The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-01-05

Charged with Bnraing the 6reensbure
Mills Given Secofid Hearing.


large mill at Greensburg, Pa, and
others at adjacent points, last fall,
was given in the NEW DOMINION at
the time, together with the arrest of
certain parties who were engaged in
the same business and who fired the
property of their rivals in trade to
increase their own business. Below
is a report of the second hearing
given the accused, which shows that
the authorities have damaging evil
dence against them. 1t is clipped
from the Connellsvil,e Courier:
A second hearing In the Greens
burg arson case took place on
Wednesday afternoon. On Satur-
day, the time set for the adjourned
hearing, the prosecution asked for a
continuance owing to the absence of
James G. Reisinger, material wit
ness in the case After wrangle
among the attorneys the continu
anee was granted AT the heasing
on Wednesday large crowd was
present. The hearing was in the
case against Baer, Hetzel and Fran
els for burning Brinker Il Rum
baugh's mill, at Greensburg S. NJ.
Brinker was the first witness He
testified as to the circumstances of
the fire and the loss sustained by it.
There was great curiosity to hear
the testimony of Reisinger. He
stated that in July last, while he
was in Connellsville, Hetzel told him
that Francis and another man, who
lived at Wheeling, w. Va, and
whose name he had forgotten, had
burned the Greensburg mill and re-
ceiyed a certain amount of money.
Reisinger further testified that Het
eel wanted him to 90 to Frank Baer's
father and demand hush money Of
him. Instead of going to the elder
Baer, Reisinger went to Detective
Roger O'Mara, of Pittsburgh, to
whom he told what he had learned.
O'Mara advised Reisinger to go back
to Connelsville and get more facts
about the case from Hetzel He
learned nothing additional, however,
Hetzel simply stating that Francis
and the Wheeling man had burned
the mill. Hetzel declared that he
himself had nothing to do with it.
Reisinger was confused at times dur
ing the sharp cross-examination,
but the main thread of his story was
maintained.
Harrison Fox, the negro who gave
such damaging testimony in the La
trobe case, was again put on the
stand. He stated that Frank Baer
had told him that Hetzel and Fran
els had burned the Greensburg mill
and that he gave them 5000 for the
work. He said Hetzel had visited
him in the Uniontown jail and asked
him if he had received any money
for burning the Latrobe mill. Fox
told Hetzel that he had received
5000, but he had not. He further
said that Baer told him that the
night Hetzel, Francis and the Wheel
ing man burned the mill Hetzel
sprained his ankle and was helped
into coal bank by his partners,
where he stayed until the mill was
burned and the excitement had disd
out. Then he boarded a freight
train. Fox said that when Baer
came to Pittsburgh to employ him
to burn the Latrobe mill he told him
not to be afraid. "You have wiped
out one" he said, "wipe out this"
He said Baer told him that he had
paid the three men 500 each for
burning the Greensburg mill.
Dr. Oscar Stauft, of Mt. Pleasant,
who, it was alleged, dressed HetzePs
injury at his office on the day follow
ing the burning of the mill, testified
that he had dressed a sprained ankle
for young man who was stopping
at the residence of Mrs. Andrews, a
half sister of Hetzel, in Mt. Pleas
ant, but he could not state positively
that the prisoner was the same man.
After the close of the testimony the
bail of Hetzel and Francis was in
creased to $4,000 each and that of
Baer was allowed to remain at $4,000
for appearance at February court.