St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-01
SENSATION IN COURT.
A Bold Front Changed to a
Breakdown and Plea Of
Guilty.
Danforth Repents and Turns
States Evidence Of a
Sudden.
He Tells How the Two Held
Up Dawson and
Marks.
Moore PLEADS Guilty, and
Joins Danforth in the
Sentence.

Michael Moore and Dan DanfOrtb,
two of the boys who held up Banker
William Dawson Jr at the point of re-
volvers and relieved him OF a seal over
| coat, valued at $I35, gold watch worth
| $50 and AZ cents in cash, were yester-
day sentenced to the refOrmatory.
! Stack, the third man, escaped at the
time and has not since been apprehend-
ed. Danforth is boy of twenty years.
aud Moore is but eighteen years old.
Both have lived in st. Paul all their
| lives and have respectable parents.
| Stack is also st. Paul man, and
is claimed to have been the leader
by the other boys. Danforth pleaded
guilty couple of weeks ago, and Moore
was placed on tIial yesterday, and was
taken off his feet when Danforth went
on the stand and told the whole story of
how the three held up Mr.. Dawson a
few minutes after holding UP Philip
Marks. Danforth decided to tell the
story at the noon recess, and it was a
surprise to the crowded court room that
he gave the full story. Danforth spoke
III q INV lOllS liidU W do HCdlCttJ UuuIDle
al times. He said that the three of them
had been together during part of
the afternoon. They drank beer
at one or two saloons and
rushed the GROWER at another
place to the extent of two three-quart
pals full. He went for it and Stack
paid for it, They then took trip on
CT
highway business, holding up Philip
Marks and William Dawson .Ir. They
were all armed with revolyerS and
stopped the men within fifteen minutes
of each other. They commanded Mr..
Dawson to hold up his hands, and
thrust their pistols into his face. Moore
took his watch, Danforth the coat when
lie pulled it off, ana Stack got the ~
cents. After that they all ran. when
Dawson gave chase and caught Dan
forth.
On croSs-eXamination Danforth told
Attorney McGhee that he had told
Moore and all others that Moore was not
connected with the robbery, and had
stuck to that story until noon Yesterday
but admitted that he had lied all along
until he went Oil the witness stand. He
had also denied to the county attorney
that Moore had been implicated in the
robbery. 1t seems that the county at
tOrney had an interview with Dant0rth
at the recess yesterday. and he finally
told the true story of the robbery. He
at first persisted in denying that Moore
was connected with the matter. and
then, after admitting it, demurred to
going Oh the stand to tell the story, say
ing that people deSpiSe an informer
The county attorney told him in sub
stance that an lrlShman might be juSti-
fed in not informing Oh his counJrymen
i'll matter of home rule, but that rob-
berry was not a just cause. Danforth
saw the reaSOnableneSS of the argu-
ment and then consented to go on the
witness stand. Attorney McGhee was
as much surprised as any one when
Danforth peached Oh his client, and
declined to proceed further with the
defense. Moore admitted to him
that Dantorth had told the truth. The
next step was that Moore entered plea
of guilty. The jury was discharged, and
Moore stood before the bar to receive
his sentence. The court room was
crowded at the time, and within the bar
were seated the aged mother, the father,
brother and sister of the Moore boy.
Mr. McGhee made an eloquent plea Oh
behalf of his client being sentenced to
the refornat0ry. He told the court
that he had been surprised at the
turn of affairs. The court, he said
could appreciate his circumstances,
and understand the motives of the
prisoner. He stated that the prisoner
had but acted the part often taken in
real life. He was solving the great
problem OF life and trying to show to
the world that he was not what he knew
III his own soul he really was. The
turn OF affairs had but proven the Cos
pei truth, BE sure your sin will find
you out" 1t was stated that the boy is
of good family. The surprise to the
family was referred to, as was their be-
lief Ill his Innocence, up tothe moment
OF Danforth'S story being related.
Judge Kelly stated that he had been
gratlfied that Danforth had told the true
story of the affair, and had not gone OH
the stand to add the greater crime of
perjury to that of robbery. He believed
that if Danforth had testified that Moore
was not participant in the crime that
Moore himself would have been tempted
to go on the witness stand and perjure
himself. The court then gave the boy
some well WOrded advice, and said that
he would not sentence him to the peni-
lCiiCiolS Oub SOilSlSIl Hlui W tllG 1c-
formatory at st. Cloud. Moore stated
that he is q mattress maker by trade,
and is eighteen years old.
Danforth had been sentenced to the
retOrmatory earlier in the day. An elo-
quent plea for mercy on his behalf was
made by Judge McCafferty Danforth
is sheet iron worker. lis father has
been an employee Of the Great Northern
company for twenty eight years. The
parents were III court and are respect
able people. 1t is said that Mrs. Dan
forth has not gone to church for several
weeks owing to the disgrace brought
upon her by her son.
After Moore had been sentenced yes
terday and was being led to jail his
mother met HIM and chided him for his
folly and kissed him tenderly. Other
members of the family gathered around
to speak to him. The boys eyes filed
with tears at the distress of his aged
mother. The bailiff took the boy into
the jury room, where Mrs. Moore went
and talked with her erring son Tor some
time and advised him to be a good boy
in the future. The grief OF the parents,
and especially that OF the mother, was
very affecting scene to the spectators,
and many eyes were m0iStened with
tears.
CAUGHT BY A WOMAN.
! NOpfhprn Pacific II n 20 .xlta,, POL