Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-02-08
WILL WEARSTRIPES
IOHN OOSNsRS TAKEN BEFORE JUDGE PAUL.,
YESTERDAY,
And Sentenced to Five Years Confinement IN the
Pspjtspthry-The Interesting Proceedings In
eident to bis Identification.

extremely interesting volume, John Con-
ners. the all-around crook, with PLAIN roo
berv and fancy and artistic safe blowing as
specialties. has at last found the end OF MS
Good luck. and if nothing happens between
now and Monday, he will be wearing strl-
ned clothes before thirty-six hours have
passed
His career is at once an illustration OF the
extent TO which criminal record may 60
and an assurance that even the longest law
less lane has a final turning, ana thau tue
Court room. the sentence of Judge. ana
the hars of the penitentiary finally await
even the most successful dark-Ianterh op-
orator. -. Gov.
In ISL. when Connors was caught lor
,.ohhing Mr.. SIMPSONS residence, IN THIS
civ he was tried, found guilty, and sen
fenced 10 beconfined in the penitentlary Tor
the term of five years. His counsel, Col:
Arnett. asked for and obtained stay OF
sixty DAYS, to enable an appeal to be taken
IN the Supreme Court on writ oil error.
Pending the duration of the stay, Corners,
in company with Sweeney, and TWO or
three others. made his escape from
iail and resumed his criminal opera
lions. Since then he has been searched LOT
DIV the authorities high and low, but al
though he is believed TO have been mere
frequently, and to have made ms headq uar-
tiers in surrounding towns for quite whlle,
at various intervals, he succeeded IN eVdu-
ing arrest. At tunes Corners mace eAcur-
si0ns 10 somewhat distant points, and re
morris came 10 Wheeling of operations as
cribed 10 him and his pals IN places as re-
mote as Louisville, Cincinnati and Chicago.
Pittsburg police made enquiries Tor him
from time TO time, and the Sheritts OF sew
eral Ohio counties would have locked MIN
mn for burglaries had he been found in their
bailiwicks.
Matters ran along thus until, in mo
ment of weakness and indiscretion, Con
ners ventured back TO Wheeling, and on
the night before the city election, January
p. he, with two others, were detected by
Oficer DOnnelly in the act OF commencing
on the door OF the Wheeling
Reef Company's building, at Water and
Twentieth streets. DOnnclly charged the
crooks, and after firing two shots at them,
separated Corners from the rest, Knocked
him down. and locked him up. Corners
had lot of burglar tools on his clothes
when taken.
Yesterday afternoon the prisoner was
taken before Judge PAUL, in the Circuit
Court. to be formally identified and SEN
fenced on the ten-year-old burglary charge,
tn the penitentiarv There was quite a
large attendance of people in the Court
room. and much interest was shown In the
matter both because OF the notoriety OF
the prisoner and the unusual nature Of the
proceedings.
After some time had been spent in gen
eral discussion among the officials, Col.
Arnett, counsel for Corners, asked of
Prosecuting Attorney Howard -
well, what do you want TO do, John''
Mr. Howard want to have the prisoner
identified as the person under sentence IN
this Court, and ask that Officer Moran and
Mr.. l. = Jordan be sworn.
Officer Moran was sworn, and Mr.. How
ard asked -
Q.~"Do you know the prisoner A
o.G"Who is he:" A.-"John Corners;
/ have known him for twenty years
O.-"Can YOU say he is the John Corners
under sentence of this Court.n
Col. Arnett-I object to that form Of eX-
MIR. Howard-Oh, the thing is a matter
The Court-Yes, it is a matter of record,
and had better be shown in that way
Col. Arnett-I should think you would
want TO do that.
Clerk Mitchell was then sworn and tesd-
fed formally that he was John w. Mitchell,
Clerk of the Circuit Court Of Ohio county,
and that there appeared upon the records
of the Court a judgment and sentence
against the prisoner bearing date of Octo-
her :. 1881. the sentence being for the term
of five wears. The defense did not want to
ask the Clerk anything by way of cross
examination. and Officer Moran was re-
called and was asked by Mr.. Howard if the
nrisoser at the bar was 1.-The same John
Corners mentioned in the record
This led to an objection and argument as
TO the form of the question, etc, but finally
the witness said the prisoner was the same
party. and that he had broken jail The
witness was not in Court when sentence
was pronounced, but he knew the prisoner
was arrested for the burglary and tried for
il. and that he thereafter broke Jail.
Ex-Prosecuting Attorney l.. 5. Jordan
was then called, and also identified the
prisoner as the same party prosecuted by
him.
The official copy of the order of the Su-
preme Court of Appeals. dismissng the
writ of error on the stay of proceedings
upon being informed that the prisoner had
broken Jail, and was at large, was then
read. when it was ascertained that this or
der of dismissal had never been entered of
record in the Circuit Court of this county,
through some oversight
MIR. Jordan was then asked by Mr.. How
ard -
.Who is the person referred to in that
order"' A.-The prisoner at the bar
O.-What official position did you occupy
at that time. A.-Prosecuting Attorney
Of this county.
O.-Say whether or not you secured this
Judgment and sentence in this State on the
Sth of October, 1881. A.-Ges.
O.-Say whether the defendant ever
served the five years sentenced Al can
answer that in this way-probably the best
wav-that he escaped from custody during
the tendency Of this writ of error, and as
far as my knowledge goes, he has never
been in the custody of this Court up TO the
present time.
BY Col. Arnett-You remember about
the dismissal Of the writ. Ayes, about
the citation of the fact of his escape.
Col Arnett-Do you know of any order
being made after that. A.-None that
know of.
The defense then asked the Court to
enter an exception to the testimony and
attempt at Identification and also an eX-
CeptlOn 10 the denial OF a mOuOn LOT time
bv way of suspension in order to permit
of an application to the Supreme Court, on
the old grounds, and also upon the ground
that there was no record of the dismissal
of the appeal in the lower Court. This was
allowed and then the Court commanded
the prisoner to stand up, and sentenced him
to be confined in the penitentiary for the
term Of five wears, and TO be removed to
that institution forthwith.
Corners turned a trite pale as he heard
his doom. but only for an instant, and a
moment later was in whispered CONVERSE
ton with Col Arnett, his counsel.
Corners looks remarkably well, although
a trfe gray, and might be classed among
fine looking men. He is stoutly built, and
very intelligent
ASK your grocer for a cake of Brush
Soap.
CARRIE Bros. have bought out the
well known stationery and book store
Of J. b. Wilson. AZ 1905 Market street,
and will soon have one OF the finest and
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