The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-12-21
THE LAST ACT
Enacted Yesterday in the Cases Of the Duval
Train Robbers.

Enacted Yesterday in the Cases Of the Duval
Train Robbers.
The last act was enacted yesterday
in the cases of the four men who were
arrested and indicted for the holdup
and robbery of the passengers on the
International and Great Northern
northbound train which pulled out OF
Austin at 1870 o'clock on last Sunday
night a week ago. 1t was the quick.
est case on record within the criminal
annals of the United States,
wherein train robbers have com.
mitted their offenses, been arrested,
indicted, tried, convicted, found guilty
and sentenced TO terms in the peni.
Tertiary. Just one week ago today
the first one of the prisoners, Dick
Wallace, was placed under arrest,
and when the sun went down last
night he and his three companions In
crime had been sentenced to long
terms in the penitentiary.
To the peace officers and those
charged with the execution of the law
In this county too much credit cannot
be given for the prompt and efficient
manner in which they have dis
charged the duties entrusted to them.
A about the midnight hour on the
night of Dec. IL the train was held up
and robbed. In less than 4S hours
the four men implicated therein
were behind bars. The grand
jury being in session they were at
once indicted and so completely did
the peace officers work up the evil
dence against them that yesterday all
four of them plead guilty.
The presiding judge at their trial
was his honor, Judge III. Teichmuel-
Ter of La Grange, who came here for
the purpose of trying certain cases In
which Judges Robertson and Morris
were disqualified. Against each OF
the men separate Indictment was
returned for the robbery of Herman
Heidenheimer and all of them were
jointly charged with touching the fol.
lowing parties.
Chas. Rose of a gold watch OF the
value OF SIC.
Gustave Cook of $3.50 in money.
Nathan Davis, of pocketbook Of
the value of 10 cents.
J. w. Thompson, of $l5 In money.
Louis Davis, OF $4 In money.
J. M. Harris, of $12 Is In money.
During the morning session Of the
court Dick Wallace plead guilty to all
the seven indictments against him
and was given five years In each case,
the lowest penalty allowed by law,
making 50 years confinement In the
penitentiary. He claimed his time
and was not then sentenced.
In the afternoon the remaining three
prisoners, Lum DeatoD, Louis Shelton
and Bill Brunson, plead guilty In all
of the above mentioned cases In which
they were severally indicted. They
waived their time and were at
once sentenced. After they. were
taken back 10 jail Wallace, who
has always said he would go with the
gang agreed to accept his sentence,
and he was therefore taken to the
coult room and sentence WAS passed
upon him.
The sentences were the lowest pos
sible that could be given under the
indictments of the grand jury. The
penalty for train robbery is term In
the penitentiary for life or a period Of
years not less than five. Against The
four defendants, 20 indictments were
I'm all returned. In each and every
one OF them peas Of guilty were en-
tered Aside from reading the indlct.
ments to them Dlstrict Attorney Bur.
Lesson took no active steps in the trial.
He allowed the prisoners to plead
guilty as they desired and attempted
to Influence the verdict OF the jury In
no way by any remarks addressed TO
them or otherwise.
The conduct OF Judge Teicemueller