The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-11-07
THE REMARKABLE CONFESSION
OF Mr.. q. Carr in the Mann Post
office Robbery Bust
ness.
The Examination Opens Before Com
missioner Pomeroy
yesterday.

''' N''' VI ~ cNo'' We ~
Barnum was called before Commissioner
Pomeroy at about 800 y. m. u. NJ.
Baum appeared for the defendant and
Assistant United States District At
torney Mcdonald for the government.
q. Carr was first called to the stand.
His story, told, as it was, in "a halting.hcsi-
tating manner, is yet one of the most
marvellous and dramatic in criminal his
tory. 1t reveals a most wonderfully in
genious plan, carefully prepared and APP
parently succeeding, only to be frus-
trated by a stout attack of the arch
enemy of evil-consciencc. In sub
stance he told his tale as follows:
Some time about the early part of Sep
TENDER he called at the Barnum resi-
dence. Naturally the subject of the for
mer mail robberies and the consequent
trouble they brought on Mrs. Barnum
and Ed came up. He Carr told Ed
that some way should be contrived to
relieve Mrs. Barnum, even though the
son took on his own shoulders the blame,
and thus relieved his mother. One word
brought on another until finally it was
suggested that Ed go to ome coulee and
cache a package under a rock which
should afterward be found. Ed Barnum
wanted Carr to come and dis
cover this, then to come to
to this city and raise a great excitement
regarding it. To this Carr demurred
for personal reasons. Later johnson
was taken into the scheme, which in its
perfected state was thus arranged. John
son and Carr were to go antelope hunt
ing. After a time they were to stroll up
to a place formerly agreed upon, where
Barnum was to be seen secreting a pack
age under a rock. After he left they
were to go and discover it and then were
to spread abroad the news that they had
seen a man sorting letters under a rock.
OF this individual they were to give such
a description as should identify him with
the mysterious stranger who stayed at
the Barnum home the night of the rob-
berry, and from whom Mrs. Barnum
claims to have received the decoy - sent
by the government and found in a roll Of
her money. And even yet the plot was
IlOl COIuDlttt. IL luIlIICI ulNcIt BUS
picion they were to say that this find oc-
Cured on September Sth, thoughit really
took place on the 18th, as on the eighth
Ed Barnum had gone to a dance some
distance away, giving that gentleman an
easy opportunity to prove an alibi.
1t was a most ingenious scheme and
lieved it. Ed. Barnum paid Carr $50
,nl 80 Hi, C,pr ,,a,,a V,hncnn a. R,,t
difficulties arose. In the first place
when Carr and Johnson examined the
contents of this mysterious cache they
found a package of letters bearing dates
of the ith and 9TH of September. This
was unexpected and frightened both so
that they went away and left the letters.
Then, too, regarding the money received
they were frightened. From what Ed.
told them they found that the money
used to pay them had come from regis
tered letter stcalings. Indeed Ed. Bar
mum told them that from this industry
ne had made enough to pay them and
more besides. On this score. however.
Ed relieved their minds by telling them
that his father had taken the stolen
bills and had them changed at different
| saloons so that no marked money had
been given them. Another thing which
the witness said tending to incriminate
young Barnum was that he had said
there would be some registered letters
missing o . and this it was Which first
made both gentlemen fearful.
More than all these however there
was another influence at work. Carr
had told his story as directed to post
master Lee at Kibbey as well as to
numerous others. He had lied and knew
it. OF him as with many others before
conscience had made a coward. In
spector Sackett called on him and
listened to the same story. \ few keen
questions soon made him think that
something lay behind it all and he
strongly advised Mr.. Carr to cease his
evasive policy and tell the truth as else
he might fare badly. The torments Of
fear were thus added to the agony of
conscience. He determined to make a
clean breast of it all and did.
Mr.. Carr was subjected to a most rigid
cross examination. His entire actions
were gone over in detail and counsel for
defense attempted to show. and with
some reason, that no sane man would
tell such a story. In IA number of mi
mute particulars he showed glaring in
constituencies and in several instances
fatty contradicted himself. For in
| stance, he stated at one time that Bar
mum and johnson had never met prior
to the discovery Of the letters and in his
very next answer said that he only
wanted money because Johnson de
mandcd it and he heard him tell Barnum
so in a previous interview. He continu-
allv stated that his first story was Il lie.
He was evidently badly frightened and
considerably muddlcd His cross exam
inatiOn was not concluded until the
evening session.
j. W. Johnson, who was also present at
the first discovery Of the lcttcrs.wa now
sworn. Barnum and Carr. he said. told
him Carr had found a cache of letters
and asked him to 60 and see IT raised"
He was told there would be something in
it for him. and though the money was to
be paid by Carr he knew that it would
come from Barnum. Accordingly he and
Carr went to the coulee and saw Barnum
there and doing something with the rock
under which the letters were found. At