an illie
e still six months before Hester ran away
II heard there was some molasses hid in Il
e woods 1t was opposite Hesters house in
" old saw mill.
e The prosecution offered to prove by Il
If witness that Mr.. Schlithom had search
Hester's house for Rea's watch and 9th
property. and thus prove that Hester h
,r gone west to escape arrest on account of t
e; robbery and killing of Rea. The defen
"a | stronply ohiected IN the nronoaad ay;da,,
S. 1t was then withdrawn, and after some fl
at ther unimportant testimony the court q
as journed.
IL A number of witnesses testified to
r.. bad character of Benjamin Thomas, on t
3 morning of the 2lst and number depos
as to the want of reputation of Peter Lu1
a Ex-Sherif Millsrd and John G.. Alst
en- were sworn but their testimony was not i
Ia DuTtant,