The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-04-09
THE POST OFFICE ROBBERY.
second Day-A Full Report Of the New
Evidence Brought Ont.


Supreme Court on Thursday morning
with l. 3. Peterson on the stand. The
Attorney General asked him few ques-
tons, after which Mr.. Hatch commenced
the cross-examination The following
evidence was obtained from Peterson:
At one time used to keep books out
side OF my duties at the Post Office;
stopped doing so about year and half
ago. did not have any talk with Carl
ton, Tenant or Scrimgeour that evening
did take G. NJ. Trip home with me
last September. We stayed at room on
my premises which had been used by
servants. He fell asleep. 1t was in the
forenoon about 10 O'Clock. l did not
suggest robbing the Post Office to Trip.
He was not in fit condition to talk
about such a matter. | was not we'll,
and do not remember the conversation.
Trip spoke about the quantity of money
in the Post Office, and suggested it
would be a good thing to take it. Inever
had the idea of robbing the Office in my
mind until last December. left Trip
asleep and went into my house and to
bed. l do not remember mentioning
| the matter to Trip the next day. He
| has borrowed money from me persist
| emily during the last five years. He
spoke to me later about the Post Office,
| but do not remember the conversation
! on that occasion. He was usually under
the influence of liquor and not fit to talk.
| [ never sought his society. told Trip
| the condition l was in, and not to say
| anything about it to anyone as it might
| do me harm. l cannot give the exact
| conversation. l do not know a man by
| the name of Hopkins who works at
! Motifs. l do not remember any CONVEX
sation with such a man. l have never
spoken OF robbing the Post Office to any
person but Walker. 1 do not know a
hackdriver named Grey. 1 knew Frank
try; so I heard while l was in confne-
ment L met Darling in the Anchor Sa-
| loon after the robbery at the Post Office.
| He came there one afternoon. was
! lying down upstairs; had been there
since morning. Darling had been drink
ing. 1 sent him downstairs for milk
punch and gave him So. He did not
| bring any change back. In the evening
he came again and spoke about my 60
| ing to the Coast. He was too much in
toxicated to attend to anything. He
! said he would find some ship for me to
go in. 1 did not want to go. He said he
had money and would help me. He vol
unteered to-get a disguise for me.
was after the robbery. l suppose he
must have done it because, like others.
he thought the suspicion of the robbery
was on me. went home alone. Later
! on he came to my house and brought
some things for me. put them IN my
arrested. l have been in confinement
ever since the last trial. was detained
one day previous to the trial. may
have told my wife l was about to go to
| San Francisco. l was much excited,
though knew what was taking place. /
have been in the Islands about twenty
| three years. l had business connection
with the firm of Brewer & Co. There
was trouble with my accounts while in
their employ. l had overdrawn. The
deficiency was quite an amount. was
next with Captain Pierce for about two
years. l overdrew beyond my share.
There was no understanding, and took
| what l thought a reasonable share. l
| was blamed After l left Pierce l went
| to Mexico. After years absence l re-
| turned and went into the Post Office. 1
| have been called to account by Post
master General Whitney two or three
| times. Once he told me to have my
books in order by certain date. do
not think he was pleased with me.
| first told Mr.. Neumann about the rob-
berry. 1t was in the evening. The con-
versation was quite lengthy. l did not
| send for him. 1 had not spoken to any
one before about this matter. 1 spoke to
| Dayton after and also to a friend of mine
called Higgins. The night of the rob
berry the light at the Post Office was put
out about IL o'clock. was not in the
habit of taking people in the Post Office.
Mr.. Justice Preston was called to the
witness stand, and from his notes taken
at the first trial, read the conversation
which took place between Walker and
Peterson in the back room of the
saloon.
This closed the case for the prosecu-
ton.
The defense opened with the examina-
ton of E. Doyle, Geo. A. Dunn and R.
S. Scrimgeour, their evidence being sub
stantially the same as given by them at
the first trial. The last-named was ex-
amined by Mr.. A c. Smith, assistant
counsel.
George Tenant sworn, stated: l was
in Honolulu the night OF the robbery. 1
came out of the Union Saloon about
half-past 10 o'clock that night with Mr..
Carleton. We met Peterson outside,
near the vacant lot. The conversation
was about sea-going matters. We talked
together about ten or fifteen minutes 1
saw Mr. Scrimgeour that night.
Cross-examined: l was in the Court
L;