Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-08-03
CHAs. LAyEKTY's WATCH.



Before Justice Corson at Norristowl
yesterday the first important hearing was
had in the now celebrated Clugston mur
der case. John Spielmann, arrested il
the city last Thursday as an accessory te
the crime at Valley Forge, has been re-
committed to prison as an accomplice, ii
not the principal, in the murder. Norris
town has for months been placarded with
offers of 81, 600 reward for the apprehen'
sion of the murderer, but the only clue
offered to work upon was the pictures OF
a common Melton cloth ovcrcOat with a
plaid lining, a Red Jacket revolver with
which the murder was done, and pawn
ticket bearing the name of +. Abbott for
a watch stolen from Chas. Laverty, then a
ticket agent at Leaman place, Lancaster
county, all of which articles were left by
the midnight assassin in his flight from
the Clugston residence after the crime was
committed. Edward Johnson was arrest
ed as the nearest friend of Abbott, but
evidence was wanting to show that
hc was anything more than what he
claimed to be, merely an acquaintance OF
the man whom the pawn ticket implicated
i'm the murder. But johnson and the bar
keeper, Nicholas Davidson. spoke of an
other friend of Abbott's, and last Thurs
day Spielmann was arrested. He is an
insignificant looking mat, with thin sandy
hair, a low forehead, recedng chin, and
very large, cOlOriess eyes, which are rest
less and wild looking, as Guiteau's are.
He is small in stature, proportiOnately
slight, and possesses a self-assertive egOt-
ism which showed itself in many small
tricks to catch the attention OF the specta-
tors. His large eyes fairly snapped with
merrimcn. while his associate told of
their dcbauch in Philadelphia on the 9th
Of February, when. according to Spiel
mann's story, hc first met Abbott and
Johnson.
During the forenoon George Sa!abes,
one of the managers Of the Consolidated
loan company of Baltimore, where the
pawn ticket bearing AbbOtt's name was
issued, arrived ut Norristown and was
taken to Jail. He partly identified the
prisoner is the smaller of the two mem who
came to him early in March to pawn 4 sill
vcr watch which WAS subsequently found
to have been stolen ut Leaman Place.
When shown the coat left by the murderer
of Mr.. CIuSstOn, Saladcs identified it pos
itivcly rs the coat worn by the man who
pawned the watch. This raised Detective
Miller's .lcc to the point of swapping his
fingers in excitement and cxclaiming
Gentlemen, we have the Clugston muir
derer
"How about Abbott - asked the Press
reporter.
ale was merely a party to tho burg
larry. do not think it probable that he
was in the house when the other burglar,
attacked by Mr.. Clugston, shot his assail-
ant dead"
"And you think, too, that the old CON
vict, Forester, had nothing to do with the
murder -
Lions never associate with lambs, "
said the detective, tersely. "and Spielmann
is a mere boy whom Forester would
never speak to, much less admit him into
his confidence
-Spiclmann walked from the Jail to the
magistrates $ Office arm in arm with Mr..
Miller. During the examination, if he
wanted anything he asked the detective
for it, and tho latter always good naturcdly
complied. Spiclmann was smoking com.
placently, anu as he dropped into a chair
behind the magistrate he asked for !. light
The room was crowded and sitting.
Justice Corson, sitting in his shirt sleeves,
greeted the prisoner very cordially and
turned from the nagisterial desk to grasp
tho hand of the accused. District Attorney
Wanger called for Cornelius w. Best, who
was duly sworn. lie was a plumber by
trade, living ut No. S24 Fitzwa:cr street,
Philadelphia, aud had known the pris-
Oner about year ago, when Spielmam
was employed at Halls oyster saloon, No.
115O South Eleventh street. He stayed
only week or two, and witness never
knew him to have any other regular EN-
ploymcnt. On March ), the day before
tho Inauguration of President Garfield,
Best met SPielmann in a cigar store at
Eleventh and Ellsworth streets, and the
latter said that he was going to Washing
ton to see the Inauguration. Witness
was shown the grey coat left by the Val
ley Forge murderer on March Is, and he
was quite certain that it was the same
one that Spie'mann had woru on the night
OF the Sd. when he was talking to him.
Witness said lie could tell the coat better
il Spielmann put it on; he remembered
= particular way that the coat hung over
the chest. The district attorney asked
the prisoner if he would object to putting
on the coat that WAS taken from the Clug-
ston murderer.
mo-" said the prisoner, throwing his
cigar away; 81 don't object. will put
on any number OF coats belonging to other
men il you want me TO-.
The district attorney said he would be
much obliged. and the prisoner WAS helped
off with the ragged coat worn by him ut
the time Of the arrest and put on the gray
one that the murderer had worn. Best
looked ut the prisoner 4 moment aud said
cmphatically that it was Spie!mann coat.
lie had never seen another like it. The
garment stuck out in front Of the chest
nOticeabiy, but in other respects exactly
fitted Spiclmann slender figure. Spiel
mann next put on slouchy black hat
which was found with the coat. Witness
could not, however. identify it as the one
he had seen'in Philadelphia.
John Howell, a hairdresscr at No. 11j0
South Eleventh Street, had known Spiel
mann two years, but had not seen him
since the Saturday proceeding the inaugu-
ration. He wore at that time gray
mixed coat. which was slightly ripped
under the right arm. The district attor-
ney hastily picked up the now famous
gray coat, and the rip was found as de
scribcd.
Il had not noticed it BEFORE said he.
"The coat, added the witness, always
had the appearance Oh Spiclman of having
been bought in a hurry"
The Identification of the coat was not
more important than Geo. Salabes's story
of Spielmann's visit to the Baltimore
pawn shop. 81 have seen the prisoner
before said Salabes, a small, middle aged
Hebrew, with bright, twinklrg eyes and
a nervous way of speaking. g He came
to my shop at No. 53 West Baltimore
street, on March 8. He was accompanied
by taller man, who had little to say. He