The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-09
Charged With Conspiracy 70 Shift
the Blame for the Mann
Robberies, "
The Two Co-Conspirators Testify
5as to How They Were
5 1E Hired.
A Suit Against tho CITY FOR $40. 900 DAM
ages for Responsibility for tbs
Death OF y Child.

Ii - AAC July ~ , A4A AtR Va m ~ 80
aoy in connection with the alleged robber-
les at the Mann postofice was completed in
the United States court Yesterday morning,
and Is az follows: Charles dnnther, J. Y.
MCCARTHY, j. q. sstubba, J. @. Curtin, IL. =.
Fowies, w. j. Burnett, or. Stuart, j. Wen
del, Charles Grosanan, Joseph Horsky, -.
Meyer and M. Lissner. After the opening
argument Postofiae Inspector ;sackett and
other government Witnesses were put on the
stand to establish the rohberies. Then i.
TR. Carr, ona of the ranchnnen alleged to
nave been taken into the conspiracy by Ed
Barnuin. was examined az the main Wit
ness for the prosecution. His testimony
took up nearly all the afternoon. II was TO
the effect that soon after the arrest Of Mrs.
Barnum and her son the lattor had talked
over with him the matter OF doing some
thing for the mother. The suggestion that
Ed should try to help his mother out came
from the witness, They talked about the
old man who was said to have stopped at
the Barnum house at tho time Of one
Of the robberies. Ed Barnum
aaked how it would d 10 to
get a package OF letters that had been
opened ana have them found. They rode
up the coulee and Ed showed him a rock
where the letters could be hid. Afterwards
Ed Barnum told witness that he had gotten
a package Of letters and if anything turned
up he would find them under the rock. The
understanding was that witness was to say
he had seen q man cache a package OF let
ters there j. w. johnson, another ranoh-
man was taken into the scheme. Witness
demurred to saying he had seen an old man
cache the letters there unless he did SOC
something OF the kind. Ed Barnun said
that would be all right, he would 60 him
self. Ed Barnum did 90 there and witness
and Johnson saw him. When he went away
the two looked under the stone and found
the letters. Witness said that Barnun.
promised them $50 and gave it to them.
Afterwards he gave them $35. Tho object
was tt. create the impression that Mrs. Bar
mum had never robbed the mails al Mann.
Ed Barnu1n, in talking over the scheme, said
that be hated to rob the mail, but that in a
case Of necessity he would have to do it.
He also said his father had taken the money
obtained from registered packages and had
it changed in the saloons for other bills.
Ed Barnum had also said that if witness
and johnson ever told on him they would
come to a final finish" The co-conspirit-
ors were to liz the time when they had seen
the man hide the letters as sept. 8, so that
I'D Barnum could prove an abb on that
day. GAR Was subjected to a severe CROSS
examination by Lawyer Baum. He found
some difficulty in fixing dates, which he at
tributed to the fact that he had had so
many conversations with Carr that it was
hard to remember. He admitted that he
made the first suggestion about Ed Bal
mum helping his mother, and had suggested
that a co,set and gloves lost in the mails BE-
also hid in the coulee. Ed Barnuna had told
witness lie did notknow whether his mother
was guilty or not, but 1T lookee likd il.
When questioned at to why hs had taken
money from Ed Barnum and then sold him
out, Carr sniG his conscience had hurt him
III The time until he told the truth. Being
asked what one of the %neighbors had
said about Ed Barnum, witness replied:
'He said Ed Barnum was SO crooked he
could not lay in bed straight Carr ad-
mitted on cross-examlnation that he had
been arrested for threatening to shoot q
man, and when closely pressed as to his
recollection of that n other events, re-
pliod excitedly, holding up, his hand: BE
fore God, I'm telling the truth about all
these thinga." r.
j, w. johnson, the other co-oonspirator,
told what was intended to corroborate
Garr's evidence. He proved 9 somewhat
more intelligent witness han Carr did I'M
der cross-fire. He said his conscience told
him after the proceedings in the coulee that
something was wrong. He continued the
negotiations with I'D Barnum and took the
%latter's money through fear. He admitted
that he had been paid by Ed Barnum to lie
about the matter.
The case will be continued to-day. The
same lawyers are pitted against each other
az on the trial of Mrs. Barnum. District
Attorney Weed and Assistant District At
torney Mcdonald appear for the prosecu-
ton, and Potter Baum, G. @. Newman and
j.. A.. Walsh for tho defense.