Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-20
BISTEL GOES UP.
NEARlE8 TIE END OF TAR PRELIMINARY BEAR
ING IN THE ROBBERY CASE.
Bound Over in the Sum Of 5000 Large Eunhsr
Of Witnesses Produced Several Lively
Tits Between Attorneys

There was another chapter OF the
Blstel robbery case yesterday afternoon.
The hearing this time was in the case
of John Bistel charged with stealing
various articles in the long shop-lifting
campaign in which the BiStel family
is alleged to have figured so
conspicuously. Owing to the large
number of witnesses, and the in
adequate facilities of the Justice Office
the hearing took place in the Police
court room before Squire Ankle, and
the ball set rolling about three
o'clock.
Prosecuting Attorney Howard, as be-
fore, was on hand for the State,
while Captain Dovener represented
the defendant. Previous to the
opening of the case pile OF goods, In
GLIDING basket full of shoes, towels,
jewelry and other things, alleged TO
nave been stolen by Bistel, were brought
into Court and placed upon table.
The witnesses names were called, ana
barricade Of middle aged females
formed in a Semi-eircle in front OF the
throne and were sworn.
The first witness on the stand was
Joseph Hasenauer, of 1045 Main street,
who said that he had two or three dozen
shoes stolen from his store, having at
one time missed twenty-One pairs, about
a month ago. One day Mrs. Bistel, wife
of John BlStel, came into my store, ac-
companed by Mrs. Mary Campbell.
There were some shoes lying loose on
the counter at the time, and shortly
after they went out l missed two pairs.
Suspecting the women had taken them,
I had search warrant sworn out on
Mrs. Bistel. The next day she came to
the store and wanted 10 settle with me
for So for the two pairs, which l refused
10 do.
On cross-examination by Capt. Dovener
the witness said he couldn't swear
whether the goods on the table had
been sold or stolen; he only knew That
they had been in the store once, ana
was pretty confident they had been
stolen.
Harry Smith, employed at StifePs,
was next called, but as the goods claimed
30 have came from that store became
misplaced. his testimony was deferred.
Henry Jacobs, the dealer in dry goods
and carpets, also recognized some Tow
els i'm the collection, which had come
from his store, but on cross-eXamlna-
tion could not tell whether he had sold
them or they had been stolen.
Asa Booth recognized three spoons in
which ne claims were taken from his
saloon last fall by John BiStel, the same
spoons having been found in the posses
sion Of BtStel.
I. G. Dillon recognized gold spoon
as having come from his jewelry store,
but on REORGANIZATION did not know
whether it had been sold or stolen, and
nothing had yet been missed at the
store.
Then came long line of women,
nearly all those who had purchased
goods from time to time OF the BlSteis.
1t appears from the testimony that the
purchases were made, not directly
from Mr.. or Mrs. Bistel, but
through the medium of two small step
children of John Bistel, named John
and Ida Bistel, aged seven and nine
wears respectively. Most Of the women
testified that they dealt only with one
of the children, chiefly the little girl,
and had not seen or known OF any other
members of the family. Only in one or
two instances did the witnesses have
passing acquaintance with Mrs. BIstel,
and but one knew John BiStel. 1t
seems that the sales were nearly all ef-
fected through the children travelling
from house to houSe, and TO facilitate
sales, plead poverty and dire dis.
tress for money on the part OF
the mother. On several occasions
the purchasers inquired as to where
the children got the goods. But the
children went loaded with plausible
stories, evidently being prepared before
starting out from hone. The children,
in answer 10 this query, at one time
said their mother was very poor, ana
merchants gave her goods for half cost,
and she sells them over again. An
other time the little child said her
mother went to cheap sales and auc-
tions, and procured all these goods.
The boy once told purchaser that his
mothers sister gave them to his mother.
The excuse for selling chiefly was that
his mother was in great poverty and dy-
ing for something 10 eat. In many
cases, as the witnesses stated, they
opened their hearts and at times bought
things they did not really need. 1t was
mostly shoes the little girl carried
around TO sell, and the price was nearly
always fixed AZ $3.50 when they were
really =. so shoes. Nearly all the wit
nesSes testified 10 having bought shoes,
some one pair, others two, three and
FIVE pairs. While it was mostly shoes
they bought they frequently carried
around other things TO sell like ShawlS,
dresses, towlos, iewclry and kitchen uten-
sis. One witness testified that she gave
in exchange for a poker and pair of
tonCs, loaf of bread and FIVE cents.
None OF the witnesses testified they had
any suspicion the goods were stolen.
officers LukenS and Terrell were
placed on the stand for a brief period,
after which little Ida Miller, who car
ried on so much OF the traffic, was
placed on the stand. She said her
mother gave her goods to sell, and she
went round selling them nearly every
day. She said her mother never told
her where the goods came from and she
never knew. She did not think John
Bistel, her father, knew anything about
il, as he was never about the house
much. She said in all the transactions
she dealt only with her mother.
John Miller, the miniature pard in
this iAiquity, was placed on the stand.
He said he lived with his "step-pap" and
mother. Always had all his dealings
with mother, but did not know where
she got the things.