The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-11-27
.ISA BAD OLD MAN
REMARKABLE CAREER OF A
PENN NSYLVANIA JUSTICE.
HIS GRIMES IRE VERY NUMEROUS
Latest Misdemeanor of E. B. Hol
lister, a Well-KnOWn Politician
and Wrlter-To be Tried
for Burglary.

HoNEsDALE, Pa, Nov. 81. e. B. Hol-
lister of Hollisterville, this county near
the Lackawanna County line, who has
been for more than quarter Of CEN
tury a Justice of the Peace in tina
county, although during that time he
has been Indicted for conspiracy, bur-
glary, arson, and assault with attempt
to kill, and was convicted once on a
charge of burglary and sentenced to
four years in the penitentiary, but es-
capped through legal teohnioaiity, has
just been Indicted for burglary, this
time by the grand jury of Lackawanna
County, and will be tried at the next
term of court.
Hollster is 20 years old and belongs
to one of the most prominent families in
Wayne County. Lieutenant-Governor
w atres is a nephew of his, and he has
for 80 years been conspicuous in the af-
fairs of his section Of the county. Dur
ing the war there were many mail and
express robberies and masked burglar
les in that locality, and it was openly
charged that Squire Hollister was the
organizer and leader of a gang that
committed these crimes.
In 1867 a burglary committed In the
village of Waymart, ten miles from Hol-
listerville, was traced home to him, and
he was arrested and convicted The
case was carried to the Supreme Court,
where the Judgment of the Wayne
county court was reversed
In 1879 Squire Hollister, his brother
in-law George Burns, who had, returned
to Hollisterville, w. A. Meyers, and a
- II
were arrested charged with conspi rRcy,
arson, burglary and attempted murder.
The charges against these parties were
made by Theodore II. Baker, mer-
chant of Hollisterville. Squire Hollis
ter owed Baker 49, 900, for which the
latter held mortgage on the formers
property. Hollister insisted on paying
it, and the day the money was paid Ba.
ker sent it to Scranton bank. That
night a fire broke out in a barn near
Bakers, and Baker ran to it, leaving
his wife aud child at home. While he
was gone a masked man entered tn g
house, and aided by Fannie Van Gorder,
beat Mrs. Baker into Inconsistencies
and took the wallet which had contained
the So, 600 paid that day to Baker. Mrs.
Baker said that she had recognized the
masked robber as George Burns.
Baker, following alleged clues, was
satisfied that Squire Hollister had con-
spired with Burns, VIII Meyer, Fanny
Van Gorder, who was Meyers sweet
heart, to fire the barn. The four prison e
ers were tried at Honesdale, and TO the
amazement of every one Miss Van
Gorder aud her lover were convicted,
and Hollister and his brother-in-law
Burns, were acquitted.
A few weeks ago a daring burglary
was committed in Dunmore, a suburb
of Scranton. Officers were put to work
on the case, and the clews they found
led them TO Hollisterville, and fin ally TO
the arrest Of Squire Hollister, his
brother Henchel, Charles Engel, and
William Snow. Besides being Justic ce
of the Peace and the political boss of
his township, Squire Hollister is witty
newspaper writer His brother DR.. III.
H. Hollister, of Scranton, wrote the
'History of the Lackawanua Valley"
His sister, Mrs. Watres, was poet of
more than ordinary merit, her produc-
lions during the war, over the signature
of "Stella Lackawanna," being well
known.