Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-08
PREYED ON HER MIND.
Laura Snowden Tells Why She Re-
vealed the Secrets of the
SCHMITTJEWELRY STORE ROBBERY
How She Occupied the Attention of the
Proprietor While
FITzSIMMONS SECURED THE PLUMBER

terday IN the CRIMINAL Court Win JUG
Slagle on the bench. As on the previou
DAYS the courtroom was crowded, many o
the spectators being ladies. Fitzsimmons
conduct was different than on Monday, III
being somewhat subdued and trife pale
than on the previous day. The interest Of tn,
day was centered in Laura Snowden, who
was to be the principal witness for the Com
monwealth.
The opening of the trial in the morning
was delayed by the tardiness ofJuror Scully,
who was reprimanded for beinglate. Officer
jury, of Homestead, was placed on the stand
and continued the story he began on Mon.
day. On cross-eXalnination he said that in
addition TO the jar which he dug up in the
cellar he found hole which was seven feet
in length, eleven inches in depth and seven
teen inches in width. 1t was i'll new part
OF the cellar and il was necessary to crawl
through 4 hole in the wall to get TO it,
II. A Barrett, of q. B. Barrett Il Co, whole
sale jewellers. identified the watches and
cases recovered as goods he had sod 10 Mr..
Schmitr, also the goods recovered at Lynn,
SusQuehanna County.
County Detective Beltzhoover testified in
relation to tile goods offered in evidence.
Constable Ginger, OF Homestead, cOrrobor-
ated Officer Jary's story. ON cross-eNamin-
alton he said it would be possible to get into
the cellar without people in the house know
ing it, officer McAllister identified the jar
and goods lie got to the house after they
were found.
officer Calvin told the story of the ar
rest He took a revolver and a knife from
Titzsimmons. lie could not tell how long
the knife WAS.
squire Oetfner testified that he issued the
warrant for FitzSmmOns' arrest.
Thought Schmitt Was Letting On.
Officer NJ Brough said that in a converse
tion with Mrs. Clark she said she thought
Schmitr was only letting on He showed
her list of the watches stolen. She read
j. with great interest, but said she was not
satisfied yet that there had been robbery
The same night Clark went to witness house
and asked to the list. He then wanted
to take il, saying he might help in the case.
He worked at Wilmerding and said that
watches were frequently raffied there and
some Of the stolen watches might be among
them. The witness let him have the list
and the next day he returned it.
on crosS-eXamination the witness was
positive that no one except the Clarks
doubted the fact of robbery. He denied
that he had any feeling against the Clarks.
In the afternoon County Detective Beltz-
hoover was the first witness. He produced
the papers found in a sabchel near the Fitz-
simmons house after the murder. 1t also
contained large number of the watches
stolen from Schmitt's store and a copy of
the numbers of the watches.
Detective Z. J. Murphy testified that
he saw the same satchel in Fitzsinmons'
house on the 2lSt OF March when the murder
occurred. On the 9Th of March the witness
and Detective Gilkinson visited the Clark
house and talked with Mrs. Clark about a
sewing machine. In the conversation Mrs.
Clark said Fitzsimmons had roomed there
nearly year and she WaS anxious to know
Il they thought him guilty OF the Schmitt
robbery. They again visited the Clark house
on March l9 and were met by Cora Wyatt,
who said MT. and Mrs. Clark were upstairs
suffering from the grip and at first refused
TO allow them to go up. Clark and his wife
denied knowledge OF the robbery.
Tried to shut Out Fitzsimmons
Clark also said the witness continued. that
he had changed the locks, and if Fitzsm-
mons came back he could not get in. The
witness examined the locks and round them
TO be old and worn. Miss Wyatt told the |
witness that FitzsirnmOns had not been :
about the house for two months. Mrs. Clark /
said that FitZsimmons was an awfully wise /
fellow, and she did not think he would COM |
nit "a burglary.
Officer COlNin was recalled and said he had |
talked with Mr.. Clark shortly after Fitzsim- |
mons had been arrested and Clark said that |
FitzsimlnOns had been III his house and |
Clark told him to 90 ont that he had killed /
one man and not to kill anybody else.
Or. GLADDEN.. OF Homestead was next /
called, and told his old story about finding /
fitZSlnImONS at the Clark residence the |
night OF the arrest.
Officer Colvin wasagain recalled and testi- |
fed that when he took FitZsimmons to the |
lookup be examined him and found a bullet
wound in the back of his shoulder bound |
with muslin. The cloth looked clean as
JhOagh freshly put on. He was in the Clark
house atterward and found clothes and
handkcrchiefs with blood on them. The
witness said the wound could not have been
made by himself when he shot. as there
would have bScn no time TO bind il up
Nora Whalen said she lived at Four Mile
run and knew Cora Wyatt since October
last They both attended Curry University
Wyatt with Il watch and locler in February
last. Miss Wyatt told her she got a beau
ti1Ul watch for a birthday present. She said !
that She had the pick of several watches |
that il was queer the watch had been given |
hcE fully week before her birthday. Miss
Wyatt remarked that the party who gave it
Thought more of her than she did Of him.
Pretty Cora Wyatt in the Tolls
Miss Wyatt cnce remarked to the witness
that she should have seen her the dav be-
fore, as she had some pretty rings on that
belonged to her sister, Mrs Clark. She said
Mrs Clark didn't know she had them and
that she had put them back as Mrs Clark
had them hid. The witness here picked out
the watch she had seen Miss Wyatt have |
Tie witness further stated that she had re- |
ceived i%o letters from the Jail from Cora
Wyatt but tore them Up and did not answer
them. Miss Wyatt once told her that they
had a bOaTdeT named Budd and he WAS y
nice gentleman. When Miss Wyatt showed
her tie watch she took her into the cloak
room at Curry University.
ON cross-eXaminatiOn the witness stated
that the notes received from Cora Wyatt
SIMPLY asked her to call at the jail and she
had NOS complied with the request.
Grace Hastings, another University stu
dent, TESTIFIED to seeing a watch on Cora 1
y gat.. \ liich the latte; showed her and told
llgf Il Na- a birthday present. The witness |
identified the watch.
Laura snowden was the next witness
ca,ied, and, as on the previous day, there |
was a Nueh when she rose from her seat |
b'tch 81 the prisoners dock. She showed no |
trace OF fear.
In answer p We. TO Attorney Robb's questions,
Sflc -itiu sil. was married: tina her husbands
lane Was " illiam Hin, and she had NOT
iiNcu WITH ann since they were married |
she was accustomed to going under her
maiden name. SnOwdch. The witness saW
j FltZSluluol4s on the 3lst Of january af Home /
stead, having arranged a week before ia
meet nm there. FitZsimmons told her
he would send her a telegram when |
to come. She received this telegram
on TIE morning of January 81
Inc telegram was signed ''AmDrose -
The witness went to Homestead on the 4:l5
train. and her instructions were to go to |
Nctlmltt ; JeWeITN store and keep him in |
conversation as long as she could She met
titzsinmons at the station and he told her
nat someone was in the store then and ha
was WAS afraid Sclmitt would go to supper =
Laura TickIed the JeweIer.
The witness went to Schmitt's store. reach
nG there at O'Clock. Mr.. Schmftt was going !
Jut with woman when she stepped in and
asked to be shown some watches The wit
ness remained in the store Is minutes. pric-
ng and looking at watches. Some of the
watches were IN a show case and some were
II the window. The witness asked to see |
rFar1- -lGfa - RI 4ol,x, 1 n