Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-04-19
APRIL COURT.
THE REGULAR QUARTER SESSIONS

NOu Ill Vs. " Os hCEE, 10IOU1OUS 1ntrV
The testimony Of B. F. Croft, esq.,, was
low, Pequea township, in building
kept by the defendant. On the night
of the 19th of December his part of the
house was entered and an Overcoat, an
undercoat and gold plated watch with
silver chain were taken, together with a lot
of deeds, promissary note, &C., which were
in the coat pockets. When witness retired
on this night the doors between his apart
ment and that of the defendant wero lock-
ed. Tho next morning defendant sent for
witness and told him that his store had
been entered and large quantity of groc
cries. postage stamps, &C., stolen. Herr
went to the safe and stated that it had
been blown open with powder. Witness
saw no indications of powder having been
used.
The commonwealth sought to prove that
Herr had told different stories as to what
had been taken and from the way that tho
locks between the store and Groffs apart
ments had been broken it could have been
done only by some one going from the
store into Groff's, and further that the
building was not entered by the shutters as
alleged by Herr, but that the fastenings were
forced from the inside, and also that Herr
had said that he thought he could tell
where Groti's goods were. [The shutters
were brought into court and shown to the
jury-Rep.] A knife was found in the
shutters the next morning one was pro-
duced in court, but the witnesses sworo
that it was not the one found in the shut
tiers.
For the defense, G. 5. Herr, the dc
fendant, was called !; he testified that he
knew nothing whatever about the robbery
until the morning afterward. Witness then
explained how the house was entered from
the kitchen, the shutter Of which was
broken.] That night the thieves opened
the safe and stole S167 in money, 3, 500
stamped cigars, a lot of dry goods, to-
baccO, raisins, sugar, etc. Some time
aftcrward Croft began to insinuate that
witness had committed tho burglary, and
in few days Samuel Bowman came
there with search warrant and
made thorough examination of
Some time after the burglary Croft came
to witness and told him that for 800 he
would settle the suit. This witness would
not agree to, and Croft then said he would
fix it if witness would give him receipt
for the rest of his years rent he finally
agreed to settle it for $40; all of which
offers witness refused witness did tell
some folks that no money was stolen, as
he had reason for saying so, he being tax
collector and did not want every
ono to know it when the burglary
was first discovered witness thought
the safe had been blown open,
as he saw something which looked
like powder at the safe he afterwards
gave up that theory as he believed that the
fine stuff was borings from the hole in tho
safe. After the burglary witness offered
reward of $500 for the burglars. The
knife produced by witness is the one
which was found in the shutter out of
which it was taken by Croft.
Several witnesses testified that they
heard Croft ask Herr for money i'm order
to settle the case.
Joseph Erb testified that at late hour
on the night of the burglary, while on his
way from Lancaster, he met two men with
a wagon heavily loaded coming from the
direction of Herr's store. Henry Young,
blacksmith of this city, testified that the
hole was made in the safe at the right
place to effect the lock SO al to open it. 1t
looked as though it had been made with
Al instrument for that purpose, and by al
expert.
John Dunge plead guilty to taking a
small sum of money from Michael Nc
Shane, while both were drunk. He was
sentenced to 30 days Imprisonment.
The grand jury returned tho following
bills
True Bills, Anthony f. Lechler, EN-.
bezzlement John Obetz, keeping gam
bling house Elias Aument, larceny as
h1:l I'll,
disturbing religious meeting George
W. McAlpine alias Harris, carving con-
cealed weapons, felonious assault and bat
Shirk and B. F. Stewart, fOrnicatiOn and
bastardy.
Ignored, Samuel Homsher, adultery with
Samuel Taylor for costs; Anthony Z.
Lechler, (twO cases) embezzlement
Milton Elliott. fOrnication, with county for
costs.
Wfdntsddy korning.-In the case of
com'th vs.. G. S. Herr, charged with felO-
NOUS entry, the commonwealth this MORN
ing abandoned the case, as they did not
think there was sufficient evidence to ask
for q conviction. The court said they
agreed with the commonwealth, and did
not think there were any circumstances to
warrant conviction. A verdict of not
guilty was therefore taken.
Com tn vs.. Lewis Sanders, larceny the
defendant was formerly an employee
Of the Shober paper mills, at Slackwater.
He was charged by John A. ShOber with
having stolen felt or paper mill blanket
from the mill, which he took within one
year. The felt was found in the possession
of Jacob Lutz, who gave him lot of fish
for it. Lutz could not tell whether it was
four years ago or within two that he re-
ceived the felt, but at the time Sanders
went to the paper mill and got it.
The defense was that Sanders never
stole any felt whatever, but no had been :.
given several pieces during the first
seven years that he worked for Mr..
Shober he was also given three worn. out
felt blankets. In 1873 he traded one to
Jacob Lutz for some fish. Several wit
nesses were called who testified to the de-
fendant's previous good character.
John A. ShOber was called in rebuttal,
and he testified that the blanket charged
as having been stolen was not one or any
part of those given Sanders. With a
search warrant in January he found more
felt at Sanders house than he had been
given. The jury rendered verdict Of
In the case of John Albert charged with
adultery the district attorney stated that
he was unable to prove the defendant to
be married man. Both the defendant
and commonwealth were willing that 4
verdict of guilty of fornication only and
not of adultry be taken. This was done,
and the defendant was sentenced to paya
fine of $50 and costs.