The herald., 1894-11-18
ONE Is HELD WITHOUT BAIL,
The Roscoe Train Robbers Ey,
animation Concluded.
johnson Is Placed Under $4,000
Bail by the Court.
Bas "Kia" Thompson Must Rem ain In
ths County JAil Unsll His
Trial In tho superior
Court.

The examination OF Alva Johnson and
"Kid" Thompson was concluded yester-
dav afternoon IN the township Justices
court, snd Justice Bartholomew held
the former to answer in tine sum OF
$1,000 while Thompson was remanlod
Tor trisl without bail.
The case was resumed az 9:SJ o. m.
Charles Dag an, tramp who was riding
on the blind baggage on the night OF the
train robbery, was cross sexsmined by
Attorney Apps |.
lie said that he had seen but one m an
on the engine after the train stopped,
with pistol in his hand. but hs ha d
observed come hundred and fifty feet
ahead OF the engine another man who
WAS running toward the engine. The
rooOer on the locomotive fred shot at
the witness as he was trying to hide in
the brush. AS there was bright moon
light Degan could see everything that
WAS going on. He failed to detect the
engineer and fireman on the cab, which
was not lighted up. Witness ran into
the brush because he thought the train
had been stopped to give the brakem n
an opportunity !or putting off tramps.
A tintype picture was shown the wit-
ness and he was asked il it was not the
photograph OF the man he had seen on
the railroad platform at Burbank. De-
gan said it was not.
The witness said that he had heard
one OF the robbers crawling over the
roof of the cars, and in looking up he
recognized the man he had seen at the
Burbank station. dressed idsntcally in
the same garmente. After the robbery
was completed Dsgan heard a third
man ask the other two how much they
had got and the reply was: "Oh,
about S75 apiece" One of the two
men seen by Degan he described as
somewhat dudish and the other as
hobolike.
Charles Etzler. the informer in the
case, was next placed on the stand. He
is middle aged man with an unpre-
possessing appearance and shifty eyes.
He stated that he had lived in Bakera-
field for the last five years. While Q
cigsrmaker by trade, ranching has been
the means by which he earned q liveli.
hood since coming to California. He
met Thompson and johnson last Au-
gust. The former he became acquAinted
with on south Bound train while beat.
Jig his way between Mojavs and Los
Angeles. When the gang OF hobos was
put off the train, witness, Thompson
and another tramp named Meffrid
started to walk along the track. Thomp.
son said he had some money at John
sons, near San Fernando.
They managed to get on the blind
baggage of passenger train and when
at San Fernando procesded to walk to
Johnson's ranch. where they arrived at
A ~ # in, hn
five women in the house, four young
ones& &nd an elderly female. but johnson
was away. Thompson wanted to 20 to
Los Angeles. there to hunt the other
man. but the women told MIN that John.
son was in trouble and that the officers
were also looking after him, 80 he de.
sisted, and they all had breakfast.
Thompson and the witness then went
into the barn, and while there the
former told the latter all about the two
Roscoe train robberiss, no one else be-
ing present. johnson returned at 10
O'Clock on the same evening. When he
drove up Thompson called to Alva and
the answer he received was: "What
the hell are you doing back here 80 soon.
and bringing another man here? ?"
Thompson replied that Etzler was all
right and that they we're going to do
another job together. Then the trio
conversed for about half an hour, during
which johnson said witness need have
no fear about going into a job with
Thompson, as he was all right. The
only thing that was Objectionable about
him wae that he always wanted to shoot
everything in sight.
Witness next described his and
Thompson wandsrings alter they left
Johnson. At Phoenix Thorn pson received
a box containing 80 packages OF Mexican
dollars. each package holding 20 pieces.
They changed the money there with
Cinnamon. Etzier, on cross.sxamina.
tion, denied that hia name was Goss,
and that he was a horse thief and Q de-.
! serter. He admitted that he and Thomp-
son had fight in house of prostitu tion
at Phoenix and that he ives knocked out.
He complacently admitted that in ex-
changing the Mexican money for Ameri.
can currency he had beaten Thompeon
5 cents on each "adobe."
Ia the afternoon Etzler was again sub.
mitted TO cross-examination. In order
to discredit the witness Attorney Appel
read several passageB from the transcript
of the former examination, showing that
Etzler was thoroughly examined then,
UuL tuhb Oh plCnCut OCCdnlUu u0 IL bb
added considerable new matter to his
testimony. Etzler admitted to Mr.. Ap-
pei that he had lied upon several occa.
sons to Thompson. He confessed that
be expected one-fourth of the 10000
reward to be paid, but did not know
who wss to receive the balance. While
here his expenses are paid by Wells,
Fargo & Co.
This closed the evidence for the peo.
pile and the defense then moved for the
discharge of the prisoners on the ground
that the evidence adduced was insuffic-
lent, and that that which wss incrimin-
ating had been given by Etzler. an &C
complice, who was not corrobcrated by
any one else.
This motion was denied by Justice
Bartholomew and he held both men to
answer as mentioned above.
Employer Alliance.