Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-09
WITNESSES FOR 81.
Why a Scranton Newspaper Man
Isn't Sitting as a Juryman.
LIVELY SCENE IN THE U. S. COURT.
The Grand Jury Thinks the New Govern
ment Building Cannot Be
FINISHED ONE MOMENT TOO SOON

There was mighty lively little scene in
the United States District Court yesterday
afternoon, in which charges of alleged
tampering with Government witnesses were
the cause. The Jury in the case of Ernest
Tilman ana William Casterline, charged
with robbing a postofice at Nicholson,
Wyoming unity, was being called out
9 When the jury had been completed District
Attorney LYON challenged one juror named
j. j. McGarvey, who is Scranton news
paper man, for cause, and gave as his reasons
that the Juror had for some reason inter-
ested himself in the case and had made pc
culiar and unusual remarks to witnesses.
W, h. Taylor, of Scranton, a witness in
the case, was called and testified that Nc
Garvey had approached him and remarked
that Scranton witnesses could be bought for
81. James Jsquish, another Witness testi-
fed to having heard the same remark, but
positively identified George Beale, Esq,
one OF the attorneys for the defense, as the
man who made it. District Attorney Lyon
stated that he was satisfied the last witness
was mistaken as to the Identification OF the
party who made the remark.
FLAT DENIAL.
Juror McGarvey, in his own behalf, de-
MED ever making any such remark, or being
at all interested in the case. Judge Acheson
sustained the challenge, and Mr.. McGarvey
was relieved from duty in the case. Mr..
McGarvey claims to be entirely innocent of
anv wrong or attempt at wrong, and says
that be will push the matter and make it
very interesting Tor those who took part in
the proceedings.
Tie case was then taken up and tried.
Only one witness, Jerome Lord, was exam
ined, and he testified to finding the postofice
broken open and lot of opened letters
found on the floor. The case will be con-
tinued this morning.
Jessie Thomas pleaded guilty to COM
plicity in the robbing OF the Nicholson Post
Office, and Edwin Morris, alias Allan
Sprsgue, was put on trial and was found
guilty of the same offense. The evidence |
against this defendant was very conclusive,
as he openly admitted he was one OF the |
party who had robbed the postoffice but re-
fused to give the names Of his accomplices. |
Cornelius Smith, Esq, OF Scranton, ~ho |
is defending William Casterline and Edwin |
Tilman. demanded a separate trial on the
ground that Edwin Morris was a Seli-con-
1essed thief and the trial OF his clients with
him would injure their case. The separa-
tion was granted. Mr.. Smith then made a
motion to quash the indictment against his
clients on the ground that the second count
in the indictment was bad from uncertainty,
it not sufficiently describing the amount of
money alleged to have been stolen. This
motion was oVerruled.
DISGUST IN EVERY LINE.
The grand jury in the United States Dis
trict Court was discharged yesterday, its |
business having been finished. The jury |
handed in a presentment in which it stated |
that, alter having made an examination of |
the present court rooms, it found them to be |
in a very much dilapidated condition. |
There was not room enough, and the build |
ing is badly lighted and ventilated. The |
furniture, of which there is a scant supply, |
is old and worn and a disgrace to a public |
building. The jury recommends that an |
effort be made to hasten the completion of |
the new public building.
William c. Stillwagon, Esq, made a |
motion yesterday to arrest Judgment in the |
case of james E. Brison. convicted of send |
ing improper letters through the mail. The |
reasons given were that the verdict was
against the evidence, and the indictment |
was defective because it failed to allege a |
knowledge on the part of the defendant that |
matter contained in said letter was indecent. |
Morris Goldburg, charged with opening
letter that did not belong to MIN, was given |
up by his bondsman, and Immediately Sc !
cured new bondsmen.
A. B. Reid, Esq, was admitted to prac-
tice in the United States courts, yesterday. |
He is member of the Allegheny County |
Bar.