Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-21
LEW ON HIS PALS.
,ok Hall Pleads Guilty to
Burglarizing Country
POstofices and
Ellis HOW IT WAS DONE.
ing Hypnotic Influence to Force
a Criminal to Confess.
PRETTY POSTMASTER TESTIFIES.
,oks Who Worked Hard to Secure Money
for Railroad Fare.
PRETTY POSTMASTER TESTIFIES.
,oLs Who Worked Hard to Secure Money
for Railroad Fare.
PECULIAR MISTAKE MADE IN COURT

PECULIAR MISTAKE MADE IN COURT
1 lecture on burglary as a business was
en- before Judge Burlington in the
tied States Circuit Court yesterday. 1t
interesting to all sorts of people, and a
her nice point of law which it involved
racted the LAWYERS attention. Cook
IL was the lecturer, and as he gave his
Is under oath they may be taken as es-
Fishing the status of burglary in these
vs. of railroads and other facilities for
lid movement
Altogether, Cook Hall played star en-
yement yesterday. He began the day by
aiding guilty to a number of indictments
rging him with breaking into post
ces at Grove City, Pleasantville, Chicora,
lgeway and Knox, all in this State.
trial of Thomas Hughes and George q.
ymond, alleged to be Halls accomplices,
5 then taken up. Hughes is wonder
iy thick man; his shoulders are square
massive, and his face harmonizes with
m with its determined look. RAYMOND
is to length and slimness, and even his
e, which is bisected by heavy, droop-
mustasche, is unusually long. Both
n. as tine sat behind their counsel. w. j.
eene, of Oil City, looked uneasy.
Cook Hall Was Cool and Collected.
Cook Halls confession of guilt was not
urprise to them; but the knowledge that
was to be the chief witness against them
not calculated to add to their comfort
, hard looks of theirs, however, could
turb the equanimity of their quondam
| who sat on the opposite side of the
lrtroom. Hall was dressed in an ost-
ial-colored business suit; jewel
one in his bright blue tie, and
looked about as unlike q
rglar as any man in court His dark,
" ewes looked calmly anead of him, and
his face twitched now and again it seemed
Dre a natural habit than sign of nervous
SIS. When he was in the witness chair
er in the day he was collected and calm
a degree. He seemed relieved that he
lde clean breast of his misdee6a
About that confession of his several
,ries are told. 1t was obtained from him
Superintendent of Police Roger O'Mara
ne weeks ago at Erie. 1t is said that
:. O'Mara acted in the interest of Halls
nily to some extent Hall is connected
tn most estimable family here, and they
re anxious to know whether he were
llly guilty or not of the crimes laid at his
or. If he were innocent they were ready
10 all they could to extricate him. They
I'd Mr.. O'Mara to go to see Hall in the
at Erie. The United States postofice
Is also urged the Pittsburg officer to
the truth out of the prisoner.
Hypnotized by Police OniciaL
uvhow Superintendent o. Mara travelled
Erie, and had little difficulty in persuad-
Hall to unbosom completely. A ste
,pher was called in and the details of
peration of the gang of postofice
RS were given by Hall; it was this re-
in part which the prisoner repeated
.rday in court Mr.. O'Mara was some
surprised at the readiness of Hall to
(, and in talking of the matter since Mr..
Nara has said that he believed his infu-
ce over Hall on this occasion was hyp-
tic. That is to say, the story of the series
E by the process of suggestion. However
1t may be, no doubt exists of the value of
confession to Uncle Sans officers
District Attorney Walter Lyon was
1ed yesterday ii any specific promise had
N made to Hall of reward for confessing.
:. Lyon replied: 'sNo, sir; We do not do
ngs that way. Hall takes his chances of
ming commutation, and the Court alone
decide how much the confession shall
Ugh in his favor"
It is reasonable to suppose, as Hall un-
ubtedly trusts, that a much lighter sem
ice will be his than his fellows will get
e gossip of the courtroom has it that
Ill has been promised q Jail sentence in
ad of another term in the penitentiary.
During the morning session the postmasL
8 of the Offices broken into testified to the
It's of the several crimes Miss Neyman,
young woman with q soft voice
q sweet face, boldly said she was "post-
lster" at Grove City-there are no post
stresses in the vocabulary of the depart
MT She and w. F. House, James II.
lgerty, Joseph Brown and j. j. Craw-
d, postmasters respectively at Pleasant
lie, Ridgeway, Knox and Chicors, related
ries of broken doors, picked locks and
ploded safes with the results of about
600 in money and stamps stolen.
Ian's Testimony Held to Be Competent
chen District Attorney Lyon called NJ
Hall to the stand. An usher started to
ng forward Postofice Inspector Mccall
mt, who resembles Hall somewhat in
e, their hair, eyes and complexion being
~ similar, though the upward twist of
McCalmont's mustache is in direct con-
st to the downward drop of Halls, and
7, Inspectors air is much more agg res
e and the glance more penetrating than
latter'S As soon as the witness was
tied Mr.. Breene, the attorney for the
fense, objected to his testifying. The OBJ
tion was that Cook Hall having been
avicted of murder and having served his
j term in prison for it was an infamous
rson and therefore incompetent under the
Y to give evidence. Judge Burlington, OBJ
wing that Mr.. Breene had valise full of
al authorities to sustain the objection,
ourned court at 1890 till 2P.M
When the court reconvened Mr.. Breene,
o has rich voice and an impressive man.
:, as well as high reputation as an ad-
,ate who fights to the end for client, set
th his reasons tor excluding Hall from
witness-box. MI. Breene contended that
m the earliest times Q convict and pun
ed murderer was disqualified as q witness.
quoted Blackstone and several American
es in support of his argument
Lyon on the other hand contended
t the infamous crimes which barred their
-petrators from the stand were treason,
nd of various kinds, perjury, bribery
l common law offenses Of kindred
ure, but not murder. A good bit of
le was consumed in this discussion, which
ige Buffngham finally decided by ad-
ting Hall as q witness for the present,
wing the question of law as to his testi-
ny open ior argument in case the pris-
rs shall be convicted. So the quiet
lie man who had been SO hotly discussed
ssworn by Clerk of Court Lindsay in the
oressive but unaffected style which that
cial uses in administering the oath.
Cook Hall Tells His Story.
hen began q narrative of prsmeditated
ndering on comprehensive scale. The
ness was perfectly cool and at ease;
ldn't have been more so if he had been
cribing . missionary's wanderings to q
,le class The story became monotonous
n the first chapter; all the robberies
re managed upon the same plan. The