The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-13
He WAS A DAISY Detective
Richmond Makes Peculiar Admissions
In the Wall Case.
AGREED TO VISIT HIS AUNTlE
Evidence of the Commonwealth All In at
Tunkhannock-Frcd Wall on the
Witness Stand-His Account
Of the Evening.
GREED TO VISIT HIS AUNTlE
Special to the Scranton Tribune.

Special to the Scranton Tribune.
Tunkhannock, April 12.-W. II. Rich
mond still on the stand. The greatest
pa.t of the conversation with Fred
Wall Qn which the confession of muir
der was made) was held while we We're
going down to LAGRANGE. 1t began be-
tween the Montrose railroad crossing
and the covered bridge. l told him the
story of the robbing and killing of the
shoemaker at Providence r. J., after
l had asked him to prove himself II l
was to take him in as partner
Attorney for defendant: when you
arrested Fred Wall you made informa-
tion charging him with the murder OF
Waterman. didn't you?"
Yes SIR
when you arrested Bert Pratt you
also charged him with committing the
MURDER
II said he was implicated In It,"
You also arrested Irwin Westcott.
nephew of the deceased, and made in
formation that he committed the muir
der, didn't you?"
II said he was implicated"
A squabble here ensued between the
counsel as to the admission Of evidence
from a witness who had charged more
than one person with the same crime.
The judge ruled that there was moth
Ing inconsistent in the information
made in this case.
Witness: II had written state
ment of the confession made by Wall
when l visited Hinkley's at Nicholson.
Think ! left that on the table there
along with some other papers. which l
forgot. | wasn't drunk. | did take a
hired girl from here in town with me
up there once when l went. l am
married man. She wasn't a detective.
CThese in answer to cross-examination)
l brought Bert Pratt here about II
o'clock at night. l or the turnkey took
him down town the next day. ! did not
offer him a part of the reward II he
would put 1t onto Fred Wall l told
him that il he had anything to do with
the murder and would turn states evil
dence / thought it go easier with him
| saw Mrs. Bidleman at DR.. Denison's
l didn't say anything about dropping
the proceedings If she would pay me
a certain sum of money and go to Cali
fornia. l told her l didn't have any
hard feelings toward them, but !
thought they looked down on me. There
might have been something said about
money. | wanted to see what they
would say. Thought they all looked
down on me. l did see DR.. Bidleman
at the Stevens House. Heard he wanted
to see me- and l went there and called
him out, because l wantd to know what
he wanted Of me. He wanted to settle.
Did say | would meet him next day.
because there was something said
about making marks to see what 1
would take to stop proceedings Did
not make a proposition that If he would
pay me a certain sum l would go to
California 10 see an aunt. There was
a certain party came to me and want
ed to know what l would take to go
away. Said DR.. Bidleman wanted to
know. Said he would mark and +
could mark / made some figures in a
joke and handed them to him. The
man was Mr.. Deubler, engineer on the
Montrose road. The man who sent him
was DR.. Avery. He didn't want to
come himself. Don't know if DR.. BIZ
dleman wanted them to come. I said
something about it's being a states
prison job, but suggested how 1t might
be done II they wanted it done. Think
I told Mr. Duebler that 1 could get
1900 for convicting Wall-$50O from the
county. $500 from the family, and $500
from a sister of Waterman; might have
said so, don't remember. Didn't say
anything about leaving the country If
they would pay me money.
William Waterman recalled-Counsel
for defendant-You spoke in your form
er testimony Of c. w. Waterman offer
ing you some money near the coal
office. Was Bert Pratt or Fred Wall
present? Answer-I didn't see them. I
saw DR.. Bidleman examine my BROTH
er's body after it was found by the coal
chutes.
l. E. Wescott recalled and testified
to the examination by DR.. Bidleman.
Thought he took hold of the vest and
pulled 1t back, but didn't know as he
unbuttoned 1t.
Thomas M. Harding-Just south Of
the coal chutes are two railroad tracks.
the Montrose and Lehigh Valley tracks.
These tracks are quite public thor
oughfare, short cut to the depot.
Wagons cannot go that way.
c. ". Crawford-There Is a sort of
undertie on the embankment Of the
trestling, running out near the edge of
the wall. On the top of the wall are
stones with broken irregular edges. 1t
Is feet L. inches from the ground up
to the iron rails at a point where the
body lay.
o. s. Mills recalled-There Is a stick
OF timber sticking out on top of the wall
or filling, but 1t is nearly embedded in
the ground.
Commonwealth rests at 11.25.
Friday Afternoon.
James w. Piatt opened for the de-
fense by addressing the jury. He en-
deavored to discount the impression
made by the commonwealth that a
murder had been committed, and was
not sparing In his denunciation of some
of the witnesses.
The theory Of the defense is that
Waterman accidentally fell off the en-
bankment and was killed.
DIR. b. +. Bidleman-Fred Wall Is my
brother-in-law. Was called out on the
night Of January 8. 1894, to go over to
Gearhart's coal chutes, where I found
the body of Wash Waterman. Des-
cribes position of body.) Saw wound