The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-02
new JACK SHEPPARD.
The Notorious Bayonne Burglar
on Trial for Another
0ffense.

When Prosecutor Winfield took his seat
Sessions he had before him on table a
murderous looking revolver, two rabbits s
feet, bottle of Knockout drops, pow
erful jimmy and other queer tools car
ried by burglars. Chief Murphy had
brought these up from headquarters for
the trial of William Leonard, who was
convicted last week of crimes enough
to keep him in jail for the next fifteen
years; but who was on trial this morn
ing for the grand larceny of a compass,
marine glasses, yacht cannon, fishing
rods. knives and forks, etc., from John
Serrelrs yacht off Bergen Point in July,
1894
This Leonard is the young man who
was convicted recently of atrocious as
sault on William E. Lewis, and of assault
with intent to kill by shooting at Police
men Dunnegan and McGurk Oh Avenue
E, Greenville, on September % last. He
is implicated in number of burglaries.
and his practices have given the police
| a great deal of trouble.
He looks the criminal, and while sit
ting beside his counsel ex-Judge Hoff-
man, this morning turned in his seat
and smiled condescendingly on row of
ough-looking young men from Bayonne
who loked upon him as a hero-a rival
of Jack Sheppard.
On opening the case, Mr.. Winfield re-
ferred to the arrest of CASTELAR, Ansart
on the same charges, but the latter
pleaded non vult and put all the blame
on leonard.
The owner of the yacht, John A. Ser
rell. of Thirty-ffth street, Bayonne, said
that the II Geyyoly,er yl, conn compass sam cannon, o.
yacht. Some of them he recovered. He
| identified a revolver, shown to him by
Mr. Winfield, as his property This re-
rested, into Mr.. Winfeld's orchard in
Greenville.
'sHow do you know that it is your re-
| volver?" asked ex-Judge Hoffman,
Witness said that ne recognized it by
| the length of the barrel. 1t was SO long,
he said, that no one would have it,, and
he bought it cheap. He used it for firing
at old tomato cans floating in the water.
| 80 you used it for shooting at the fiot-
| sam and jetsam of Newark Bay?" asked
counsel, and the witness replied with a
| grin.
The next witness, William Robertson,
| of Fifth street, Bayonne, testified that
Leonard and Ansart offered the stolen
| dollars to the men for the cannon and
the compass. He met them in Captain
Reiily's boathouse. on Newark Bay.
Thomas Casey, and Captain Thomas
ard The captain identified the revolver
/ belonging to Mr. Serrell as the one he
| found in Mr.. Winfeld's orchard, where
Leonard threw it on the night he was
| arrested by Dunnegan, near the Green
| vile depot
| Sergeant McDevitt identified Leonard as
| the man caught near the Greenville de-
| pot.
Mr.. Winfield then tried to connect the
jimmy which lay before him found in
| Mr. Lutz's garden. on DanfoTth avenue,
/ on the night of the arrest at Greenyille,
with Leonard. but Mr.. Hoffman ob-
| iected.
4 vile who happened to be present in the
| police station in Greenville after the ar-
| rest identified the jimmy as the one he
| saw in Leonards hands prior to his ar
rest
Chief Mcneil repeated a conversation
he had with Leonard as to Serelps pis-
Leonard's accsomplI5essa: acc Ca castslor It An An,
pleaded non vult. is shortly to be tried
| for the serious offense of criminal as
sault on Margaret Downey in October
last She complained @ to Justice Of the the
looking up that matter. and proposes to
| bring both Reincke and Ansart to book.
Leonard Leonard We're we ens SHAREHOLDERS in boat.
WAS he shareholder in the cannon
and compass?" asked Mr. Winfield.
"Yes"
And they. were both stolen from Ser
re'rs s.Yes, yacht?" pursued the prosecutor.
This closed the case for the people
/ The young criminal then took the
toto the charges against him. Mr.. Win
4 field asked no questions and ex-Judge
| Hoffman summed up. The case was CIV
1 en- to the jury at noon.
/ The Jury rendered verdict of guilty
| this afteTnoOni