Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-30
Detective Gilkinson's Slayer Ar
raigned for Robbing a Nc
Keesport Store.
EVIDENCE STRONG AGAINST HIM.
Mrs. Laura Snowden Testifes That Budd
Told Her He Had Robbed Dry
goods Shop, and ,-.
GOT INBYCUTTING HOLESIN THE FLOOR
A Miners Lamp Affords Strong Gircumstantial Evi-
dence in the Case. IN

! brose G, Budd. alias A. d.. Charles for the
robbery of J. h. Skellys drygoods store on
| Fifth avenue McKeesport, in September,
1880, was commenced in the Criminal Court
| yesterday before Judges Slagle and Collier.
| The case was listed for an early hearing, but
! in the absence of District Attorney John
| ston the trial was held over until 10 o'clock.
! Even then Mr. Johnston had not appeared,
and the prosecution was proceeded with by
Assistant District Attorney Martin and
John S. Robb. Thomas Marshall and L. A.
| Montooth appeared for the defense. The
| room was denseIy crowded with spectators.
| The Court rose while Mrs. Laura Snowden
| was still on the stand. She testified that
Budd told her he had robbed drygoods
store and that he had got into the store by
cutting holes in the floor Other witnesses
| testified to having been offered silk by the
| prisoner at bargains. Other evidence pro-
duced connected lamp found in Skelly's
| store with a similar one purchased by the
| prisoner prior to the robbery.
The prisoner was brought into court by
deputy sheriff and took a seat at the counsel
| table beside his attorneys. He did not look
| the least nervous and smiled pleasantly at
| his attorneys and others whom he knew.
| His confinement in Jail has had some little
effect on him. He was somewhat pale, and
had dark, heavy rings below his eyes.
rem H1cture Oh tne PRISONER.
| The prisoner is anything but ferocious or
murderous looking. Under ordinary cir
cumstances he would pass for respectable
business man. He is dark complexioned,
with n piercing black eye His black hair is
streaked with gray. He was dressed in a
blue black sack suit, with white
shirt and standing collar, and wore a
black crepe necktie, tied in a neat
| bow. Very little trouble was expert
enced in the selection of n jury. There
were only few challenges. The following
is n list of the jurors: William Culbert
carpenter, Elizabeth township; Ed
ward Thomas, machinist, Sixteenth
ward; John J. Farley, helper
Eleventh ward, Allegheny; Gottlieb Faas,
grocer, Third ward, Allegheny; John. w.
Haney, city delivery, Sixth ward, Allegheny;
James A. Johnston, farmer, Upper st. Clair
township; Henry Lambert, lawyer, Elizabeth
borough: Henry H. Negley, clerk, Fourteenth
ward, Pittsburg; Edward O'Donnell, liquor
dealer, Twenty-fifth ward, Pittsburg; Rube
Rodgers, puddler, Ninth ward, Pittsburg; s.
d. Scully, clerk, CHARTERS township; Bernard
Taggart, miner, Union township.
The case was opened by John 5. Robb, Esq.
He stated that Skelly'S store was entered
cy cutting a hole through the floor from the
bellar The facts upon which the Common
| wealth rely and which they expected to
prove are, that A. G. Budd was guilty OF the
robbery and that the tools and miners lamp
found in the cellar of the store after the
robbery were owned by the prisoner If this
is proved verdict of guilty would be ex-
pected. -.
Dora Readal was called. She testified that
in september, 1890, she was employed in j.
X Skelly's store, McKeesport. She left the
store at O'Clock on the night of the robbery
and was present the next morning when the
robbery was discovered. There was large
hole in the floor where the robbers had en-
tered. She was present with others in the
cellar where three or four bits, a. brace, q
Jimmy and miners lamp were found. The
goods stolen were principally black silk.
The witness testified that the goods taken
were of the same pattern as three pieces ex-
hibited in court. Other drygood stores kept
the same line of goods. =
Mr.. SkeIly Identifies His Property.
J. h Skelly testified to the date of the
robbery. Goods to the amount of 5000 or
500 were taken. Pieces of silk were left in
the cellar by the robbers. Only the best
goods were taken. The witness identified
the silk found in Laura Snowden's house as
of the same kind stolen. -
Katie Thomas covered up the silks in the
store. The goods exhibited were of the
same kind.
Detective P. J. Murphy was the next wit
ness examined. He testified to having
visited Skellyis store on September 26 and
seen the hole in the floor. 1t measured 7x13
inches. He saw the tools found in tho eel
lar; also a miners lamp found at the same
time. Tho lamp was shown to the witness,
and identified by the wick, which had
piece of string on one end, and which the
witness knew had been put into the lamp
through the spout, instead of putting it
through the body of the lamp first. the lat
ter being the proper way. The two pieces
were found by witness in the house of Laura
Snowden, 1i6 Colwell street. On cross-ex-
animation Mr.. Marshall asked:
'How do you know there was any pecu-
liarity about the wick of this lamp?"
Mr.. Murphy-Well, 1 have used such
lamps, having been a miner nearly all my
life, and ought to be able to tell when n
wick is put in right or wrong. At this re-
ply the prisoner laughed rather heartily.
Lew ". Province, a blacksmith of Nc
in Kirk Bros hardware store, on Sixth
street, McKeesport, shortly before the rob-
berry of Skcliys store The prisoner pur-
chased a miners lamp and was putting the
wick in it through the spout, string being
attached to one end of the wick On observ-
ing this the witness said to the prisoner:
"You are not a coal digger or you wouldn't
pner made no reply. P. j. Murphy was re-
called and said that two days after the rob-
, berry he took the lamp to Provinces shop,
who identified it as the one he had seen
Budd purchase.
A String on the Wick of the Lamp.
F.J. Tish, salesman in Kinks store testi-
fed to selling the defendant Il miners lamp
in September, 1890. After purchasing it the
prisoner wanted oil to fill it with. They
didn't keep oil. and sold him only the wick.
, The witness tied a long string to the wick,
so that it could be put through the bowl of
the lamp and the wick pulled out through
the tube. When Province entered the store
the prisoner said "I'll put the wick in. You
wait on that gentleman" The witness heard
Province tell the defendant he was putting
the wick in wrong. The lamp was purchased
the afternoon before the robbery and he saw
the lamp in the possession of Detective Muir
ply two days after the robbery and was posi-
tive that it was the same lamp he had sold.
w. p. Dosch, of Duquesne Heights, testi- |
fed to knowing the prisoner for two years
as Ambrose G. Budd.i The prisoner was sell,
ing umbrellas for an installment house. In
October last he offered to sell him silk
dress for less than it could be purchased
in store. He did not say how much he |
had, but said he had few dress patterns |
left. /
W. H. Furlong, of Homestead, knew the |
defendant as A. G. Budd since August last
The prisoner one time asked him to buy a |
black silk dress pattern for his wife and he |
would give it at q bargain. |
Mrs Mary Lloyd, of Homestead, knew the |
defendant as A. e. Budd. In october he |
offered to sell her silk. He had with him a |
small sample of black faille silk, The sam |
pie was like the piece in evidence. j. Il. |
Skelly, recalled, said the value of the silk !
found in Snowdens house was 81 so per yard
r. c. Kimmell corroborated Dosch's evil
dence. He knew Budd to have been in bust
ness for himself. Mrs. Mary Gross, Sixth
street, was also offered silk by the prisoner
Expectation Away Up on Tiptoe.
There was rustic of expectation through
the room when the name of Laura Snowden
uas called bv Mr. Rohb The r,eo1ala in tho