Omaha daily bee., 1884-12-17

crat.
LOUISVILLE, Cecember "a few eve
nings ago a party of gentlemen were seat.
ed in the Office of the Louisville hotel In.
dulging In pleasant, social conversation,
when the subject of the Tichborne claim
emit, lately released from prison, was
introduced, and Arthur Orton's identity
with young Charles Roger Doughty Itch.
borne discussed at some length.
JUDGE GoBIN's STORY.
Speaking of the question of identity"
said Judge Harry Gobin, of Glasgow, one
of the party, "a most striking case
of mistaken identity occurred in our cir
cult court about two years ago. On Sep.
TENDER 3, 1881, two stages, n coming
from Monmouth ave to Cave City, and
the other on it's way over to the cave,
were met by two mounted highwaymen.
With drawn pistols the robbers ordered
all passengers out and made them stand
in line and throw all their money and
valuables into a pile. After gathering up
the plumber the bandits made all the
male passegers drink whinky from a bot.
tie and rode off.
son N of the stages was a colored
preacher. In the other were Judge II,
Fl. Rountree, of Lebanon, KY, a Mr..
Rountree from Minnesota, g Mr.. Craig
from Georgia, a gentleman from Ten
nessee, and Judge Rountree's daughter.
The passengers were detained some time
by the robbers, and as the two villains
were not disguised In any way it was be-
lieyed to be an easy task to identity
them in case they were caught. Among
the plumber taken was Judge Rountree's
fine gold watch, which had attached to it
a large gold key with his name and some
further inscription upon it. it being a
present to him from Proctor Knott; also
a diamond ring and a plain gold one be-
longing to Miss Rountree.
IDENTIFYING A RoBBER.
ga description of the men was pub,
lished and rewards were offered by Judge
Rountree and Governor Blackburn for
their apprehension and conviction. Fin
ally a fellow named Hunt was arrested in
Ohio county as one of the thieving twain.
He was brought to Cave City for his pre-.
liminary hearing. Maj. Bolts, of Glas-
gov, and myself defended him. At this
examination Judge Rountree, Mr.. Craig
and the colored preached testifed 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 three weeks
growth of beard upon his face, while now
he was clearly shaven, excepting his
mustache. They identified him, among
other things, by a mole upon his cheek.
On the other stand Judge Rountree eaid
that he had come to Cave City with the
belief that if one of the men had really
been caught he would be easily able to
recognize him; that he had heard Mr..
Craig's positive testimony, but all he
could say was that if Hunt wal one of
the men, his faith In his recollection was
very much shaken.
TURNING POINT OF HI S
"Neither Maj. Bolts nor myself had
ever seen Judge Rountree before, but
the moment he entered the room where
the trial was being held, Maj. Bolts, n
of the ablest criminal lawyers in Ken
lucky, scanning his open, honest, intelli-
gent face, turned to me and whispered,
If that old gentleman swears to Hunt,
our case is lost We introduced on be.
half of Hunt the two drivers of the
stages, who testified that while Hunt re.
sembled ont of the men, he wal neither
one of them.
"Of course, the magistrates, who had
only to be satisfied that there was sufi-
Client ground for believing Hunt guilty,
and who were convinced of the fact in
their own minds, as magistrates often are
before exam ma ion held to answer at the
circuit court. Hunt was committed to
jail in default of bail, and in the mean
time before court should come on, |
undertook to find witnesses down in
Ohio county, about his home, by whom
to prove an alibi for him, but instead ct
being able to do that, 1 found out that
the best men in his peighborhood said he
was absent from home at that very time
and was gone for several days away from
his work in the mines. The moro I in.
vested the darker it looked for the fell
low, and Bolts and /, who had at first
believed him innocent, began to doubt
it,"
"His CAGE was continued twice, l be.
lieve, but at the third term all parties
we're ready and we went into trial, after
Hunt had been in jail about eighteen
months"
AGAIN IDENTIFIED.