Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-08-27
An Exciting Trial oysr in Martins
Ferry.
Coss, McNight, Bunch and findlay Held in
the Sum of $1,000 Each, to
Appear at Court.

r
fore Squire Mitchell. Before the arrival
of Sheriff Sedgwick and the prisoners,
false rumor was circulated to the effect that
on the night before heprisoners had broken
Jail at ST. Clairsyille, which rumor, it may
be supposed, caused no small amount OF
excitement. At about ten o'clock the
Sheriff, his prisoners and his deputy ap-
peared in barouche, and the culprits were
Immediately put
BEHIND THE BARS
10 await the arrival of the Squire, At
about dl o'clock they we're taken to the
upper court room where the charges were
read to them and their plea of not guilty re-
reived. The court then adjourned till l
2. m. -,
At half past the court reconvened with
he court room packed to suffocation. The
prisoner, Robert Bunch, Robert Findlay,
William Mcknight and John, alias Postum
Coss, were brought in and the handouts
aiken of, rhey ranging themselves before
he Squire's desk.
In the absence Of J. C Gray, the attorney
employed in the defense, John Coss assumed
that role. The first witnesses called were
George Atwell, George Way, Harry Keller
and Randolph Craig, the owners OF the boat
and skiff. They testified as to the descrip.
ton of the boat, the time it was taken and
what it contained.
Mrs. Defnbaugh was then called and
stated that she had made the acquaintance
of the prisoners through a mutual lady
friend and that Bunch boarded at their
house in Slacktown with the girl mentioned,
represented as his wife, but that they had
paid no board. She had heard the prison
ers talk Of trading gold watch and $40 for
a boat When they lett she missed some
clothing and a skiff, named the Forest
City" She said the pants Mcknight was
then wearing
BELONGED TO HER HUSBAND,
and that he and Mcknight had traded with
/ out the consent of the former. Charles
Sedgwick was then called and testified as
to the takirg Of the pisoners at Mason
| City, where he stated that Bunch had said
be skiff they had with the boat was the
Forest City,"
Sheriff Sedgewick testified that he went
to Park ersburg to look for another man,
and that while there learned that the boys
With the boat had passed and could proba-
DIV be overtaken at1Pomeroy. He started
for that place but learned of Their arrest in
Mason City. The boat had United States
| flag On the main mast, and he described
how the boys when arrested, appealed to
the German Marshal at Mason for pro-
lection under the plea they sailed under
the stars and stripes, and how the Marshal
assured them that the stars and stripes az
fo-ded them no protection in West Vlr-
GINA.
Atwell was again called, and testified tina.
be had bought the boat from Mr.. Burris, Of
! lis place, and that he had repaired it so
| hat 1t and its contents were valued at $50
| Ccss asked Atwell if he had not seen him in
the Walnut grove since the boat was soler,
cut the former
COULD NOT REMEMBER
,uch an occurrence.
John Mcknight, father of one OF the pris.
rners. testified that his son had been at
he me on Tuesday, August l l, two days after
lie boat was stolen. He was cross ques
Tor ed very closely by Sheriff Sedgwlck, but
till held ont that be could not possibly be
mistaken in The date. The Justice then had
A long argument with the witness con-
cernirg bis ability to fix the date with such
certainly, but Mcknight was positive and
could not be shaken in his assertion that it
vas Tuesday, August IL, at a NJ, when
he'd seen his SOD, Robert Findlay and
Robert Bunch.
Robert Bunch was then put on the stand
or the defense, and testified that he was
With Findlay and McNight at the lstters
home on Tuesday morning. That from
McNight's they went to John Coss home
and called him and started down the river
skiff. They arrived two miles below
IoUpdsville at eight o'clock the
anne morning, and there traded
4 gold watch and S. 90 for the
boat in which they were captured: They
took lunch shortly after, it being the first
they had eaten since leaving Meningitis at 4
q. m. Heidi not know the men (there be.
ing two) from whom the boat was pur-
chased He said he was at Criswelrs on
Saturday and in Wheeling all day the Sun
day previous.
Mrs. Hannah Coss, Johns mother, was
then called. and stated that on the Tuesday
morning in question three young men,
shcm she did not see, called her son at
about three o'clock. John did not tell her
be was going away when he left, she expect
ing him back. he had been to Mingo
10 see
LADY FRIEND
from the Wednesday till the Monday pre-
viouR.
Mrs. Mcknight was then called 10 by the
prosecution and carefully kept away from
Ter husband, son and the defending coun-
sel. In answer TO a question from Sedge-
sick, she stated that the last time William
sas ST home was on Friday, August 7th,
md that she had given him loaf of bread,
ONE salt and some pepper. William told
her be wss going away aud she delivered to
him some excellent advice. She saw Bob
Bupch on Thursday evening and told him
also that if be was going away With her son,
70 be careful and not allow him to get into
any more trouble She stuck to her date
msnfully and could not lie budged from the
statement that it was on Friday before the
theft and not the Tuesday after, as her hus-
band had testified. And also that he was
alone and not accompanied BY his two com
panions.
Ohm Beck saw John Coss on Monday,
August 10th. and walked up to Rsineytown
ard back with him, but know nothing about
he csse
This ended the testimony and ]. C. Gray,
who had arrived, made very forcible argu
ment, bur failed to move the Squire as was
shown by his holding the prisoners in the
sum of $500 each on the first charge of
grand larceny and $500 each on the charge
of loosening watercrait in use on waters
within the State of Ohio As soon as the
trial was over the sherifFs rig was in wait
ing and be immediately loaded the prisoners