The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-07-16
THE WHEELING DAILY NTEIGENCER WEDNESDAY

Our AMATEUR DETECTIVES
Developments al he Trial Of Cochran and
Gdw-The arrest OF James Cochran and
Albert Gaus, last Saturday night, by the
police, on suspicion Of being concerned In
the robbery Of John MCNell's queensware
store, about the first Of July, was duly re.
ported at the time, and Is no doubt i6mil.
lar TO those In the habit OF reading Crimi.
nal news. The arrests were made late
Saturday night, and the boys remained IN
the lookup until yesterday morning, the
cases being postponed on Monday until
the following day.
There was a large crowd In the lobby
when the cases were called, who evidently
were much interested In the proceedings.
Pffttas been well understood for some time
past that CitySergeant Sweeneya and Sheriff
Jingle, in the discharge Of their duties as
city and county officials, respectively,
have Clashed together rather inharmoni.
Ously upon several occasions; In fact,
that they do not gee" at all in their ideas
Of the eternal fitness Of things. 1t was
understood also that the boy Gaus was o
sort Of prOtege OF the Sherilfs, whom he
had in his employ as an embryo detect.
i've. For these reasons, and the additional
fact that Sheriff Tingle and Prosecuting
Attorney jordan were summoned as wit.
nesses for the prosecution, more than
usual interest was taken In the proceed.
ings.
Mr.. Cracraft appeared for the prosecu.
ton, and Mr.. Dovenor represented the
defense. Officer Geo. McCully and James
st. Mayors, who arrested the boys, were
present. It was quite evident, from the
evidence adduced by the prosecution, that
the defendants were arrested on suspicion
only, and that the Sheriff had been sum.
moned with the expectation that his tes.
timony would implicate them. The
charge had been openly made, previous
to the hearing, that Gaus was one Of the
parties concerned in the robbery, and that
he had associated himself with the others
engaged In the affair with the full
know ledge and consent OF Mr.. Jingle, SO
that he could be used as q witness In
bringing the guilty parties to justice.
When Mr.. Tingle was called to the stand,
however, he testified that 'oi his own per.
sona knowledge" lie knew nothing what
ever of Gaus' connection with the Mcneil
robbery. Mr., Tingle also stated that he
had called at the lookup to see Gaus, and
been refused admittance by the orders Of
some one in authority; that even the boys
attorney had been denied the privilege Of
seeing him until the case was called in
Court, which he designated as without
precedent. No one whatever had been
permitted to communicate with the pris-
oners during their incarceration.
A number OF witnesses were examined,
but their evidence amounted to little or
nothing. There " no evidence what
ever to show that either Gaus or Cochran
had been conCGrnel in the robbery. It
was shown that officer McOully had &c.
GREETED himself in cell adjoining that
occupied by Gaus and Cochran, In the
hope OF oVerhearing what conversation
passed between them, but according to
his own evidence what he heard did not
crimlnate them. Sheriff Tlngle, who was
refused admittance To the lookup, stated
for the benefit OF the Sergeant that he had
gone around the building, and standing
outside. conversed with the prisoners
from "his side OF the building"
Prosecuting Attorney Jordan when on
the stand was not questioned as to his
knowledge Of the sherlf's system Of hunt
ing down criminals, He protested round.
ly, however, against the case being tried
before the police court, claiming that the
court had no Jurisdiction in the premises.
Alter hearing the evidence in the cases
before him, Judge Cranmer decided that
nothing had been presented going TO show
that defendants had any connection with
the robbery, and accordingly discharged
them from custody. Thus the trial termi-
mated with victory for the Sheriff and
his amateur detective bureau. Next!