St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-14

Been Concerned in the Rob
berry of the Merchants Bank
Are Deemed Worthy of a Hear
ing in the Criminal Court of
Ramsey County.
AS result of the nearing in the
police court yesterday, J. j. Meiggs,
Oldest and supposed leader of the al
legged gold grabbers, is held to the grand
jury with the rest. Several witnesses
were examined. and the testimony de-
veloped what was evidently carefully
planned line of conduct. Meiggs is
pictured by the prosecution as the bag
gage man and general manager of the
gang. Hence yesterday morning the
municipal court floor was numbered by
the various pieces of baggage said to
have been shipped from st. Paul to
Chicago on the evening of the day OF
the robbery. From the testimony
Meiges is alleged to have laid ground
for an alIbi by carefully avoiding any
active personal appearance, either in
st. Paul OF Chicago. Bert Mccartney is
said to have been used as go-between,
ali unwittingly, in the checking out and
receiving of the baggage. Becoming
acquainted with Meiggs in perfectly
natural way, he had been accommodate
ing enough to do any favor asked. and
Melggs in return took Mccartney on a
trip to Chicago, where they roomed in
the same house for few days. 1t was
evident Mccartney never had the slight
est suspicion of his elderly acQuaint.
ance until the latter was arrested.
Arnold Jensen testified that he gath
cred up the baggage and took it on his
express wagon to the union depot. The
eXpressman could not, however, say
positively as to Meiggs' connection with
his engagement. Morris. the absent
man, is thought to have hired Jensen.
After the noon recess Mr.. Johns made
an earnest argument on motion to
dismiss. No probable cause had been
established, he asserted, why Meiggs
should be held TO the grand jury.
There is not circumstance brought
out by the state that connects this man
with the crime charged" said Mr..
ions. Then he went on to review the
points i'll the testimony which seemed
TO connect Meiggs with abe robbery,
arguing at some length that trivial Cir
cumstances had been worked into
mountains of guilt. In conclusion he
appealed to the judicial mind that not
particle of real, tangible evidence of
guilt had been produced; and took a
shot at the public press as ''the great
scandal monger of the times"
InlS lapse may perhaps be attributed
mt n In o.
the young lawyer was laboring. Mr..
Johns pose, while he thus exclaimed,
was only eQualed by the angelic attitude
OF Clerk Ahern's temporary sub" G..
Miller, Esq, as he stroked his elegant
whlskers i'll listening mood. "If your
honor can find anything in the evidence
to hold this man you can do more than
| cam" aVerred Mr.. Johns. Therefore
L ask for his discharge"
County Attorney Butler followed de-
fendants counsel with close analysis
OF the circumstantial evidence against
Melggs. AT the conclusion of his re-
marks Judge Twohy uttered the words,
Motion denied"
MIR. Johns asked the court on what
grounds he denied the motion to dis
miss. The court replied that the ruling
was based on the showing made against
Meiggs by circumstances adduced in the
testimony. considering all the facts
in the case" said his honor. 81 cannot
do otherwise than hold defendant TO the
grand jury"
Argument ensued on the question of
bail, Mr.. Johns eontending that 81, 500
should be sufficient in the case of
MeiggS, because of what he termed "the
weak character OF the evidence against
him." Mir. Butler denied there was any
weakness in the evidence, and the court
finally fixed bail at $4,000 for Thomas
Fleury, $1,000 for James Howard, Ben
janlin Miller and j. j. Meiggs.
Thus ended the first engagement in a
case that will be somewhat memorable
i'll Ramsey county criminal annals.