The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-08-23
CHAPMAN.
Second Inquiry INTO the sIi 900 Express
Robbery.
Preliminary Examination of H. B Chapman
Charged with Perjury on his Former Trial.

The examination Of Heman B. Chapman, ar
rested two weeks ago for perjury, took place be-
fore Esquire Rees on Tuesday and Wednesday
asst, Mcssrs. Mayo, Duncan and Bull for the
prosecution and Judge Eldredge and Chas, Blan-
hard for the defense. OF course, in this case to
Justify an Indictment for perjury, it becomes ne.
.cessary to prove that Chapman did embezzie the
Sl4 600 from the L. 5. Express Co., on l4th Sep
tembcr last. The defense opened the case with
motion to discharge the prisoner because of the
|nsufficicncy of the complaint Mr. Blanchard
| n arguing the motion said this trial was but a
repetition of the former, which is against all law
Iind the constitution. On that trial he swore he
WAS innocent of the charge and he was so found
by the jury and that trial is bar to any further
Investigation of the matter. 1t was argued by
hi the attorneys; and the Court overrulea the
potion and the examination proceeded.
viii Kaufman produced the record of the trial
III Chapman for enlightenment; Anthony Koenen,
+hort hand reporter, read from his notes portions
|)f the former trial containing Chapmans evil
Hence, which the prosecution seek to prove is
'pesyury; by bank clerks, cxpressmen, &c, the
package of $4,000 was made up and traced to
|John McBoyle, agent at La Sale. McBoyle re-
peated his testimony of the former trial, and that
Ehapman's salary In the Office had been $40 per
month; that Chapman was man in poor pc
|uniary circumstances; and that he knew of a
|man named Willard living about La Sale.
JoHNATHAN PECK, of the firm of +. NJ. Garfield
Tx Co., planning mill men, said Chapman had owed
|the firm some $500 or 800, on which some $50
l,,f, l.; r;n1o "a
|Sl5O in January; the balance is unpaid and is Sc
cured by mortgage on his house in La Sale
The next witness was
CHAS. Il. WILLARD.
Willard was arrested in Kearney last week,
charged with the robbery and was taken to Pink
erton's headquarters in Chicago until Monday,
when he came to Ottawa. He has been called
"Chapman's accomplish" in the robbery; and his
evidence is considered very important. He said
his right name was Chas. Bennett Nelson, but
his step-father's name being Willard he has al
ways been known by that name. He is hardly
five feet tall, has slight figure, red hair and
does not show any symptoms of alarmingly large
brain. He is about % years old and moved to La
Sale from Mclean county in 1869 or 1870 with
his parents, where he worked in the Zinc Works,
for &. NJ. Blanchard in Peru, and drove team for
H. B. Chapman and for Todd's MILL when he be.
gan boarding at Chapman's. Two years ago he
Wkpt to Nebraska as a farmer, and lived those
two years either at Ia Sale or in Nebraska
boarding while in the former place at Chapman's
On Sept 18th, he said, he was in Nebraska herd
ing sheep for one r. G. Par1ee; but on Oct. 18th
1873, he received q letter from Chapman to the
effect that he was having law suit and thinking
he might need him, asked him to come to la
Sale, which he did, arriving on Oct. 18th, stay.
ing there till after the trial working for Chap.
mans relations, and living with Chapman, who
also furnished him with some money. He said
in substance:
| left La Sale, three or four weeks after Chap.
mans trial, with Chapman. We went to Chica.
go, stepping at the fremont; then went to CouH.
ell Bluffs where We stayed two days at the Og-
den House, thence to Kearney, Neb. thence to
California. Chapman paid the bills. bought
my ticket to kearney, where We stopped over
night, Chapman and Charley johnson paying
bills. Chapman bought the emigrant tickets in
Omaha for California, and we three rode on them.
At Ogden we stayed four or five hours and then
went down to Salt Lake City, staying one
night at the Valley House. Don't know whe
paid the bills, but Chapman and johnson bought
the tickets back to Ogden, whence in three or
four days We reached San Francisco We got
there on the morning Of the oath or 18th of Janu-
ary--four Of US. We met Johnson, news agent
on the Northwestern road, at Cedar Rapids; and
at Omaha he concluded to 20 to California with
US. We met Brown on the c. p road and he
travelled with us. We all put up at the Interna-
tional hotel When Chapman and | left La Sale
he had a large and q small satchel and 1850 or
$50, he said. We left there to 90 to Kearney TO
gatien; at Omaha he said he was going on 20
the coast, as the news agent had advised him.
While in Council Bluffs / went with johnson
and others TO Maud Blanks house Of prostitution
don't know whom Chapman was with or whether