National Republican., 1877-11-28


lam Craig, indicted for presenting a fraudulent
claim against the United States Government, was
continued.
The witness that has occupied the stapd for two
days past In tho interest OF the Government is
named John Williams, and not John Williams, as
The District Attorney stated that he expected to
Mr.. George II. Babcock testified tho, he had
conversation with Mr. Craig In this city In August
| last nt which time he spoke Of sending money 70
the witness, Williams, 70 get him 10 come 10 81.
and WIFI ns isa pc Sa SogSo sS ne
AFRAID he would
GET DRUNK AND TALK 700 MUCH.
In cross.cxamination he said that he came here
In July, 1874, and Williams came with him. lie
proposed W the witness that he would provide the
| ice II he would come here and watch Craig. IL
Was something In relation to claim about the loss
tran 70 inS GoSFHdn ms LAWYER r OF Wsnys Weay
never asked him what the claim was about
neither did he tell.
with him. He had been In the employ of witness,
| and during that time said that he was involved IN
the claim, and if!he witness would loan him 500
fnl he would give him half Of the 200 or Of what
ever Craig paid him. The witness came to this city
and remained about four weeks, paying his own
expenses and the room rcrit for Williams. While In
The city he prosecuted an application for pension
that he had filed some ten years previous, lie sug
gestcd to Williams that he might assist him In that
matter. He got e. 100 IRON the Government; never
paid Williams 500 nor agreed TO do SO. The fight
between them did not grow out OF the witness not
| paying WILLIAMS the $500.
Mr. Wilson asked permission to rccall Williams
| 10 lay tho foundation for showing that he
COMMITTED FORGERY
| to obtain money from Mr.. Jordan, of the Owen
House, and tina. no made threats to pursue Col
The Court declined to allow tho witnc" to be
Capt Oscar Dunlap testified that in July, 1854,
| be went In command Of au escort 10 Fort Larned
| He did not know OF Briants mule train. There
was large number Of wagons at the fort and
| among them was BrGnts, but he could net pick II
out Whether Briants train went or not, he did
on cross examination he said that nt Fort Zarra
on the morning before he len, the Indians, twelve
strong attacked train In sight of the fort stam
| pcded the mules and murdered ten men. As a
matter Of fact, he did not know anything about
| Erastus Maxwell, Of the secret service, was ex-
amined and testified that he knew the defendants
by sight. In March, 1875, he was In this city and
had conversation with Mr.. Brant at 1870 q street
northwest There were present Mcssrs. Mitchell,
| WILLIAMS and the witness. Brani was then under
| arrest Messrs. Mitchell and Williams sat i'm the
| front room and the witness and Briant In the
other.
ANOTHER QUESTIONABLE INTERVIEW.
The Court. Is this an interview similar to the
one ruled out
distinct
Mr.. Cook. 1t is another just like that, and here
Is tie note tnhl was written 10 get DOtn Bflunt
Craig to the room and where Briant went.
Mr.. Cook to the yitncss Did you not go by the
name of Capt. kingsbury at times?
The witness. have, but am not known by that
name
Mr.. Cook. I suppose not
The Court here took the letter and read 1t.
Gen. Butler sad that they proposed to show that
the letters to Brant and Craig were the result oil u
conspiracy between Willnas and Maxwell, after
they were under arrest, to get them intp Il room
rcntcd by the Government for the purpose OF max.
ing disclosures that could be used against them.
The Court stated that this interview is said -
have taken place In the same Department Us
the former one, and this witness placed in the
adjoining room u hear 1t, and was one of the
gcfters-up OF thc interview, Introduced under
be rs obnox xious as the former one. All the conver
sations and statements procured at these rooms,
no matter al what time, If they were of the same
character rs the two referred to- they would come
under the ruling and be excluded.
His Honor ruled out another interview which
Maxwell, alias Kingsbury, had with 3riaIt OH the
street before the Police Court.
The Government here rested.
The Court and Mr.. Maxwell held brief conver-
sation, when His Honor remarked that Mr. Max
well wished TO have 1t stated tina what he did was
under orders from his superior
District-Attorney Wells. You cannot cross-ex..
anime q witness that has not been examined in
| chief.
The Court. You cannot do that
Gen; Butler. ! want to find out who was the
head devil in this thing.
THE DEFENSE.
The defense called Theodore wcchcelbsum,
who Is merchant and brewer, residing In Kansas.
He was brought here by the Government He
knew Briant previous to 1864, and was engaged In
freighting. Then he had train of mules on the
plains, the best that there that season. II
loaded with Government freight, lie was the guide
of Gen. Curtis on his trip 10 Fort Larnett and
messed with him from the time he LETT Saina,
That was In July, 1864, and they were gone about
ten days.
lie testified that several men. owning or pretend.
| ing TO own trains, came To the General asking for
escorts. He said that he had none, aud they must
| go on. He told Mr.. Briants wagon master that his
stores were needed at Fort Union, and he must go
forward with them. Williams was present at that
time and heard the order of the General They
met Mr.. Briant the second day after at Cow Creek.
lie came on the Santa Fe coach, and was looking
| for his train.
Mules were bought by the span. and were worth,
al that time, from $3.50 10 $50. They heard of an
attack Oh train at Cow Creek nine or ten days be-
| fore they got there.
jacob Booth a bright looking colored man. with
constant smile upon his face was next exam
In 1854 he drove team and cooked on the plains
for Mr.. Briant. He was on siS.mnle train, of if
| teen wagons, that left 1eavenworth in the summer
OF 1854. When their train was at Cow Greek there
were 100 wagons there. and they remained twelve
days. The wagon master went the river for AN
escort but did not get II. One man WAS killed there
by the Indians They went to larned for an escort,
but did not get 1t. and they went on To the river,
where they camped. While the mules were being
| corraled
THE INDIANS
| came upon them and stampeded them. The wit
ness saw the mules the next day on the opposite
side of the river They then sent back 10 Missouri
aud got oxen to take the train on then the men
refused to 20 unless the Government sent troops to
protect them, and An officer said he would put
| them under arrest II they did not go. So they
struck out and went. He was summoned by the
Government and told his story TO the District At
| torney. That officer said that he would send for
him when wanted, and he had not sent for him yet.
John r. Carr wagon master for Mr. Briant, tes IT,
| hed that he was in that position In 1864. He had
charge Of mule train III the summer OF that year
| On leaving LeavenwOrth-it was on the 5th or
| 9th of July-he went with Mr.. Brant 10 q mill
tary officer to get escort and was told that the
would not need one, at least until they reached
| Fort Larned. When they reached Big Grow Creek
| they learned that the Indians were bad ahead OF
| them and they remained there nine days, and
part of the time were surrounded by Indians. Two
| men were killed Hearing that Gen. Curtis was at
| Pawnee Fork. they herded up and went over to
him, catching up with him at Walnut Creek, and
| they all encamped ut Pawnes Fork. lie de,
manded an escort OF Gen. Curtis TO go West with
| them.
At this point the court adjourned.