Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-25
THE FIRST ON rRE DOCKET.


The Criminal Trials In the District Court
Begun-MeCormick Convicted of the
Larceny of a W atch from Col. VIII
Shelley.
The district court entered upon it's trial
of the criminal docket for the present
term late yesterday afternoon, the first
arraignment for jury trial being that of
Edward Mccormick, by occupation hack
driver, against whom the grand jury found
an indictment for the larceny from the
person of Col. VIM. II. Shelley of his gold
watch on the evening of Sept. l, Of the
present year.
The testimony as elected by County
Attorney Egan from Col. Shelley and other
witnesses called by the state was, that on
the evening aforesaid Col.
Shelley was at the Mer-
chants hotel and vicinity, and wishing to
take hack to his daughters residence,
hardly ten minutes ride, was charged
81 by the hackman, which he would not
pay. While in Thompson's saloon in that
vicinity a driver called for him and bar
gained to take him home for the usual
fifty cents. On arriving at his house he
handed the driver two quarter dollars, and
on his demanding more pay, and seeking to
make quarrel, and threatening to mash
his face, he told him he would meeb him
at Thompson's saloon next morning and
give him more, in attempting to get rid
of him. Thereupon the driver seized hold
Of him and searched his pockets
and wrepched his watch from its chain and
his pocket and made of. Col. Shelley oom
planned to the police of his loss next morn
ing and it vas not until the following Fri
day that Developments brought the man
to light and to arrest.
The testimony of clerk IN Simons'
pawn broker shop was to the effect that he
bought this watch, which he recognized as
well as she prisoner, On the morning of
Sept. 2, for $40, which accorded with
confession made TO Chief Clark after Mc
Oormiek's arrest that the watch was at
Simon's, only that he sold it for S15. He
told Simons' clerk also that he had owned
the watch for seven years, and it was
fine Swiss movement and MS own.
Another witEess saw him with the watch
trying to sell it at the st. Louis sample
room, he saying that the article belonged
to his girl. and he wanted TO sell it for her.
Mr.. Harris testified to the fact that de-
PENDANT was a hack driver who had been
q week or SO out of employment He Dor
rowed mia, Harris, hack on the evening Ii
question for twenty minutes and on his
return handed him two quarter dollars.
Harris refused to receive the money, and
asked prisoner to retain it, as he was out
of work and needed it. Prisoner refused
the gift, and he saw him have watch
similar to this one in his possession, which
he wanted to sell, saying his girl had given
it to him.
The prisoner swore that Col. Shelley gave
him quarter and nickel instead of two
quarters, and that he put up his watch for
redemption of his own account; that he
had drank with him and that he, Shelley,
got oat and paid for the drinks at a saloon
on the way home. The proprietor of
Thompson's saloon was also placed on the
stand and thought the prisoner had drank
with Col. Shelley at his saloon on the night
in question.
On cross examination Col. Shelley fatty
swore that he had never seen the prisoner
before he lured him home, and had drank
with him nowhere, and that he thought he
borrowed the hack and took him home to
rob him.
That theory was completely sustained by
the county attorney, who paid high eulc
gy to the honesty, truthfulness and peace
ful citizenship of Col. Shelley, who had
been resident of St. Paul over thirty
years, while he strongly asserted that this
young man, watching his opportunity, had
put up this job for plunder, which fact he
said had been proved by every witness
called.
The eouns ell for the defense dwelt on tie
gupposition that the watch had been put
up in pawn for twenty cents, due on hack
fare, or the quarter of dollar and nickel
theory, and asserted that in such a
case the jury could not End the prisoner
guilty under the indictment, although he
had given Colonel Shelley ne chance to re-
deem his ticker, but admitted that he had
laid himself liable to a civil law process by
selling the same to a pawnbr0ker, etc.
The trial shows that our city Is not free
from watchfui persons who are ready to
take advantage of the unwise and the help
LEES to perpetrate crime, and will andOubt-
eddy prove lesson to our hackmen to not
trust their vehicles to irresponsible parties
and therefore in the end prove a further
safety and benefit to the community at
large.
The case was given to the jury at $50 P.
m, who after an hours deliberation
brought in verdict of larceny of a gold
watch vaIuad at S1O0