Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-10-28
Cook Halls Confession.

In the e. s. District Court at Pittsburg,
last Thursday, Cook Hall plead guilty
to robbing five postofices, and then took
the stand and implicated the other men
under arrest as follows:
He was born in Pittsburg, and his last
place of residence was Johnstown, where
he was running q feather renoyating es-
tablishment On April IL he was in But
Ter, where he met Dowd, Raymond and
Hughes Where he first fell in with them
he did not explain. That evening the four
left for Grove City on train. Dowd and
RAYMOND got off before reaching that
place. and Hughes and Hall went to the
town. They took their bearings and walk.
ed back. met the others and laid the plan
for the burglary. About midnight the four
went into the town, broke open a carris ge
shop. stole some tools and then broke into
the postofiice.
Hall and Hughes were posted as look
outs At windows, and Dowd drilled hole
in the safe, assisted by Raymond. A
cartridge was inserted, and the door blown
off. The contents of the safe were scooped
into satchel, and the burglars went to
the railroad, where they found handcar.
They tried to run il, but 1t wouldn't work,
and then they abandoned it after dividing
the money. Hall got about SO as his
share. and the Others a like amount.
Hughes went back to Butler. and Hall,
Dowd and Raymond went across the coun-
try to Sandy Lake. Hughes took the
stolen stamps with him to the rendezvous
of the gang at Butler.
Dowd. Raymond and Hall left Sandy
Lake and went to Oil City. From there
Hall went to Titusville, hired a rig and
dro-e TO Pleasantville. He surveyed that
place as field of operation and returned
to Titusville. There he met Dowd and
RAYMOND and that night they got rig and
drove to Pleasantville. Hall watched the
horse outside of the town, while the others
robbed the postofice. They were success
full and they drove to Titusville, where
they tied the horse to the livery stable
door, and took a train for Cory. Then he
went to New Castle, and from there to
Butler, where they met Hughes. They
divided the money, and Raymond was sent
to Detroit to dispose of the stamps. On
his return Hall went to Edenboro Knox
P. o. to examine that postofhce, and later
met his pals at Foxburg They went to
Johnsonburg, and drove across the country
to Ridgeway in two rigs hired at Johnson
burg
They got there at midnight and again
Hall watched the horses while the others
went to rob the postoffice. They were
gone couple of hours, and returned with
the contents of the safe. When they got
back to Johnsonburg they went to Kittie
Dillon's and divided the money. Hall got
s75 out of that burglary. The next town
they visited was Emlenton, where they
hired rigs to go to Edenboro. The Eden
boro, or Knox postoffice, was robbed,
while Hall watched the horses, by the
other three. Then they separated for the
night. but met again the next day at
Bradys Bend, where they got conveyance
and drove to Millerstown, (Chicora p. o.
Again Hall remained with the horses and
the Others went after booty. They return
ed with a tin bucket full OF money and
hostage stamps, after they had blown
omen the safe of the ChicOra postottice.
At Bradys Bend station they divided the
money, and Hall went to Kittanning, while
the other three came on to Pittsburg.
A few days later Hall was arrested by
Postofiee Inspector McCalmont, near
Franklin, and Raymond and Hughes were
caught at Oil City. Dowd escaped to New
York State, where he met with his tragic
end, while having good time with
couple of jamestown females who are at
tending court as witnesses.
HuXQcS
listened attentiyely to Halls confession.
Dowd, who was supposed to be the leader
of the gang, killed man at Fluvania, n.
Y. last spring, and then shot himself, and
Hall killed man named Foster and has
been convicted of murder in the second
degree.
Postmasters Crawford of Chicora, Ney-
man OF Grove City, House of Pleasantville,
Kagerty of Ridgway and Brothers of Knox,
werr present at the trial Thursday with
hundred other witness.
On Saturday tho trial of Hughes and
RAYMOND was resumed; and Hall was sub
iected to o severe cross s-examinatioD, but
stuck closely to his story.
On Monday the defendants We're recog-
nized by quite number of people, includ-
ing Mr. and Mrs. Simeon Nixon of Butler,
with whom they boarded during the month
of April last.
On Tuesday. VIM. Cooper, Aland's cut
ter, testified to having made a suit of
clothes for Dowd, and to his identifying
Dowd and the clothes after DOwd had com
mitted suicide The case went to the jury
that evening at o'clock and three hours
later the Jury handed in sealed verdict.
The government called Al witnesses in all
in the case, hose expense will aggregate
50 500, and makes the case one of the cost
iest tried in that court for years. The de-
Tense called no witnesses whatever The
limit of penalty, if defendants are found
guilty, is % years in the pen and $1,000
fine.
On Wednesday the verdict was opened,
and both men were found guilty of all the
charges against them excepting ihe Pleas
antville robbery.