Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-27

easy task to identity them In case they were
caught. Among the plumber taken was
Judge Rountree's fire gold watch, which
bad attached TO 1t large gold key with his
name and some further inscriptions upon
II, II being present 10 him from Proctor
Knott also a diamond ring and plain
gold one belonging TO Miss Rountree.
"A description OF the men was published,
and rewards were offered by Judge Roun-
tree and Governor Blackburn for their ap-
prehension and conviction. Finally fel-
low named Hunt was arrested In Ohio
county as one OF the thieving twain. lie
was brought 10 Cave City for his prelimi-
nary hearing. Major Bolts, Of Glasgow,
and myself defended him. At this exami-
nation Judge ROuntree. Mr.. Craig, and the
colored preacher testified for the State.
Mr.. Craig and the preacher both swore
positively TO the identity OF the man, only
claiming that at the time OF the robbery he
had about tbree-weeks' growth OF beard
upon bis face, while now he was cleanly
shayen. except his moustlche. They iden-
tiled him, among other things, by mole
upon his cheek. On the stand Judge
Rountree said he had come to Cave CITY
with the belief that II one OF the men had
recently been caught he would be easily
able 10 recognize him; that he had heard
Mr.. Craig's positive testimony, but all he
could say was that il Hunt was one OF the
men his faith In his recollection was very
much shaken.
"Neither Major Bolts nor myself had
ever seen Judge Rountree before, but the
moment he entered the room where the
trial was being held, Major Bots, one OF
the ablest criminal lawyers in Kentucky,
scanning the open, honest, intelligent face.
turned 10 me and whispered : II that old
gentleman swears to Hunt our case is
lost We introduced on behalf OF Hunt
the two drivers OF the stages, who testified
that while Hunt re mbled one OF the men,
he was neither one OF them.
x" OF course the magistrates, who had
only to be satisfied that there was sufficient
ground for believing Hunt guilty, and who
were convinced Of the fact III their own
minds, as magistrates often are before any
eXamiLatio held him TO answer at the
Circuit Court. Hunt was committed to Jail
in default OF bail. and in the mean time. be-
fore court should come on, undertook 10
tind witnesses down in Ohio county, about
his home. by whom TO prove an abb for
him, but instead OF being able TO do that |
found out that the best men in his neigh
borhood said be was absent from home at
that very time, and was gone for several
days from his work in the mines. The
more investigated the darker IL looked for
the fellow, and Bolts and |, who had both
at first believed him innocent, began to
doubt il.
"Uis case was continued twice, | be-
lieye, but at the third term all parties were
ready, and we went into trial. after Hunt
bad Teen in Jail about eighteen months.
Judge Rountree testified in substance
as he did at the examining trial, while
Craig from Georgia, Rountree from Min
nesota. the Tennessee man, and another
man whose name | have forgotten, along
with the colored preacher, all swoIe posi-
lively that Hunt was one OF the men and
the spokesman OF the party. We couldn't
prove an abb. All we bad to rely upon
was the swearing Of the two drivers and a
strong argument on the question OF mis-
taken identity. and TO try TO create in the
minds Of the jury a reasonable enough
doubt to get the fellow of. But the men who
wete so positive rs TO Hunts identity were
all men Of fine intelligence, and the jury
wasn't ont but short time till they brought
in a verdict Of guilty, and fixed his punish
ment at three years in the penitentiary.
"The very next day, however, after his
conviction, the papers brought the news Of
jesse James's assassination at St. Joe. Mo-,
by the Ford boys, and the tinding upon his
person Of Judge Rountree's watch and key,
and upon Mrs. James's finger Miss Roun-
trees diamond ring. That was pretty con-
elusive evidence that Jesse james had q
hand in the robbery and was one OF the
two men.
81 Immediately commenced an inyesti-
cation, with the assistance OF Judge Roun-
tree, to find out the truth as 10 Hunt's con-
nectiOn with the robbery. got the afiida-
Wit OF the Ford boys, in which they recited
what Jesse James and Bill Ryan. now in
The Missouri penitentiary serving out q
term OF twenty-five years for some train
robbery, believe, had told them; also an
affidavit from Dick Liddell, one OF the
James gang: statement from the
warden Of the Missouri penitentiary in
regard 10 something that B.ll Ryan
had admitted about the stage robbery,
and letter from old man Hite. in
Logan county, Ky., an uncle OF jesse
and Frank james, saying that the night
after the stages were robbed Jesse James
and Bill Ryan staid all night at his house
and told him all about the robbery, and
also showed him and his wife Judge Roun-
trees watch and Miss Rountree's rings,
one OF which. the PLAIN gold one, with the
inscription Patsy in il, Ryan gave to his
(Hite's) daughter. | was in Judge Roun-
trees Office in Lebanon a few days after |
received Hite's letter. when the ring with
the name Patty in it came by express
from liite.
~ f,aLa lnno ahnrt N fouu a
out conclusyely that Jessie James and Bill
Ryan were the men who robbed the stages.
and that Hunt was innocent, but As most OF
the evidence we had was not OF a legal
character, and as that which was legal
would be very hard 10 obtain, instead OF
applying for new trial for Hunt / went to
Frankfort, and there laid the whole matter
before Governor Blackburn, who at once
pardoDed our client. Before Hunt left Glas.
gov Judge Rountree had bis photograph
taken, and then wrote 10 st. Joe for that Of
Jesse James. When he received the latter
there was found TO be one OF the most
striking resemblanees l have ever known
between two men. Their every feature.
their manner OF combing their hair, cor
responded 10 nicely, and the most singu-
lar Of all, upon James's face was mole in
almost the same place as the one on Hunts
cheek. As soon as Judge Rountree saw
Jesse James's photograph, he exclaimed [:
Il have always said l couldn't recognize
Hunt as one OF the men who robbed us.
do recognize this as one Of them, and the
one Hunt has been mistaken for.'
$50 there was an innocent man who,
from q close resemblance TO one Of the most
notorious bighwaymen ever known, suf-
fered imprisonment In Jail for nearly two
years. Where he was at the time the rob-
beIy was committed, or why he couldn't or
wouldn't show bis whereabouts, We never
knew. One theory always has been tha, he
was in some scrape somewhere else. as he
was not model man by any means, but II
Is certain he had nothing to do with the
affair he was charged with. The lawyers
OF our bar frequently have occasion now To
use, aud do use, Hunts case as an illustra-
ton in other cases, and strong points are
made with iuries to chow how men even oi
splendid intelligence, who are ever so posi-.
tive In their swearing, may yet be mis-
TAKEN"