The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-27
GUZZLES' GLORY GANG.
THE EVIDENCE LOOKS DECIDEDLY
Blue FOR THE ROBBERS
One OF the Prisoners Makes an Opea Con-
hssion-UnparaIleIed Ignorance
Of = Witness.

FLOYD, VA, Jan. 2s Especial. The tri-
al Of Wash Candun. Is. Spangles, VIII
Cochran. Moll. Cochran. Sis. Soangles
and Diana Reynolds. members OF the now
famous Guzzles' Glory gang OF robbers
and incendiaries, was begun In this court
last "Wednesday.
The other members, Lee Pickett and
Dick Bowman. have made important con-
LESSONS and will be tried Immediately up
on the conclusion of the case In hand.
Hall a hundred witnesses are In at
tendance ana the trial is exciting I'M
usual interest. The accused are repre-
scented by Messrs. w. T. Stigleman. r.
+. Tompkins and Sam. W. Simmons.
commemorative Attorney Pedlgo is as
sisted in the prosecution by ex-Judge Per-
cy Shelye, of Patrick county. The Com
monwealth is practically through with It's
evidence. and IT is thought the defence
will close to-day.
The evidence so far given is very dam
aging to the cause OF the defence. and
fully warrants the belief OF the prose-
cutting attorneys that they will be able
20 compass the conviction of the whole
gang
AN IGNORANT WITNESS
When Dick Bowman was placed on the
stand late yesterday afternoon, counsel
for the defence objected to his being al
lowed to testify. on the ground OF in
competency. Bowman was put through
a course Of questioning by Judge Howard,
which resulted in the display Of the most
pitiable state Of ignorance imaginable on
| the part of the witness.
do you know the nature Of an oath?'
asked his Honor
Yes"
well. what is an oathT'
Witness was silent.
What did you do just now at the clerks
desk?"
II swore TO tell the truth"
IF you fail 10 tell the truth. what
| them"
1T Is a sin, / reckon" answered the
witness, hesitatingly.
And what is the consequence
Dunno"
| What book did you kiss when sworn
Dunno; hain't got no learning.
"The book was the Bible" exclaimed
his Honor.
"IIit wuz? Well, / didn't know; was
| never a witness in one of these courts
| afore."
The court after explaining the nature
| of an oath and pronouncing the penalty
| of false-swearine, announced that the
| witess was competent to testify.
| Near the conclusion of BOwmans tes-
| umony. counsel for the defence asked:
What was last month";
Dunno" answered the witness.
| What month is this?'
| Dunno"
| well do you know what year this is?'
| "No."
Notwithstanding this unprecedented dis
| play OF ignorance, the witness toid
straightforward tale, and bafiled the at
torneys in their efforts To- entansle him in
! his statements.
AN OPEN confession.
| Lee Pickett. the first member Of the
! gang to confess his guilt and implicate
! his companions, was placed on the stand
| soon after Bowman was taken back 10
| Jail. Pickett is a half-witted young man
! and Mr.. Thompson objected to his test.
mony on the same ground as that stated
in the instance above. but after care
| full examination the court ruleu that the
| witness was competent.
Pickett gave in the most damaging tes'
| timony yet introduced. Ills statement
| was, in substance as follows:
lone night In the latter part of June,
| 1894, /. in company with y. Spangles
! Wash. Canduff. VIII Cochran, Mol. Cock
| ran. Sis Spangles and Diana Reynoids
went TO the store of Weeks q Hylton for
| the purpose of robbery. b. Spangles and
| VIII Cochran either broke open the door
| or picked the lock and entered. all the
| rest. save myself, following them. Sew
| eral loads of goods were carried out, ana
| what were not carried off later were MA
| i'm the vicinity of the store, some of them
| being put under an old clubhouse not
| fifty yards away. After the robbery D.
] Spangles set the oil tank a-fire, ana we
! left at once with our plumber for Wash
| Canduf s..
/ INFINITELY tho nartlcu.
lars of the robbery and burning, impllca-
| ted all of the accused. except Bowman,
| and made a detailed statement or the
| plunder secured by each OF the parties.
| HARD LOOKING SIT.
| The defence claim that Pickett was re-
| Gently under arrest for insanity; but man
| aged TO escape before the state OF his
| mind could be ascertained. Evidence Will
| he introduced to this effect, in order to
| break the force of his statement, but his
| statement is so strongly corroborated by
| n number of witnesses that even the proof
! of insanity can have little effect, IL Is
! thought.
There is little In the appearance OF any
| of the prisoners to progresses Jury In
| their favor, and il is doubtful whether
| a harder looking set of criminals could De
| found I'm the State. b. SpanBles ana
| some others of this gang are under in
dictment in the Patrick County Court, for
| robbing the store of ex-Judge Percy
| Shelve and Sheriff Dink Woolwine' OF
Stuart, is here to take them in charge IN
the event they are acquitted OF the charse
for which they are now being tried
AS forestalled in this correspondence
pird Wood. the alleged counterfeiter, was
cant1red and lodged in Jail at this place
last night He will be given prelimina-
| nv trial before Commissioner Spencer TO-