Waco evening news. (Waco, Tex.) 1888-1889, 1888-10-12
THE LONE HIGHwAYMAN.
Preliminary Examination Of JohI
Gray before Commits
sioner Finks.

sioner Finks.
John Gray who is charged with de-
laying the United States mail and
putting the life of the driver in jeo-
pordy, by holding up the stage ply
ing between San Angelo and Bal
linger on the sd day of June of the
present year, had n preliminary ex-
animation this morning. Several at
tached witnesses were brought in this
morning by deputy United Safes
Marshal G.. l.. Broome of the Western
district.
United States Commissioner Finks
presided at the examination and Mt
10 o'clock, Gray, securely hand
cufied, was brought in py Deputy
Marshal J. II. Bull. The bracelets
were removed during the hearing
Attorney c. b. Pearre read the afii-
davit and Gray pleaded mot guilty"
The following is, in substance, the
evidence taken:
J. A. Jacks the driver of the stage
was first sworn. He said that on
23d of Juno last, he was held up about
three miles east of the Willow Water
Hole. The mail was not robbed at
that time, but one Of my horses was
taken. / have seen defendant once
in San Angelo. l think he is the
man who held me up. When l first
saw him OH the day of the robbery he
was about 80 yards in front of us
travelling toward San Angelo while l
was going toward Ballinger. When
he met the stage he pulled pistol
and ordered me to stop which I did.
He ordered tfe passengers. seven in
number, to get out and tie their hand
kerchiefs over their faces. They did
so, MIR. Wade VINO was with me on
the drivers seat also got down. He
told me could keep my seat and
hold the horses. He went through
the pockets of the passengers and got
money from all of them except Mr..
Austin. He then told me he wanted
bay horse out of the stage team to
ride. l told him he could not ride
him but there was horse at the
wheel he could ride. He made SOL
dier hold the other horses while he
ordered me to take out the horse and
try him. He rode the horse off. We
were delayed about So or 40 minutes.
We got the horse back from near Fort
Chadbourne about four days after he
was taken. had the United States
mail, three sacks and two pouches.
Mr.. H. A. Bennett, of San Angelo,
cOrroborated Jacks evidence. He
was one of the passengers.
w. ID. Austin, another of the pas
sengers, was next sworn. He thought
defendant was the man who robbed
the stage between Ballinger and San
Angelo on June 23d last. 1t was not
exactly at the same place where the
stage was robbed before.
r. r. Wade, another passenger, said
he lived about thirty miles north
west of San Angelo. Was on the
stage June 23d last. "Thls man (de-
fendanD robbed that stage. 1 saw
him before he put handkerchief to
his face. Think he got about $24C
from the passengers. He rode one OF
the stage horses off. The mail was
delayed more than an hour. 7 think
the robbery occurred within Runnels
county"
At the conclusion of the hearing
Commissioner Finks annouced that
he would require 1000 bail in each
case for the appearance Of Gray to
await the action of the grand jury.
Gray does not think he will be able
to give sureties for this sum and will
remain in jail until court convenes
next month. He sat unmOved and
calm through the trial TINS morning
listening to the testimony and pro-
ceedings as unconcernedly as though
he was merely spectator. When he
rose to return to the Jail he stepped
to the window Of the court room tC
make survey of the distance to the
ground. He came to the conclusion
that the jump was to risky and said
he would not try it. He chatted
pleasantly with the witnesses, asking
after acquaintance in San Angelo
and sent some messages to several o.
them.
ElOped at Midnight.