The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-11
LB7TS TRIAL SURPRISE
Scott Jackson Voluntarily
Appears and Gives I'm
portanI Testimony.

away during the first trial because Let's
was friend of his, and he thought it
best In the interest of Let's to stay away.
He denied that he said that be would he
The means of sending Letts to JAIL and
lefuted all the testim ony OF Orr with
reference to conversation ia which he
was reported to have said:-'I'll get the
books 1t have to sandbas the old man"
(meaning the night waJchman) He said
nobody had promised to let MIN off If he
testified against Letts He had been ia
New York for three or four weeks and
simply came over during the morning to
see now The case against Let's was pro-
crossing, and he came of his own free
will. he said chat he did not know that
there WAS a warrant out for his arrest
LET'S PROMISE A "DlvvY."
so lar as his early knowledge OF the
transactions. whic b led to Let's arrest
Is concerned, JAG kson testified that he
had a claim for ebate aud he couldn't
find the manifest. He asked Clerk Wat
sou where it Was. and Watson said that
Lelts had all the papers. He went to
Let's and Letts told him that he UIetts)
would take care of 1t. He asked Let's
why it had not been billed, aud accused
Let's of withholding tho fioatage charges.
Letts laughed and said: THAT'S all
right" Witness said: ut is not all
right" and Lstts sail. Say nothing
about 1t. Tll diyvy with youn Olan-
other occasion Let's asked the witnessif
ne could get him an envelope containing
monthly statements, after the envelope
had been sealed. Witness refused to do
it. Letrs admitted to him that he had
cut out the missing page that created
such suspicion.
Witness further testified to meeting
Let's on the night Of September 49,. Tpsy
went into Kreig's saloon. Letts waited
him to go aud get Orr. He got Orr and
Orr was sent after Backus. Witness saw
the combination on this piece OF paper,
and Letts said:-''r must have the books
at any price,"
Prosecutor Winfield asked witness IL
ANYTHING was said about Letts going near
the once He replied that Letts didn't
go near the office.
LET'S NEVER DIVIDED.
witness further denied that Let's ever
divided any of the spoils with him. Wit
ness admitted that ne also saw Let's on
the night of September 30 Ia Nat Hicks
saloon. He had talked with Lstts about
horseraclns, and knew that Let's occa-
sionally went to Gloucester aud other
race tracks. Letts told him that he had
procured interest in race morse, aud W as
also interested in a book with q rlaii
named Lyons. Witness had seen Lsuts
at Morris PARK and knew that Lstts bet
Witness denied that he was a drunk
ard. He said that Let's owed hlm 81. 700.
Witness also put 5000 In Nat Hicks sa-
| loon. He did not think he lived extrav-
| agantly- tie had been to horse races. but
| never played poker. Butler told him he'd
have TO make good the missing Aelataa-
! Express Compauy's freight bills re-
ceipted bv him. Wlrnsss denied tnat he
had had any conversation with Letts
during which he said he'd steal the books,
| one way or another. Mr.. Gordy, he
said, accused him of being In the steal
aud asked him to explain the shortage in
the Long Island account. He said
ne gave all the Long Island accounts
| to Letts.
Mr., Kltnk began the opsuing OF the de-
fence . short while before the four
O'Clock recess was ordered,
MR.. ARMsTRONG'S STATEMENT.
Mr.. ii. h. Armstrong. of Baltic avenue,
Brooklyn. last evening requested The
| JERSEY CITY NEWS to correct the wrong
impression which, he said, the Journal
last night gave to the appearance OF jack
son. Mr.. jackson was not held captive.
yelther was he in any manner detained,
Hc was simply guest at my house, and
strongly advised him to testify at the
trial. IL was at my advice that he came
over here. Let's is indebte to him IN
the sum OF S2,7O0. II Jackson did not
testify, Let's told him he would pay him
the money. but ii he did testify the pris.
oner said he would never pay a ceut."
ToDAY's PROCEEDINGS.
Al tho opening OF the Let's trial this
morning Mrs. Let's, wife of the defend
ant, was sworn. She testified that
Freight AgenG Butler called upon Let's
and told him that the jig was uD and he
might as well confess. This was to
contradfcJ Butler who denied that
he ever made any such statement,
Mrs. Let's further testified that jack
son called at her home at one time to sac
her husband aud told her that he would
steal the books somehow, and she asked
him why he wanted TO steal the books il
he was innocent.
Thomas Fitzgerald, Martin Dooliug
and William O'Brien were called as VIII
nesses, but did not respond. Tha Court
issued capiases for their arrests and the
Sheriff was directed to have them served.
William H. Garland testified as to
conversation with jackson.
THE SLIP IN BoWE'S HANDWRITING
Arthur NJ. Bowe, who swore that he IL
employed as messenger In ths freight
office, was shown the slip Of paper which
Jackson swore yesterday contained
flgures In Letts' handwriting which
represented q dividend OF stealinCs be-
tween them. Bowe Immediately declared
that the slip was in his handwriting
Several witnesses testified to seeing
Jackson display large rolls OF bills, suu
Herbert EARLY, another messenger,
swore that one morning when Cashier
Gordy sent Messenger Watson to the
Long Island Railroad Company's office.
jackson sent him to intercept Watson
and bring him back, but Watso would
not come back. John f. w atson corobo-
rated this testimony.
George w. Feashsrly swore that he
heard jackson say that he could lie out
OF most anything. William Boyle said
that he had seen jackson drunk and saw
him display large bills. Several other
witnesses were introduced To test ify that
they had seen jackson display largs
sums of money aud heard him threaten
to do Let's.
George w Smith. young man with
business, testified that he had see a Jack :
son display large sums of money, aud
had heard him threaten Let's.
LETTs ON THE STAND.
Let's was theu placed upnn the sta nd
He said he WAS born in Barne9at, and
WAS twenty-three Years old He had
wife ana four children. He told OF his
coming to Jersey City and his early am
ployment up to The time ne entered Mr..
Buffers office. He then began detailed
account of the manner IN which the busi-
ness of the office WAS conducted He
said that he often saw cashier Gordy ex-
amininR the statements after he hat
passed them and Gordy would often speud
an hour or more figuring over the
statement. Errors in the bill record book
were often found when the cash book
was checked up with the bill book, aud
when they were. through checking they
would investigate the discrepancies
Let's wason the stand at recess.