The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-20
EDWARD BOONE'S CASE
Alleged Mail RObber Of South
Bend Brought Here for Hearing.
Points Brought Out in the Examination
Before Commissioner Van Buren,
An Attorneys InsinuatiOn.

The South Bend mail robberies will get
before the next federal grand jury in the
case of Edward Boone, who was brought
here last evening and held in 5000 bond
by United States Commissioner Van
Buren,. Boone was arrested at South Bend
a week ago on a charge of robbing the
mails. He is a young man and a son OF
Philip p. Boone, a well-to-do resident of
that place He had been residing on Col
fax avenue there. but a short time ago
moved TO his fathers home on the same
street. In cleaning up the house after
Boone had vacated ii the owner found on
a shelf letter addressed to County Treas
urer Yenn. This letter had been opened
and contained a money order for S2.I7 for
the payment of an assessment made by
mutual insurance company. Boone was a
mail carrier at South Bend and his land
lord Immediately suspected that he had
distracted the letter from the mails. and
so turned II over to the county treasurer,
who notified the postoffice authorities.
Boone was arrested by Chief OF Police
Rose, and at a preliminary hearing before
a commissioner there was released on
small bond.
He was brought down here last night for
further hearing and Walter Harrigan, the
South Bend postmaster, B. II. Rose, the
chief of police and Z. 3. Russell, secretary
of the Indiana Travelling Mems Accident
Association, were the governments wit
nesses. Roses testimony was to the effect
that Boone denied for some time after his
arrest that he took the letter in question,
but finally admitted it and said that he
would plead guilty. He told Postmaster
Harrigan the same thing, and when asked
If he had taken any more letters. accord
ing 70 the witnesses, replied that he had,
but knew nothing of the value or their con-
tents. Rose claimed that Boone was sober
when he made the admission OF guilt, but
that he became pretty drunk afterwards
while still in the chiefs charge, het allow
ing the young man to drink beer and whis-
ky Unfortunately All this came out on
Roses cross-examination by F. +. Lam
bert who is Boones attorney. The latter
tried to show that the young man was I'M
der the influence of liquor When he MADE
the admission and was therefore not &C
countable for anything he may have said.
Roses evidence as TO BooneS Sobriety at
the time of the admission of guilt
Secretary Russell, of the Indiana Travel
ing Mems Accident Association, who has
been working on the case for long time,
testified that on the train the night of
Boone's arrest, coming back from I1lkhart,
he had asked him where the money or
ders he had taken were. Boone had
swered that they were where he RusselD
would never find them. The witness then
to which Poone replied that he didn't know.
When asked If he had taken more than
one he told Russell that he had. Attor-
ney Lambert went at Russell rougn snod
in the cross-examination, asking him II
there had not been rumors in South Bend
that his mail disappeared after 1t had got
ten into his own office. Russell smiled and
said he had heard such stories Lambert
then asked him if he had not heard the
stories frequently. which Russell denied:
In response to another question he said he
got his mail in a lock-boX and that none
was delivered TO his office by carriers. He
said he based his affidavit against Boone
on the latters admission that he had stolen
considerable mail. When asked by the al
torney to a conversation he had had
with Boone on the night or the arrest,
Russell said the young man asked him 10
agree not to push him if he would give up
all he knew about the robberies. Russell
however, refused to make any promises.
The attorney then asked him If it was not
a fact that he had told Boone he didn't be
lieve him guilty, but thought he knew
good deal about the robberies. Russell an
swered that he made no such state
ment. He also denied spending his own
money pushing the case against Boone and
said that the association was standing the
entire expense. This denial was brought
out by final question of BoOne's lawyer,
who insinuated that Russell was pushing
Boone in order to cover up his own tracks.
Before beginning the hearing last night
Commissioner Van Buren, announcer that,
after a consultatio with the district attor-
ney. it had been decided that the case had
been improperly handled and that there
might be a loophole for the defendant TO
slip out of. The latter's rearrest has been
deemed advisable, and, a warrant having
been sworn out before the commissioner, ii
was served by Marshal Hawkins in proper
form In this connection Mr. Van Buren,
took occasion to say that the original war
rant was sworn out before Commissioner
Jasper Lewis of South Bend, who had APP
pointed and sworn in a deputy United
States marshal something he had about as
much right to do as to appoint President
Of the United States
f1r q bond with
father Philip Il. Boone. and William Il.
Boone, his brother, sureties. This case
has created quite a sensation in the north
ern part of the State, the mail robberies
complained of have been agitating not only
the people up. there but also many business
firms in Chicago.