, 1891-04-18
BOTH DENY IT.
The Alleged Stage Robbers Try to
Prove an Alibi.
Parker and Brown on the Witness
Stand in Their Own Behalf.
The Testimony All In and the Case
to be Argued Today.

Bill Brown and Dan Parker we're placed
on trial yesterday before Judge Riner in
the United States court on ;he charge of
holding up the stage and robbing the
mail, between Rawlins and Dixon. Both
the prisoners are self possessed and do not
seem to be afraid OF the result.
Parker is about Is years old and is
quite intelligent, using good language
while on the witness stand. Brown is a
much older man and watches each wit
ness and the proceedings with great in
terest. While Marshal Rankin was giving
his testimony in regard to the case, Brown
was a very intent listener. When Mr..
Rankin was asked BY the prosecution how
many names Brown had told him he vent
under, he named over several, and as
each one was pronounced, Brown would
nod his head in an affirmative manner.
When he made a mistake Brown would
nod his head I'M negative manner and
Rankin would have to change the name
as he was mistaken every tune.
lhtlt Ntlb HENtu hlAutH5tH tAdInluGl
for the prosecution and Brown and Parker
for the defense.
Mr.. Coon. the stage driver who was
held up, described how it was done. He
started to make the trip with one passen-
ger IN the stage and when between Raw
Inns and Dixon. two men rode up on the
right side OF the coach and ordered him
to throw up his hands. He put them up
as quick as he could and the passenger
followed suit. The road agents started
to go through them and while engaged
with them heard a team coming up the
road. The largest of the highwaymen,
whom Coon took to be Brown. started off
to turn the team out of the road, leaving
the other to watch the mail coach. Al
ter robbing them and going through the
mail sack, he was ordered to drive on.
Mr.. Coon thought he knew Parker. as
about a year before he had seen him at a
ranch and slept with him there once or
twi ,e, still on the examination he could
not swear positively that he was the same
man who held up the stage.
Mr.. Elliott, who was driving the freight
team that passed the stage during the
robbery told his story and was positive
that Brown was the man who turned him
out of the road and he saw that Parker
was forcing the stage folks to hold up
their hands.
james MUIR of Moab, Utah. was the
most important witness for the
state. He has a ranch in Utah and testi-
fed that Brown had stayed with him for
sometime, and while there had told him
all about the robbery. lie had been told
how it was done, how the teamster had
been ordered to drive past and also the date
upon which the robbery occurred. Brown
told him they got about 800 in money
and some checks that were good. MUIR
was told to look out FOR Parker who would
be along 10 a few days under the name of
Tom Ricketts,, and a few days afterwards
Parker turned up and told him the same
story. MUIR was asked il he had heard
Brown tell any one else the same story aud
replied he had, as Brown was proud of it
and told everyone he met, Brown smiled
on that statement aud seemed to be very
much amused at the testimony.
10. Bush. a United States deputy
marshal, was called as a witness but dId
not know much about the case. He had
permission from jeff Car to 60 out and
get the two men who he knew we're at
Bennett, in Uintah county, Utah. Brown
made his escape, but Parker was captured
by a constable there, and turned over to
Bush at Moab. Parker was turned over
to JEFF Carr, and has been safe IN the
penitentiary since then.
Brown, when put on the stand, told the
story Of his wanderinPs in the last two
years during which time he has been over
the whole OF Utah, Colorado and Wyom-
ing. 1t was in the Big Horn basin, while
working for the big cattle outfit that he
met the man Mckee. who claimed that
Brown had confessed the robbery to him,
and who gave him away at Buffalo and
caused his arrest. Brown denied having
told the story to MUIR or OF having told
Mckee the story he now tells.
Parker, when on the stand, told the
same story OF being in different places
and of much wandering in the last two
years. He claims to have had nothing to
do with the robbery and that he can prove
he was twenty-five miles away at the
time it was committed. Parker Is very
bright and gave some sharp in
the cross-examinatiou. He had a smile
on his face and was willing to laugh at
anything amusing that came up.
Coon when on the stand mentioned
that one OF the men was laughing all the
time he and his partner were holding up
the stage and seemed to think it was a
great joke when he did not want them to
go through his pockets
United States Attorney Fowler was as
sisted by Judge Van Devanter and the
prisoners were defended by @. f. Dodge
Of Rawlips and A. G. Campbell of Chey-