The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-26
Every Detail of the HoId-Up
Graphically Described by
the Witness.
PLANNED BY THE PRISONER
Strong Network of Evidence Con-
Meeting the Old Man With
the Crime.

| OhIhII, CAL', d uIie Zo.-IDe SenSatlO0
| OF the day in the trial of Deacon Oldham
| for completely in the robbery of the coast
stage was the confession of Hilton, Old
hams accompliee, made on the witness.
stand. Hilton told his story in straight.
forward way and the strenuous efforts OF
the counsel for the defense failed to shake
his testimony.
On the day of the robbery, May Is
Hilton went to the home of Oldham to
engage in making pickets. He and Old
ham spoke of the prevailing hard times,
and Oldham said the railroads owned the
country and were robbing the poor people.
He said he knew of scheme by which he
could make about $4,000; that stage runs
over from Ukiah, by way of Anderson
Valley, and carried good deal of money,
and he wanted Hilton to think it over and
he would investigate the route.
"The proposition" said Hilton, "was
for both to go over by Bonneville in a cart
and hold up the stage. AT that time Old
ham lived in town, and it was hard for us
to get together. Oldham was to make a
trip to Bonneville to move over an outfit
for blacksmith. / was to go along. The
stage leaving Bonneville in the night was
to be robbed by me at that time. But the
nights being bright moonlight, and the
days long, this scheme was abandoned"
Hilton stated that the job was to be done
by himself alone. Oldham was to make up
the alibi and share half the money. The
witness said Oldham, a few weeks before,
had pointed out Jamison, the shotgun
messenger, in Ukiah, so that he would
know him should he see him on the stage.
On the day of the robbery he hid in the
brush and scrutinized the passengers in
the stage closely to see if Jamison was
aboard. Finding he was not in the stage
he took short cut up the mountain,
headed the stage and got the boxes Hill
ton said the driver, Russell, had already
thrown one box out before he said a word
to him. He secured $10l9 %, retraced his
way back to Oldham's and gave Oldham
$500. Hilton corroborated all the testi-
mony given by previous witnesses, even to
the minutest detail, from the planning of
the robbery up to the time of the examina-
ton by the justice. On cross examination
he said he was born in San Bernardino
County, but declined to state where his
father, mother or any of his folks are
Following Hilton, Sheriff Johnson took
the stand and identified a peculiarly
colored $50 piece found among the stolen
money and portion of flour sack in which
the money was wrapped when found in
Bandit Hilton's possession. The express
boxes, the shotgun, the mask, the overalls,
the 500 piece, the hour-sack and two pairs
of shoes were offered in evidence by the
prosecution, until a goodly portion of the
alphabet was used in marking exhibits.
The express agent, ]. S. Hart, also identi-
fed the discolored $40.
Alexander Burke, the Marshal who ac-
companied the Sheriff in pursuit of the
robbers, first identified most OF the exhibits
and then recounted the tracking of Hilton
and Oldham. One of the shoes offered as
an exhibit had peculiar indentation
on the sole, made by break
in the leather, which left a distinct
mark whenever the track was visible.
Burke had followed this track through the
mountains until it led to Oldham's camp,
seven or eight miles north. There he
found Oldham and Hilton, whom Oldham
called Wilcox. Burke produced the small
bits that were cut out of the large piece of
cloth used by the robber for mask. These,
he testified, were found in Oldham s camp.
The mask proved to be made from navy
blue flannel shirt, and the sleeves that
were cut out were also found in the same
camp and were used as stockings by Hill
ton.
On cross-examination the defense tried
in vain to break down the testimony OF Mr..
Burke.
Robert Irvine, 17-year-old boy who
stops at the Stanford home in the noun
tains, told of having seen Hilton near the
scene of the robbery.
At the conclusion of the taking of testi-
mony the defense asked that the court dis
miss the defendant on the ground of
insufficient evidence to convict. Justice
Critchfeld overruled the motion and held
Oldham to answer under $1,000 bonds.
Prominent members of the Baptist
church were put on the stand as character
witnesses for the purpose of reducing the
amount of bail, and many more members
Of the church of which Oldham is deacon
and in which he has passed the collection
plate so long could be seen in the thronged
courtroom during the examination. Mrs.
Oldham stood bravely by her husband in
his trouble, Notwithstanding that every
thing seemed to be against him.