The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-08-09
IS CROKER CROOKED I?
He Has q Preliminary Examin-
alton on The Grave
Charge
Of Assisting Ryan and Moore
to Escape From the
County Jail,
And il Bound Over in the Sum Of
$500 to Await the Action
of the Grand Jury.


Of the Grand Jury.
The examination of f. H. Croker, the
Young man arrested at the instigatiOu Oi
Sheriff Conner, on charge OF helping
RYAN and Moore escape from the county
Jail about ten days ago, was called in Squire
Clark's court about 1890 this morning.
The state was represented BY its attorney
Mr.. Heard, while the defendant was repre-
scented by Messrs. Barnett and Felix. The
prisoner was dressed in neat fitting suit
of black, and presented a very good appear
ancc. He was accompanied in the court
room BY his two sisters. One Of whom is
married and the other single, who eagerly
watched the whole proceedings.
The first witness called was Sheriff Con-
ner, who testified to the fact that the
escaped prisoners were in his charge prior
to their escape, and were confined in the
county Jail He also stated what they
were charged with and how came then,
there.
Lee Grant, the negro awaiting trial on
the charge Of murder, recognized the defend
ant and testified to having seen him in the
county Jail about the 18th or 18th OF June.
He also testified to having seen Jno. Nc
Graw take file out Of the defendants hip
pocket, and stated that the file was used
to sharpen the saw they had in their
possession.
Jno. McGraw, the meat thief, testified to
having made the contract with the defend
ant for the file, and told the following story
of the transaction:
II first met the defendant on the 18th or
18th of June; he was employed helping
the contractors in the county Jail where
am at present stopping; l had talk
with him the first day he was there;
asked him where he was from; he told me
he was from York state; told him that
that state was where came from he said
he had just been in Missouri long enough TO
get part Of the Yankee out of him. On
the next day asked him if he would not
get me a saw, If would give him the
money he said he would then gave
him thirty-five cents with which to buy
the saw and told him would give him 81
when he returned for his trouble; this
was about ii o'clock in the morning he
then left the building and did not see
him any more until after dinner, when he
returned he motiOned 10 me and gave me
to understand that the file was in his hip
pocket; he then backed up to the bars and
/ took the file out Of his pants; handed
it to Ryan; he took ii in the cell and told
me it was what We wanted; he then
handed me dollar; tied it on the end
of stick and handed it to the defend
ant; Moore gave Ryan fifty cents OF the
money; we used the file to sharpen the
gig saw" that We had in our possession l
do not know where tine gig saw came from it
was among the prisoners on that side when
l was put in the Jail on the Fourth OF
July We secured four other saws they were
brought from St. Louis Ryan got them l
do not know how they got in the Jail; we
used the file to sharpen these saws also;
could have escaped when the balance did,
as NV cell door was nearly sawed down;
could have got out by throwing my
weight against the door; l don't think
that anyone else talked with the defendant
about the matter but myself; !
told him to 60 to the big hardware store
on Ohio street and get it."
The cross-examinatiOn failed to draw
out any other facts.
JAS Cook, one of the other men en-
ployed at the Jail, testified to having been
asked to get a file By McGraw. He refused,
telling McGraw to wait awhile
Will Kerr, q clerk at Bray's hardware
store. testified to having shown the defend
ent lot of files about that time Of the
month. He did not think that he sold him
(defendant) one, as he asked for three
cornered or fiat file, and they did not keep
them.
The prosecution here rested, and recess
for dinner was taken.
After dinner Young Croker took the
stand in his own behalf. He denied the
charge in every particular and stated that
the witnesses for the state had not told the
truth when they said he furnished the file.
n. NJ. North and w. p. jackson both
testified to the character of the defendant a.
being good, rs far as they knew, and both
stated that he was woOd-sawyer by occu-
patton.
The defense rested the case and Mr..
Barnett began the argument for the de-
tense by making very eloquent speech in
behalf of his client. He was followed BY
States Attorney Heard, who spoke about
thirty minutes.
At the conclusion the justice bound the
defendent over in the sum Of $4,000 to
await the action Of the grand jury. His
sisters, upon hearing the finding of the
court, both burst into tears, but the prison.
er took the matter very cody.
Found q Home.
In last Sundays BAzoO mention was
made of the cruel desertiOn of two little
children in this city some weeks ago, BY
81 ~.,o~ho. NJ, n.l e