Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-24
SLEUTHS ON A RACK,
Doubts as to Whether De-
tectives or Garfield Is
the Defendant in
THE NEW LISBON TRIAL.
A Methodist Protestant Pastor at
Uniontown Resigns, Having
CHANGED HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEF.
Senator Qusy to Work for Federal Build
ing for McKeesport.
SfwsY NOTES FROM NEARBY TOWNS

rsPEcrAL TELEGRAM TO THE,prsPArcH.1
NEW LISBON, Dec. 23.-Never before
has there been such general interest taken
in case here as in that of young William
Garfield. who was to-day placed on trial
charged by members of the Perkins De-
tective Agency, of Pittsburg, with train
wrecking and murder.
The confession of Garfield, detailing how
he happened to fall in with the detectives
and acknowledge that ne wrecked the train,
were fully detailed in these dispatches last
Friday. They aroused the greatest sympa-
thy here among prominent men, who made
up purse for the young fellow and secured
the services of Detective Hayes, who
promises some startling revelations as to
the methods pursued by the Perkins peo-
pie to extort an alleged confession from the
alleged criminal.
The trial began to-day by young Garfield
entering plea of not guilty, and the State
then asked permission to examine some 10
witnesses. Probably the most important
witnesses examined were the two detectives,
f. Booth Todd and Claudio Perkins.
Bailed Out of Jail to Testify.
The former had secured bail in the
New Castle case and hurried here to the
trial Both these gentlemen told their
story, of how they had captured Garfield.
They swore that Garfield had voluntarily
confessed to opening the switch at East
Palestine by breaking it with hammer.
They said he had made that confession sew
eral times, and that, too, in the presence of
witnesses.
Attorney Anderson, for the defense, then
took hold of the two detectives and put
them through a severe cross-examination,
which brought out facts which startled the
court. They never wavered from their first
story, though Mr. Anderson forced young
Perkins to acknowledge that he had been
arrested several times in Pittsburg and
twice lately in Ohio, (the Ohio arrests be-
ing well known.
At the close of the States evidence, At
torney Anderson made a short argument
outlining what the defense intended to
prove. This caused another sensation, the
attorney ending by stating they had clear
case of conspiracy.
Cloud of Witnesses for Garfield.
Tomorrow the first witnesses of the de-
fense Will be put on the stand. There are
about 80 witnesses for the defense and De-
tective Hayes promises bomb during the
course of their examination. The case will
probably last all this week, if not longer.
During the examination of the Mayor and
Marshal of East Palestine to-day, those gen,
tlemen narrated their part in the case. They
were secreted when Garfield made his al
legged confession. Under cross-examination
both acknowledged that the prisoner showed
the greatest fear when in the presence of
Perkins and Todd. This, the defense
claimed, went to prove that part of Can
fields assertions when he said the detectives
had threatened to kill him if he did not con-
fess some crime,
Prosecuting Attorney claimed the de-
tectives had perfect right to extort the
confession in the way they did. Every
effort was made,by the prosecution to have
the trial postponed, but Judge Nichols re-
fused further continuance