The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-15
PLEADED GUILTY.

SPEEDY TERMINATION OF THE TRIAL OF THREE
MASKED BURGLARS IN SUSSEX COUNTY, n. J.
The trial Of William Fredericks. John Tobin. alias
George Johnson, and John Sawyer. the three men
indicted in the Sussex county court. at Newton.
n j.. for the masked burglary at the house OF Slr
Samuel Hough. in Vantage township. on the night
of Sunday. November 2 last came to an abrupt tor
minstion Saturday. The crime of which the
prisoners werecharged was committed on the night
OF November 2. The dwelling of Mr.. Samuel Hough.
on the Deckertown road. was entered by three
masked burglars. One of them held Hough and his
wife In check with revolver while the
other two bound and gagged Daniel Stoll.
the hired man. and his sister. and
Mr.. Houghs mother. Afterward they ransacked
the entire house. From a secretary in the library
they took SPAS in money and besides this they
carried OF nothing but silk dress and revolver
taken from the hired man. One room. small sort
ofCloset in which were Mrs. Hough's jewclry and
silver ware overlooked. After the departure OF
the robbers. Sto went to the barn for the purpose
Of sadding horse and alarming the neighbors. but
found that tho thieves before going into
the house ,a nsd cut up every halter ,s bride aI
also discovered . iced tub turned upside down, by
standing on which person could look through the
barn window and everything that went on in the
house. When the neiahbors were appraised OF the
robbery pursuit made, and two OF the prisoners
were Iouuu ot the UNION house. 1uey were token
into custody. but one broke away and. drawing
his revolver, arcd several shots ut his pur-
suers Finding. horse and wagon in the
road he sprang into the velicle and
drove or He eluded pursuit for several days. and
was finally captured on the roof OF freight train.
The third man was captured on the day following
the burglary. After the capture the mon were
lodged in the County Jail in Newton. small two
story stone structure. but had only been there two
several of the stone blocks in the wall behind their
bed.
uprsoUvvs rotrpr
They pleaded not guilty when arraigned and their
trial on the first indictment was set down for
court room densely crowded. Judges Anderson.
Cole and Eusted occupied the bench. Fredericks
asked the Court for an extension OF two weeks to
trial. but his request denied. and the Court,
after assigning Messrs. Rosenkrans. Shea and
Ensted to defend the prisoners. directed the
trial to proceed. The principal witness against
the prisoners Mrs. Jane Hough. whose
On the night OF NoSsnSer sns s was A aroused BY
noise n the bedroom and discovered the three men.
One Of them. she said. was the prisoner Johnson.
whose right namo is Tobin. and who formerly
worked for her husband. All were masked. and as
she cried out Tobin in very kind voice said to
and II You give us that won't hurt YOU" She
alarmed her husband who on seeing the intruders
was about to spring from the bed when To obi
"Lie down. old man. or III kill YOU"
Her husband fell back in the bed. Presently Stoll.
revolver. which he levelled at the robbers
head. Her husband urged him not to shoot they
wonld all be killed. and Stoll went back to his
The men followed him. and. after taking the re-
volver from him. bound him to the bed. His sister
was also bound. and. with old Mrs. Hough. was
brought into the bedroom. where Tobin stood guard
them. Mrs. Hough thought it was about
o'clock when they left. Before going one of the
party said:-"H you stir out Of here within three
hours will come back and kill all of you;
were obliged to kill old Wilson "a
ncighbor) and we don't want to do anything
like that here" It four O'Clock before Mr..
Hough allowed Soll 10 leave the house to alarm the
neighbors. Besides this evidence the witnesses for
the State identified q revolver found with the prs-
oners the taken from Stoll. and some bank
notes taken from the secretary were identified by
Mr.. Hough.. The defence attempted to establish an
abb for each of the accused. The given to
the jury Friday. aud after brief elaboration
verdict OF guilty was found. motion for
trial for Fredericks the ground of insufficient evil
dence was denied. and the trial on the second
indictment begun. Yesterday after Miss Stoll
had concluded her testimony the prisoners held .
consultation with their counsel and offered to plead
non vult to the remaining indictments. The District
Attorney refused to accept. ana after another brief
consultation the three men pleaded guilty to all
the indictments against them. The Court remanded
them back to the County Jail. where strong guard
placed over Thorn. They will probably be SEN
fenced to-day and removed ct once to the State
Prison ut Trenton.