The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-07
THE TRUNK MYSTERY
Van Waters Tries to Explain
His Part in 1t.
u,s sELF-DENYiNG CHARITY.
,re Owner and Buyer Identify the
Trunk-The Case With the Jury
The PugiI Damage Case.

ira trial or William Van Waters. on the
Sage OF stealing trunk and its con-
.sr,s from the Northern Pacific depot, &C.
$3.50 fhA entire day In Judge Hurnex'
.s,,vs YESTERDAY ard when the jury retired
80 afeaoek the instructions were 20 return
..s,sa verdict The defense admitted
-, Var waters sold the trunk, but claim
- thar ne came into possession lawfully.
.-~o-afrg 70 the story told by Van Waters
ss-rssgf on the stand, he met a man named
xseterson on the steamer Greyhound and
.sr taking free silver, PopTlisrn and
s.rs times with him. finally purchased
80 trunk in order TO help him out. As
var waters expressed IT, he thought he
IS so4rs good deed The state did not
stov that NIckerson was an imaginary
rr-~on bat on the other hand Van Wat
49, actual knowledge OF him was also
cary limited on rebuttai the state trim
red van Waters in two points especially.
var Waters was ar the courthouse eariv
IN the morning. and was among the first
"a enter Judge Hunnes' court room. He
vae looking az Spruce as a New En-
eland dancing school master. and appeared
so he IN excellent spirits He wore a fine
6srk blue Prince Albert coat and dark COL
srpf trousers and n white vest His faea
RAJ recently been in contact with razor
40 ne looked fresh as a daisy. GoId-bo~Ad
svexIsss9s were perched iauntfly on bls
nose giving him decidedly literary air
When the court was called 10 order Van
Waters took a scat at the table near the
railing. and was soon Joined by his coun-
sci r0hn F. Dore. Assistant PROSECUTING
Attorney Wiltshire and Deputy Prosecuting
Attorney Morris soon made their appear
ance and the case was called. No trouble
was experienced IN securing a fury which
was composed OF the following:
". n. Forrest ~. It. Harmon, william,
Ansrews, n. A. BiEelow. r.. r. wishaar.
A. n Ball. Michael Carr. II. w wfnehiH
~ J. coiwei NJ. Dishon. G. T. Smith and
r. J. BlaisdelI
6ase for the Prosecution
ST. Wiltshire then proceeded to tell the
tury what the state intended TO uroyo
against Van Waters. He said that the do
PENDANT had been in the employ OF the
lake Shore railroad az one time, and was
familiar with railroad business. About
three or four weeks prior 10 August Van
Waters went to $. M. Archibald, the
Northern Pacific has'G gena ster and said
he had been expecting a red zinr tr7,nl-
marked "Towle" for several weeks from
Tacoma, and would pay $40 reward IN fnd
H. He also asked Mr.. Archibald for as
sssauce IN securing n position I'm railroad
WORK Mr. Wiltshire then stated that he
intended to show that on August the de-
PENDANT went TO the Northern Pacific do-
pot with saichel. which he placed on n
trunk near some baggage checks and then
went away. Later on an expressman came
10 the depot with a duplicate check ana
secured the trunk that was TO figure In the
case against Van Waters py cfrcurn
stances II would be shown that Van Wat
eFs exchanged checks on the trunk. and
thus obtained IL from the depot
The Man Who Lost the Trunk
The hrst witness was william AfeGerrv
an attorney, who said he shIpDed his tr,int-
TON Aberdeen to Seattle in the latter part
e' July and the next time he saw IL IL was
IN the possession OF the Seattle noIiee 10
vas then called upon to identity tr,inl,
we state put In evidence. and said n vas
~ rnnk He also identified the clothing
'hat Van Waters i@ alleged 20 have SOLD ~
en- Everett secondhand dealer. and stated
',e la'ae ETC. as given in the complaint.
ne eFoss-examinat!on was directed 10
sioF haf the values placed on the cloth
ag was excessive. The witness agreed
VA much OF the clothing had been In his
possession a long time
u Archibald. tho local Northern pa
- haggagemaster. testified as TO Van
"a'sfs having been around the depot. and
sso explained how trunks were checked
ie could not identify the trunk as having
been at tho depot
The Man who TIaulcd II.
7 Gillespie. an Everett exnreesp,a,
'"oFe that IN tho early part OF August he
.V~h trunk from the steamer Grevrorrd
70 ne numerical hotel and Samuel Whit
neY The proprietor OF the hotel. told the
III, tnat Van Waters was At his hotel
ahoat August 2 or 4 Mr. Whitnn,, alec
wore nat he assisted the expressn1an 10
..Ae me trunk TO Van Waters room. His
eomplete 80
Tho Man who gought II.
sahes Barron. a secondhand dealer Of
~. -. ioehiihed Van Waters as the man
- entered his store about August . or
Nlth goggles and offered "a coli ht,,,
vv.IIoscape. and also took him to his wan
'e,sl room at the Commercial hotel
- showed him a trunk together with
sos'.ehts II purchased the trunk and
.o1ents said barron. "and Van Wa
w. "eIped me carry it down stairs"
re Witness then identified the trunk r.,
,.'aenee and said the clothing was Just
re ne 'sat he purchased from Van Waters
-, WehiiHtU some Of tie clothing and
80 40 . pair Of Indian clubs Van Waters
.un Rim The story about coming from
r.tAsSS and having been injured Van
49, wanted 81 for tho trunk and goods
',t hnallv cold them FOR s.
reflective Phflhrick told of tracing tho
goods ~ anu '''
= Neatly a tailor testified that Tho
asekiHtosh vas worth 81 overroat 81.
- coat and vest g. or s. He would not
, ,oe any 'aloes on the bathing suit
-, naf or trunk. on REORGANIZATION
~ Neatly said ne didn't know anything
,' the values 80 the goods from a sec
ohd-hand standnoint
,N'er the s'2ta rested Mr Dore said
- ne defense intended 10 show that
"a" AYERS came into possession 81 the
ms N legitimate manner. and sold Il
- old nct know there was anything
ing With che transaction urtn he was
tes'ea Ar Dcrc said that lie would
80 ihat Van Waters did not change
'S Northern Pacific checks
lie Helped q Hrhth~r "opulf~f
an Waters was the first witness for
defense eri sWore that 50 =. as ho
sW ee never sew the trunk in Seattle.
go gig nor have anything TO 40 w{th TAX
- y from the Northern puciflc depot.
- august he went % Everett on the
noah1 70 sec ~ \ Porter about
',eset newspaper. ana net a man nam
N'ekersor. Who said he was from
te1. u'0eT. Cc3aE 70 Everett. sui
~. Wv ana Monte Crfsto
I"t-He Pa" ives pC0uiist and free Sill
Ha&h. continued tbe witness. and
"@a q !0rg fafs Bio said he was hard
-'si wanted 70 z.ll his trupk ana goods.
So, an exams -Gticr of tho things I Of
- - Aiio s. aa1 De took ruo up II was
r~,F unexpected 20 me. but I thought
-" eRt 81 anyway for tia goods. After
e~9fl f'frett I Went - the CONNER
a.. ~etet er9 registered as Van Waters.
- hao paid my expenses I Was left
49, oh'T .9 GER Is cents, and on the FOL-
$50 morning proceeded 20 TfpieniSh nv
- ~ selling thg trunk suG goods -