The herald., 1894-06-10
PULLED OUT MEXICAN DOLLARS.
A COlOred Man Testifies Against
John COmst0ck.
More Sensational Testimony in the
Trial of Roscoe Suspects.
The Prosecution Nearing the End of It's
Long List of Wituessss.-Extsn-
sivs Detective Work-Ths
Defense Defiant.

ROSCOE train roDDerV Trial, TO surround
Walter Thorne, John Comstock and Pat
Fitzsimmons with mass of conclusive
circumstansial evidence connecting them
with the crime. continued throughout
yesterday in Judge Smiths court.
1t is evident that the district attorney
has produced some strong testimony
pointing towards the defendants, much
as counsel for the defense affect to de-
ride it. Whether the jury will regard
it as conclusive, after the witnesses for
the defense have testified, remains to be
seen.
1t is very readily seen that OK. United
States Marshal Gard spared neither
time nor expense to thoroughly investi-
gate the suspicious circumstances con-
Meeting the defendants with the rob-
berry. The number OF officers and per-
sons paid to work upon the case is very
unusual. The power OF the officers has
been exerted to an extraordinary degree
to weld the chain which is now being
exhibited in court.
The most damaging testimony of the
day against the defendants was that
given by John Belt, a colored man, who
swore that he saw Mexican dollars in
Cemstock's possession after the train
robbery.
The court room is absolutely jammed
with spectators all day long.
John T. Wilson of San Fernando was
the first witness after court convened,
and testified that Henry Kegel's reputa-
ton for truth and vsracity was bad.
He was q witness for the defense and
was allowed to testify out of the regular
order, as he was obliged to 90 home.
E. l.. Brown, storekeeper at San
Fernando, who swore to the complaint
against the defendants at that place.
which WAS dismissed, was sworn. He
had been o merchant at San Fernando
for five years past, and knew all the de-
PENDANTS. He had known Comstock
four years and Thorne and Fitzsimmons
two and q half years. He described
their homes. He had had business re-
lations with all of them, and sold red
and blue bandana handkerchiefs to
Comstock and Thorne. The witness fol-
lowed the tracks from Roscoe to Lanker-
SHIN about a week after the robbery,
with Mr.. Dillon, Mr.. Gard and Mr.. Bur-
nett.
The witness had conversation in his
store with Comstock about week after
the robbery, in which he told him:
John, hear you were at Roscoe the
other night. How much money did you
get?"
Comstook replied: Brown, I'd like
to have the $4,000 those fellows got,
but am sorry the fireman was killed.
If it had not been for the engineer !
wouldn't have cared, as have it in for
him, the d. d. ought to have stopped
when he was tagged"
On cross-examinationt the witness said
he expected to get one-third of the
reward. He made an arrangement to
60 into the case with Marshal Gard.
Believing the men guilty, he had worked
on the case.
On his direct examination the witness
had identified the gray overcoat offered
in evidence as one that he found in Fitz-
simmons' house, ON a bed between a
woven wire mattrsss and quilt made
of gunny sacks; also with reference to
the fragment of q white elouch hat
which looked like mask. Upon cross
examination the witness said the hat
was, to the best of his knowledge, a hat
that Halle Comstock, Comstock's eldest
boy, had worn.
w. B. Shaugg, q resident of San Fer
nando since 1876, and deputy United
States marshal under ex-Msrshal Gard,
was sworn:
II also follow saloon-keeping at San
Fernando" he said. 81 have known
the defendants about two years. The
morning after the robbery Comstock
came into my place. He picked up a
paper, looked it over and went out and
In little while came back. l dom
know whether it contained an account
of the train robbery or not. Comstock
said he was going out to sell load of
wood"
Ibid you assist in the arrest of the de-
fendants?"
II went out to the caf1on with Con-
stable Viejas. was at Fitzsimmons'
house. We searched the house. and
found gray overcoat. 1t was ground
floor. got piece of iron and prodded
around. struck soft place, gave the
iron hoist and fshed out shotgun"
A single barrel shotgun WAS shown to
the witness and he identified it as the
shotgun he found concealed in the
ground.
"Wnat did you do with it2"
81 turned it over to Marshal Gard"
did you have any conversation with
either of the defendants before the ar
rest about the train robbery?"
.'Yes, sir. Mr.. Fitzsimmons came to
my place and said he had traded his
shotgun to Mr.. Comstock for mule"
]. A. Hall, who found the dynamite
bomb by the side of a road not far from
Roscoe. Was recalled and said he knew
the Thorns team of horses. One of
them was a chunky buckskin horse and
the other dark bay mare. The mare
had stiff front foot, but they were
pretty good travellers.
John Belt, a middls-aged colored man
living on the San Fernando road, was
sworn:
81 am a bricklsyer and plasterer by
trade" he said. II have known Mr..
Comstock about four years and the
others about two. They have been liv-
ing IN the Little Tejunga. | have been
at their house and have met them at
my own house. l am well acquainted
with them"
"Did you see Thorne at Roscoe Just
before the robbsry?"
81 cav him going on the San Fer
nando road the morning before. He had
what looked to be two or three blankets
and gray overcoat strapped on behind.
| know Thorne's overcoat."
Upon being shown the gray overcoat,
the witness identified it az Thorne'a.
Ibid you have conversation with
Thorne before the robbery ?'
Eyes; about seven or eight days be-
fore. 1t was about four milcs from Los
Angeles, about half mile from my
horaa ua sTha~a5a haoo .