Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-02-16
TnE IuSsPIKAUy CASES.



turned to UOura
Yesterday afternoon at > O'Clock Justice
Frank and Constable Struck, Of COlum
bil, were heard before Alderman Fordney
on four charges OF conspiracy to dcfraud
tbs county, preferred by George Fisher,
Cart Peterson aud Joseph Hauok, the
tramps who were recently robbed in Bum
msrs' hall and by the county of Lancas
ter. The accused were represented by II.
". North, J. Hay Brown aud B. Frank
Eshlam man, and the commonwealth by +.
X. Martin, esq, and County Solicitor
Fry.
The 0,st witness was Fisher who testi-
fled that he lives az Bethlehem, Lehigh
county, and is the owuer Of forty acres OF
land IN southeastern Missouri. About q
year ago his wife died, aud hs brought his
child from Missouri to Bethlehem 70 place
it with its grandparents. Witness is q
baker by trade, aud went 70 Baltimore for
work, aud thence TO York learning that
he could get work in Columbia, he to K
the train az York aud arrived ~ Columbia
on the evening Of December -. After
! hearing that tho man from whom hs
expected u got work was out Of
| town be went down street aud
WAS hailed by Constable Struck who
asked whore ho was going. Witness
! told him he was looking for a cheap !odg-
! ing place. Struck said he would take him
70 such place, and walked with him TO
| the Office Of Justice Frank, where Struck
| had short conversation with Frank
wherCupOn the latter wrote out q paper
and handed il to the constable. Fran X
| then went TO a closet, took out what he
! afterwards found was whisky and gave
| him \ drink aud plug Of tobacco. Struck
| then told witness ard two other men who
were in the office TO come on. When they
! got near the depot Witness asked Struck
| what this meant. Struck opened his coat,
showed him his star and said If he did not
| 90 along with him he would handcufi
| him. Witness was positive that there was
no hearing at Franks Office, aud said not
a single witness was called or sworn. he
was then placed Oh a train aud taken to the
county prison, to which institution he was
committed for five days. On cross
examination witness stated he was not in
| the Columbia lookup drunk on the night
Of December l4sh.
Carl Peterson testified that he was ir
Columbia on the night Of the 18th and
asked Struck for a lodging house, the
| latter took him to the lookup and after
wards to Justice Franks office, where the
Off ser and squire had some words, after
which witness WAS given some whisky anC
tobacco aud removed 20 Jail.
| Joseph Hauck testified that he and thre
companions left Baltimore for Wisconsin
on December 18Th, and stopped in COlum
bia they say Office Struck, aske'
them if they wanted place TO stay they
said they did and were locked up. Tn
next day they were taken before Frank
who committed them without n hearing
They wee given tobacco and whisky b,
the squire while in Jail witness wa,
robbed of 100 marks he was not drunl
or dlsOTderly in Columbia.
The case was then argued by counsel
the defense maintaining that no conspirac
had been MADE ont.
, Alderman Fordney rendered his decisio
, this morning, returning the derelict Off
Cals TO court on all four charges agains
each Of them. Bail was promptly furnish
ed in the sum OF $500 on each charge
/, both defe Ddants.
Effect OF the suits in Columbia.
/, columbia spy.
From January 2lst to February It'll
iaclusiVe-tweuty two days-thero wei
Only four commitments to the county ia
, from Columbia, and these all camo froi
:. Justice Frank. In striking contrast wit
= this record, is the record for the last tw
months Of 1888. Ia November, 1888, Justil
i Frank alone sent down thirty one men-a
4 for drunkenness and disorderly conduct.
Tue other justices probably sent down a
: many more. Upt Monday, the llth inst
there hadn't been single cOmmitmer
during the month of February. Th
Rpeaks volumes for the sudden sObriety {
o the town, aud the instant disappearance
= OF the genus tramp.