The herald., 1894-11-17
ROSCOE SUSPECTS AT THE BAR.
"Kid" Thompson and Alva john
son Up for Examination.
Their Hopes Blasted When They
Found the Money Short.
The Engineer, Fireman and Express Mes
sepgsr Testify as to Their Emo
tions While Looking Down
Pistol Barrel.

obterOay tue pioHhih"iS
tion of "Kid" Thompson and Alva John.
son. charged with having been con-
cerned in the train robbery at Roscoe
last December, was begun before Justice
Bartholomew.
II will be fresh in the memory that
"Kid" Thompson contrived to escape
from the tolls of the law, and, after
various vicissitudes by food and field,
was rearrested quite recently in Arizona,
from whence he was brought to this
citv. Meantime Alvs johnson, his sup
posed companion in the crime, had been
discharged after examination. lie sue
ceeded in proving an alib, and went
free. With the return of Thompson.
however, a new complexion is given to
the entire case. and SO johnson has
every reason to regret the kids" cap
ture that may animate that slippery in
dividual himself.
Yesterday Deputy District Attorney
Davis conducted the examination Tor
the people, while Attorney Appel
watched the case for the accused.
The first witness examined WAS j. L.
Snyder. whose testimony epitomized
was ae follows:
II was employed as brakeman by
the Southern Pacific company, and was
on the train on December 23i when it
was robbed near Roscoe. l WAS in car
away back from the express car l heard
q noise when the train stopped, and
jumped off. ] heard the fireman say,
I'VE will do what you want us to If you
linz,
around called out to 60 back. Constable
Villegos of San Fernando was with me,
and called out that he was an officer.
Thereupon some swearing was done and
some one took shot at us. l put my
lamp out and jumped under car, and
made my way to the back OF the train
and stayed there till all the trouble was
over. should imagine there were in
all about Is shots fired. l did not see
the faces of any CT the men. When the
bomb used to blow the express car door
went off it made very loud noise. L
blown in the door and that the door hung
by the wheels at the top"
William A. Stewart, the engineer who
rode on train No. 20 on December 23d,
testified as follows The train was
uQ0 ~ Dut Uhnk q ilttiO RibCi Il nho WAS
some minutes late. | whistled for Ros-
coe, and, as | did so, man came over
the bank, having two six-shooters in his
hands. He commenced shooting and
the fireman threw up both hands and
then Jumped off. Each time | tried to
slow up the man would shoot. After
awhile 1 did succeed in stopping the
train and asked the man what he want.
ed. He told me he was going to kill
someone. l asked him what Tor, that
we hadn't done anything. While we
talked several men, beating their way
left the train and ran for the brush.
The fellow holding me took several shots
at them to scare them off. After l had
got down to the ground and walked
around l asked the trainrobber to let
me go back to the engine and water up.
as a hot fire was burning. He went
back with me and ordered me to walk
back again. Another robber was watch
ing the fireman. We all went back to
the express car and my guardsman
placed bomb against the express car
door and ordered me to light it. l did
SO, and the explosion blew q hole in the
door. The messenger let us in, and the
robbers took all the money they could
find. They were going to ditch the train
then, but | asked them not to do it.
Finally they said that il we would GO
up the track and not return until they
had got off they would let the engine
stand. We agreed to this. The men all
wore masks. and 90 l did not see their
faces at all. !"
F. Z. Potts, the express messenger on
the train at the time of the robbery,
stated that he lived at Oakland and
was in the employ of Wells, Fargo q Co.
"On the night of Decent Der 23d," said
he, Il had ell the doors OF the car fast
ened, and was asleep when the train was
stopped at Roscoe. l knew nothing of
the holdup until the door OF my car was
blown open and | was thrown out OF my
bunk. When | saw the robbers | was
told to get out, and did go. One OF the
men then went around and looked UP
along the train. He called out, ''AIl
right" and ordered me to get back on
the train. | went back, and the other
men followed. | was ordered to open
the express safe and | dii go. When
the door swung open he said: She's as
iull as daisy, amt she?" | said
"Yes. that's the way she's running
now" After taking the money the rob-
bers asked me where my through safe
was. When 1 told them l had
hone. the big fellow said: Don't you
remember reading OF messenger
having his head blown off for not
opening up his through safe? l eaid
Yes, but that was back east, where
there's lots OF treasure to carry. We
don't have it ON this coast The big
man called his con npanion Bill The
money they got amounted to $l3 85. l
don't know whether | could recognize
either of the men or not"
Take a good look at these two men
and see how they compare with the rob-
bers," said Deputy District Attorney
Davies.
Thompson and Johnson stood up and
after examining their features and build,
the witness continued "These men
compare in height. Thompson looks
like the fellow that had me in tow. |
can't swear positively that he is the
man, but his high cheek bones remind
me closely OF the man that ordered me
about. The impression | received from
the fellows face will never forget"
Charles Degen, q reGident of Antelope
valley, in giving his evidence, spoke as
II was on the train held up
on December 23d. | bought ticket for
Bur bank with the intention OF stealing
q ride the rest of the way. At Burbank
l jumped off as the train slowed up and
tried to get back again. The constable
ut Burbank pulled me off as well ae three
other men. Three Others managed to
get on again. After starting | saw
man climbing across the roofs of the
,ars toward the engine. In few mo-