The sun., 1879-02-08
PRICE TWO CENTS.
A VERY REMARKABLE TRIAL
ARSON AND MASKED BURGLARY N a
PENNSYLVdNIA VILLAGE


Three Reputable Citizens and n Beeutsfsi
Girl Indicted for the Double Crime-Onc n
Justice OF the Pence, Editor. md sisn
brother Of DIR. Hollister, the Historian.
HoNEsDALE, Pa, Feb. 7.-On the conven-
ing OF court yesterday afternoon. after the close
OF the Van Alstine murder case. District Attor-
ney Mumford announced that he was ready to
proceed on the indictments against E. D. Hollis
ter. George Burns. William A. Myers. and Fan
ME Van Gorder. These are tho persons arrested
on charge Of being concerned in the burning
OF G. NJ. Vests barn and the masked burglary
mt the house OF T. H. Baker. during which Mre.
Baker was nearly killed. In the village Of Ho,-
listerville this county. on the night OF Nov. 8.
1873
Shortly after the Baker affair. THE Sun pub
shed the story Of several daring and despe.
rate crimes that had been committed at and In
the vicinity Of Hollisterville during tho past
twenty years. with which common rumor con-
nccted the names OF Squire Z. b. Hollister and
others. The last one Of these was burglary In
Waymart, which was traced so nearly to
Hollister that he was twice convicted OF tho
crime-escaping finally through n technical de-
cision OF the Supreme Court. When tho Dis
trict Attorney nnde his announcement yestsr-
day the Hon. W. II. Dimmick. OF counsel for
the accused persons. read petition. signed b.
n OF tnH prisoners. IN Wnlcn tney SET lOFtl lnht
THE SUN article had been so widely read in
Wayne County that It had created public opin
| ion so strong against them that 1t would be i'm
possible for them to receive fair trial. They
asked that on this ground n change o. venuo bo
/ granted to another county. IHE SUN article
| was handed to the Judges with the petition.
| Judge Waller refused to order this change OF
venue. -.,...
such genera interest ms this SINCE the burglary
/ trial Of L. b. Hollisier in 1867. When the pris-
oners were arralgned yesterday afternoon there
I was scarcely breathing room In the low. poorly
| ventilated nall used rs court. There are four
charges against the prsoneTs-b burglary. arson.
! conspiracy. and assault The indictment for
BURGLARY was takon up. The prisoners elected
| TO be tried together.
+. b. Hoster is about so years old. He is
well educated and Of n family noted for the III
| erary ability OF its members. Dr.. Hollister. the
various ip u.s. Of Scranton. known in literary circles
| rs Stella Of Lackawanna," is bis sister. Squire
6 H9llister G, Is himself on he st1n oi the hones
northeastern Pennsylvania. He Is a Justice OF
the Peace IN his township.
SQUIRE Holiister's " vile R' Is his sister. Burns
and his wife make their home Mt HOLSTERS.
ycuSs 70 MsysRs %ss u Il
are highly respectable residents OF HOLSTER
Fannie Van Gorder is the 1s-year old daugh-
ter Of = well-to-do farmer living near Hollister.
yr m sne bnns a. f9r es ,ee psS pas.
the Baker family In Hollisterville. She and
young Myers are lovers.
7. II. Baker, the prosecutor on the charges Of
Judge Baker. wealthy citizen Of Susquehanna
HSRy Hosyierye An n west the e0 prosscasor ss on
the charge o.. arson. is an old and prominent
The prisoners are defended by ex.Judes
Henry Wilson, eaitor;t " p ne OF the Homes.
S. Purdy ESQ. and Homer Green. Esa Coun-
sellor Purdy is the son.in-aw OF Associate
Judge Avery % and oopnsel,or Green y the S s9S
District ,Attorney, ,Mumford is assisted By g. @:
Attorney p r. Smith. Mr. Waller Is brother
, Of the presiding Judge.
cupied halt day the longest time ever known
in the Wayne County courts. The fear that the
the prosecution nsked that the Court order Them
TO be kept together constanty until the case Is
and two staiwart consia6es appointed to stand
guard over the Jury This Is the first jury ever
s.nolected to this surveillance In Wayne County.
The prisoners pleaded not guilty, Fanny Van
Gorder's voice being heard above all the others.
There are nearly one hundred witnesses sub
Ex- District Attorney Smith opened the case
for the prosecution this morning. The first
swore that he had held a mortgage and judR-
ment against f. B. Holister for more than
q 700. The money was due about Aug; 1878.
about wanting the debt paid. Hollister yolun-
Es nas Tsd os tho to g g 5S n y' dr'S as
Ii. cqn ss9 aHS iS2k pad "ffn%n' Hdsef Ss S
o'clock in the afternoon. II was stormy day.
but Hoster droye to scrar' on. ifteen miles,
thai the money shouIa be paid By cheek: 4 was
paid in currency Baker. Mt . o'clock in the
ing the money to u neighbor who took 1t away.
Fanny Van Gorder came to Bakers house on
The family retired at the usual hour Fanny
sb:S Ss5 SSa M bsssF %sss %ss aysE
was on hre. They Jumped from bed. Fanny
wns fully dressed even TO collar. cuffs and rib;
ran TO the tire. wnich was over in about half an
near the close. Baker returned toward home.
When near his house he saw Fanny Van Gorder
PgHss through Hollister's yard and on toward
her. but she did not say anything to him. When
. entered by burglars. His wife had been beaten
! nearly 10 death. and his little siX-year-old boy
badiy beaten. The pockelbook was gone. Baker
, testified that on two OCCASIONS shortly before
the fire and burglary, he detected something
; wrong in the broad and milk he was eating. as
RE " next "@ day 1 atter the Ss' DurslsTy @ Fanny Fanny
4 had entered the house shortly after Baker went
! | out. One was a tall man, the other short one.
Tho tall man struck Mrs. Baker Fanny ran
Florence spnngenberg testified that on the
nlEM ol the butklnfy ne SAW Myers ~ nnout
~, O'Clock come around the corner OF Vests
store from the direction Of the barn. Shortly
aiterward the hre was discovered, Witness
won't 10 tho FIRE. Myers went in another direc-
, | uon. and was not seen for half nm hour.
: Squire +, L. Blake swore that after Myers
: WAS arrested he had told witness that IL he had
, ! sonrched HOLSTERS house they might have
found evidence Of the burglary. To another
, ! witness Hollister had stated that they had got
the right man when they arrested Myers.
j. W. stanton II scranton -Wore 10 the follow
y lowing rcWHrkahle story; In August last no
, YVES in the Exchange Hotel in scranton, kept nv
J. | relative of Fanny Van Gorlrr. Myers was
} there. and the two became Acquainted. Finally
Myers told him stanton that he was Just the
: man he was looking for / know" continued
. Myers. where there is to be over $4,000 paid
10 man. ana want 10 manage 10 get II. The
money Is To oe paid next Tuesday IN the after
noon. Tho mum who il to get 1t always eats a
bowl Of milk for his supper. | want you 10 get
= mo some medicine thut can be put IN his milk
: and his wIfe's tea to make him sleep nave
i got "a girl al HollisterNille thAt will put
. II in. | can put the medicine under
u q Nat stone where | place letters TO
v her. She VIII yet IL and do what want her 10.
7 will give you 5000 % get the medicine Of some