The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1895-05-28
Court.


Daniel Stevenson and Abraham Dennis
we're placed on trial yesterday for receiv
ing goods stolen from Japhet B. Deacon,
near Mount Holly. The articles stolen
were some harness and a bag of feed.
John Shemeley was the perpetrator, and
has pleaded guilty to an indictment charg-
ing him with the crime.
Shemeley testified to having stolen the
articles and being now confined in Jail
therefor, awaiting sentence. On the day
the crime was committed, witness saw
defendants and told them he intended to
get the harness. They both agreed to buy
soma of 1t from him the next day. Stey-
enson gave witness his horse and wagon
to go on the expedition.
The next morning Dennis bought
bride for $100. Stevenson got new set
of harness in payment for the use of the
team. He hid it in bag of rags, and
agreed not to show 1T for some time.
Japhet B. Deacon, from whom the arti-
cles had been stolen, got search war
rant the next day against number of
persons, among the number Shemeley.
He found the feed at James Stevenson's
place, a set of harness at Daniel Steven
sons, and bride and back band at
Abraham Dennis.
On cross-examination witness said She
meley's reputation for truth and veraeity
is middlin' Sometimes he tells the truth
and sometimes he DON'T"
Constable Robert M. Brown was with
Deacon when the stolen goods were re-
covered.
Lorenzo w. Prickett testified as to the
value of the harness stolen from Deacon.
The entire lot, he thought, was worth
about $40.
Prosecutor Budd took the stand and
testified that he had held out no induce
ment to John Shemeley to make con-
fession of his crime or for giving evidence
against the defendants.
+ This closed the states case.
Samuel A. Atkinson represented the
defendants He said the defence would
be that the states witnesses are of bad
reputation, and cannot be believed, while
the defendants bear a,good name in the
community in which they live. They
did not know the goods had been stolen.
Abraham Dennis, one ofthe defendants.
said he lives mile from Medford, and
was arrested for this crime last Thursday,
after the grand jury had found an indict-
ment against him. On the day after the
robbery, of which witness knew nothing,
he met Shemeley at the house of Charles
Marles. Witness had gone there to buy
bride of Marles. Shemeley spoke up
and said he had some harness to sell
cheap and would like to make bargain
with witness. Later IN the day Sheme-
ley sold Dennis bride for 81 and some
parts of an old harness for so cents. He
got receipt for the money paid. Wit
ness took the harness home and hung it
In the shed.
Charles Marles. of ELEPHANTS Mills,
said Dennis called at his house on the
day in question and asked if he had
a bride to sell. Shemeley, who was
present, at once stated that he had good
bride which he would sell for one dollar.
George Stevenson corroborated the tes
timony of the last witness.
John Worlin, harness maker, testified
as to the value of the harness, making it
in the neighborhood of about $25.
Ezekiel Palmer, Charles A. Braddock,
Joseph Taylor. Samuel Garwood, George
w. Broom and Barzillal L. Thompson
testified that Dennis reputation for hon.
esty is good. Messrs. Braddock, Gar
wood and Thompson also testified that
Shemeley's reputation for truth is bad.
Daniel Stevenson, the other defendant,
was arrested after the grand jury met.
Shemeley often borrowed witnesses
horse for various reasons. On the day of
the robbery witness was sick and She
meley took the team without permission.
Nothing was mentioned by Shemeley at
any time about having stolen harness,
and witness knew nothing about it. She
meley owed witness balance of SIS on
the purchase of wagon, and sold the
harness to Stevenson in settlement there
of. The jury found Stevenson guilty and
acquitted Dennis.