The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-06-21
DISTRICT COURT.
The Road Agent, Charles Ross, Has
His Trial-Sentenced to Twelve
Years in P~enitentiary.

ne fNoao F1Rculb SHaI!eS FSoSSI mas
His Trial-Sentenced to Twelve
Years in ~Penitentiary.
The district court after a recess of a
few days, reassembled yesterday norm
ing, Judge J.. b. Blair presiding.
The case of the Territory VS.. Charles
Ross was called, and went to trial.
Ross was one of the road agents who
assisted in the robbery of the Cheyenne
& Black Hills coach on the night OF
July LIST, 1878. The coach was bound
from Deadwood to Cheyenne with six
passengers, aud was attacked by the
road agents at Whoop-Up, sixty-ive
miles south Of Deadwood. The coach
contained Z. S. Smith and J. s. Smith,
of New York; A. Liberman and II.
Liberman, of Chicago, and Daniel
Finn and Mrs. Boughton, of Cheyenne.
Only two road agents came in view,
and after placing the passengers in
line and robbing four of them of va
rious amounts of money, together with
two gold watches. they advanced to
Finn, who drew his revolver, shooting
one robber in the region of the groin.
The robber fell on his knees, rallied,
and as Finn was about to shoot again,
lie (Finn) was shot by an accomplish of
the robber, who laid in ambush. The
pistol ball entered Finn at the left side
Of the nose, and passing through the
mouth, came out in front o; the right
ear, destroying two teeth and infict-
ing a painful wound.
The robbers then retreated, firing
several shots and wounding E. S.
Smith in the leg below the knee, and
A. Liberman in the thigh. Mrs.
Bougton was not molested.
There were five witnesses who testi-
fed against Ross in court yesterday,
whose evidence fixed the crime Of being
one Of the participants in the robbery
very c~onclusively upon him. A. Liber-
man, mentioned above as having been
shot in tn thigh, died shortly after his
arrival in Chicago, from the effects of
the wound. No testimony, however,
was before the jury in the case Of yes
terday to that effect. Consequently he
was tried only on the charge of shoot
ing, with intent to kill, and robbery.
The law places the maximum punish
ment for this offense at fourteen years
in the ~penitentiary.
After the case was given to the jury
they were out only u short time before
they returned with u verdict of guilty,
and fixed the sentence at twelve years
in the ~penitentiary at Lincoln, Neb.
Ross is a very hard case, and has
beeu the principal leader in several at
tempts to break Jail since his confine-
ment here. When the sentence Of the
jury was read in court yesterday, he
never moved a muscle in his face, and
seemed to regard it with more indiff-
erence than he would a summons to his
meals.
The case of the United States vs..
Charles Ross, charged with stopping
the United States mail, was called. ],
s. Spawn was assigned as counsel, and
it is expected the case will come up fol
hearing to-day.
The case of the City of Cheyenne VS.,
A. Simmons, was dismissed on motion,
at cost of prosecution.
The civil case of the First National
bank VS.. o. F. Holmes was called next,
and a decree awarded.
The case of NJ. +. shannon vs.. Frank
Shannon was, Oh motion, placed on the
trial docket. w. p. Carroll was ap'
pointed master of chancery to take tes'
timony in the case.
On motion, the judgment in the case
of the Territory VS.. James F. Wells,
was set aside and the defendant grant.
ed a new trial. Thereupon the defend
ant withdrew his former plea of 'snot
guilty. and plead guilty" He was
sentenced to thirteen months imprison'
ment in the p~enitentiary at Lincoln,
Nebraska.
The court, on request, excused Chas.
II. Spoor from further service on the
grand jury, and the sheriff summoned
in his place p. Dater.
The motion for u new trial in the
case of the Territory vs.. Thos. Regain.
was overruled, and the defendant sen
fenced to fifteen months in the terrific
rial p~enitentiary.
A. nN---.t~- 49,. Orl,-.