Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-21
CAUGHT At THEIR GAME.
RAsCAILY DODGE OLA COUPLE
OF TRAVELLING CROOKS.

RASCALLY DODGE OF A COUPLE
OF TRAVELLING CROOKS.
Conductor Billiards. Experience with
Train Sharps-They Secure a Pocket
book and Baggage Check Lost by q
Passenger and Attempt to Obtain His
Trunk from the Baggage Master-Their
Arrest and Trial in the City Court-Ac-
quittal upon Legal Technicalities.
Among the passengers on the north
bound express arriving from Florida yes
terday morning were a middle aged man
giving the name of Robert Yogan and
well dressed young man named Henry
Armstrong, who soon after their arrival
found themselves in lodgings not men,
toned in the guide book. Between and 4
o'clock in the morning, when the train
was near Jesup, brakeman RadfOrd,
while passing through the Florida
car, picked Up pOcketbook.
He turned it over TO Conductor
a. II. Ballard, who was in charge of the
train. Mr.. Ballard opened 1t in the pres
ence of RadfOrd, and found that it con-
tanned between 50 and 80 in money, a
trunk check, watch key and some papers.
Seeing that the contents were not of great
value, he did not take pains TO examine
the papers closely at the time, thinking
the owner could easily be found. a few
minutes afterwards passenger who
gave his name as Robert NOgan,
stepped up to the conductor and asked
what time il was. During the converse
tiOn the conductor asked him if he had
lost a pOcketbOOk. He said he had not.
SIR. Ballard told him If he saw anybody
on the train who had lost one TO tell him
that the conductor had found one. No-
gan then went into another car and sat
down. Mr.. Ballard few minutes after
ward passed through and was asked by
a Young man who was sitting near
VOgan if he had found pOcketbook. The
Young man said he had lost one, contain
ing a small sum of money, and from his
description, Mr.. Ballard concluded it was
the one found By Radford, and turned it
over to him. The young man said his
name was Harry Armstrong
After the train had reached Savannah
Mr.. Ballard saw passenger named Jos.
ROderIque, in company with Transfer
Agent Patterson. hunting for something
in one Of the cars, and was informed that
I he had lost a pOcketbOOk. His descriD-
/ ticn convinced Mr.. Ballard at once that
/ il was the one he had already delivered to
/ the Young man Armstrong.
1t was evident that there was some
thing wrong somewhere or two men
I NWAAu HUI NC kldiAAAAl AuO hnAht-s 1AAs
I ROderiQue gave a complete description
/ Of the book and its contents, and also the
number of the check which 1t contained.
/ He described the trunk to which the
duplicate Of the check was attached.
/ Being satisfied that he had lost the check
/ be took the necessary means to
/ identify his trunk which was held
in the baggage room, Baggage
| master Harmon having already been no.
I titled to hold it until ordered deliv-
/ cred. As soon as Mr.. Roderique had
| proven his property he stepped into the
I cOmpany's office at the depot TO sign
/ receipt and pay for the check, which is
! customary in cases where they are lost.
\ Before he had taken possession Of his
| trunk young Armstrong, with Nogan,
! walked into the baggage room, and, pre-
I senting the check, asked for the trunk.
/ Mr.. Harmon, who had been acquainted
I with the circumstances, at once recog-
| nized the check as the one lost by
Mr.. ROderique. The young man was
anxious TO have the trunk deliv-
cred at once. and wanted things
hurried up. Mr.. Harmon told him
| To wait a minute, and stepped into the
office, followed by Armstrong, where he
/ explained the recovery of the check AS
/ soon as he saw how the lana lay, Arm
strong walked up and said he had found
/ the check in the train, and only wanted
/ 20 see il the baggage was there. The ex-
/ PLANTATION was not at all satisfactory.
/ Officer Leonard was called in and both
/ Armstrong and VOgan were placed under
! arrest. The former denied having the
/ pocketbOOk, and said he had never seen
| il. He claimed to have found the check.
/ Both men We're taken before Justice Mo-
/ lima. by whom they were committed for
/ trial.
Mr.. Roderique was on his way North,
| and being anxious to continue his trip
/ with as little delay as possible, the men
/ were brought out for trial in the CITY
Court before Judge Harden at the alter
/ noon session. Armstrong is young man
/ apDarently about u years Of age, with
I smooth face. dark hair. OF stout build,
I about feet inches in height and ordi-
narily well-dressed. VOgan is an older
man, with less intelligence and very
| laxative. They were both bound for New
/ York and had passage tickets on the
| steamship Tallahassee, which sailed last
/ night. They were brought into court
| from the Jail at O'Clock. The indict-
| ments against them were drawn up by
acting Solicitor General Leaken. The
/ prisoners were without counsel, and,
/ being strangers in the city, were unable
10 secure any. 5. b. Adams, ESD, was
| requested by the Judge to appear for
/ them. and undertook their defense.
Armstrong was charged in the indict-
| ment with attempting to secure the trunk
/ by deceitful and fraudulent means, and
with persOnating its owner to secure pos
/ session of the pOcketbOOk and check.
Fogan was charged with being an Access
sorry.
4 number Of witnesses were sworn,
among them Mr.. ROderique, Conductor
I Ballard and the brakeman who found the
pOcketb0Ok. The case was argued upon
points of law. The prisoners counsel
. charged defect in the indictment, in that
ROdeTique's given name was written
lanes instead of Joseph. He also argued
that the Offense Of persOnatiOn, which the
/ Indictment charged, was, If anything,
. a felony, and not matter With
i'm the jurisdiction OF the CITY
, Court. Other points were taken up,
and after having been argued the Judge
/ dismissed the prisoners, there being no
I evidence TO prove them guilty OF the
charges brought against them. Arm
strong was permitted to make a state
lnent and took the stand. Before he had
F proceeded far be was cut snort by the
Judge who explained the ground upon
which he was acquitted, and added mat
/ so far as his innocence was concerned he
/ had better have remained silent. His
! uarting advice 10 the prisoner as he left
tue stand was TO get out OF the state at
once.
As soon as il became evident that the
men would he acquitted another warrant
/ was sued out before Justice Molina charg-
ing Armstrong with having secured the
/ p0ckstb0ok by false representations in
I. Ware county, through which the train
was passing at the time it was given to
/ him by the conductor. The men were de-
+ tsiaed by Constable Endres until the
warrant could be issued, when Armstrong
was again placed under arrest. An eX-
( animation was held, Mr.. Adams again ap-
I nearing for the prisoner. alter an ex-
/ tended argument the case was dis
missed, and with a parting word of advice
/ the two men hurried TO the wharves and
I boarded the vessel a few minutes before
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