The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1888-05-17

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| asked him if he had any more.
He said Eyes" I then took from his
breast pocket $50 in currency, and
$40 in watch pocket, which he
claimed as his own individual
money. He also had some money
in small purse, a SIS gold piece
and some dimes and nickels. After
had gotten the money I then said
"Will, what is all this trouble about
anyway ?" He then acknowledged
his name to be Mckee, and said it
was trouble about the postofice. He
told me lie lett Asheville on the 9th
of December and came to Morris
town. He said he intended going
west. l asked hin why he had
doubled on US. He said he was
arid of US the first time be came
! tG UIorristown, but he wasn't afraid
the last time. He said nobody knew
he had been to Asheville the last
time. He had seen a man on that
same train from Asheville that IL or
ming and he didn't want the man to
see him He aimed to go West, or
probably to Canada He said this
would not have happened if it had
not been for the other postoffice
trouble. Think ne said 81 don't
care d-n now what happens
Cross-examined the witness said
it was three hours between trains;
defendant was a little frightened
when arrested. | asked Mr..
Weaver when met him
and Deputy Marshal Hampton at
the train, if he had aS100 bill in the
money thai was stolen; he thought
he did, but wasn't positive. | saw
the warrant tut didn't read il, don't
remember what the charges were
| deposited the money taken from
Mckee in the Lookout Bank at
Morristown to await Mr.. Weaver's
arrival.
Assistant cashier Rice, of the
Lookout Bank, testified as to the re-
ception of the money, it's being
placed in a vault, and its delivery
to Mr.. Weaver next morning. Did
not examine contents.
Policeman Hodge corroborated
Mr.. Wits testimony, and testified
further that Mckee said whengthe
$40 was taken from him that is
my own individual money" He
said thai Mckee took him over to
the Cain house and showed him
where he (McKee) had registered
under the name of S. J. Smith" on
the 9th of December. He further
stated that Mckee had told him the
reason he had registered under an
assumed name because he knew the
police were on the lookout for him,
as a warrant had been issued for
him about the 7th of December.
Mckee talked a great deal about
getting the f'"' Saaasa4aasgUce--of officeT said,
and told him that the assistant post
master was allowed $75 per month,
that Weaver only paid him S45 per
month, and made him sign a re-
ceipt for S75. He said he had to
sign this receipt in order to keep his
position in the Office.
w. E. Breese, president First Ma
tional Bank, ssand w. II. Peniand,
cashier of the same institution, tes-
titled as to the reception Of the
money for safe keeping in vault of
their panK. The money was handed
them by w. 7. Weaver. The pack
age was produced in court and
opened by Mr.. Penland in the
presence of the court. The seals
were kept intact.
Mr.. T. w. Branch testified as to
the mutilated $50 bill found in the
mon9y taken from Mckee as the
identica. bill he had changed by Mr..
Cushman, money order clerk, the
evening previous to the robbery.
The corner was torn and pasted to-
gether with brown paper. Never
saw bill any more until he saw it
in the First National Bank in Ashe-
vile, several days afterward. Mr..
Weaver and Mr.. Maxwell were
present on the occasion. Cross exa
amined by Mr.. Carter the witness
said he did not know the number of
the bill; it was the right hand corr
ner: couldn't tell positively that it
was the same bill, but to the best of
his knowledge and belief it was. If
it had not been for this affair witt
ness would not have remembered
anything about the bill. The bill
was shown Mr.. Branch, and the pa
per with which it was mended was
white, as MIR. Carter pointed out,
but the witness still maintained
that it was brown when he noticed
it.
Melvin Justice was sworn. He
testified that he was mail carrier.
Went to postoffice about twenty-five
minutes to o'clock on the morning
OF the robbery. Went to wake up
Mr.. James Weaver, who gives out
the mail pouches to go on the train.
Went down together and found the
left hand door half open. Didn't
have any key and didn't know COM
bination of safe lock.
W. S. Cushman sworn. Testified
that he was employed iu Eostoffice
in the money order department. at
the time of the robbery and before;
counted the money in the depart
ment the night previous to rob-
berry, and had $22S; he came in at
8 O'Clock next morning, and Mr..
Weaver told him the Office had been
robbed, and the safe was open;
S219 of the money order was missing;
iron door inside OF TIE safe was
smashed open; had nothing to do
with locking up the safe; Capt. Weav-
er attended to that; didn't carry
any key nor didn't know combina-
ton; remembered that somebody
had given him a mutilated bill the
evening before and that he had
given new money therefor; couldn't
say whether it was Branch or some
one else; the $40 bill was put with
the $225 in the safe,