The herald., 1895-05-04
Alva johnson Breaks Down on
the Witness Stand
AND REFUSES TO TESTIFY
The Bag Of Mexican Dollars Is Pros
duced in Court
The Sight Of the Coin Brings All the Attor-
neys to Their Feet--The DEFENDANTS
Stolid Demeanor

yesterday. Inc court room was CrOWueu
until standing room was in demand. 1t
was generally understood that Alva john
son, the self-confessed accomplice of
| Thompson in the train robbery. would be
| put on the stand sometime during the
day to tell his story of the hold-up in
which he clamied in his confession to
have been a participant. He was not
placed on the stand until late in the
afternoon, and then he utterly failed and
refused to corroborate his statements in
the alleged confession. or even to make
any statement at all but broke down
and cried like child and only mana ged
between sobs to say that he had not been
treated right. After the attorneys failed
to get any statement from him. the Judge
told him that if he did not want to make
any statement he would be excused from
the witness stand. and he withdrew.
When Charles Shafer. delivery clerk for
Wells Fargo e. Co.. came on the stand
carrying a large sack of coin it created a
1utter of excitement. But when it was
put in evidence ana the witness cut the
string and poured the 56S silver dollars
out on the stenographer' table. the inter-
est and curiosity of the audience were
visibly heightened and the well-known
proclivity of the legal profession asserted
itself. Every attorney was on his feet in
an instant and surrounded the table
whereon lay the shining metal which
tempts mans cupidity. Even the court
arose and took a look at the money of
Mexican mintage.
| Charles A. Fisk, express agent of
Tempe, Ariz., identined Thompson as
the man who called at the express Office
| in Tempe m October, '94, ard asked for
package and gave the name of W. S.
| Parker. There was nothing for Parker.
He called the second time and got moth
ing. The third time he came on October
10th, and witness told him his package
had Just arrived. 1t was a wooden box
about eighteen inches long and six inches
square on end. The ends were banded
in handling it and it ratified. He asked
defendant what was in the box, and he
said it contained surveyor outfit, and
that it was the chain that ratified. He
signed the express book as W. s. Parker.
The express book was produced and the
signature of W. S. Parker in it identified
by witness as the one written by the de-
fendant on October 10. 1894. The sigma
ture was examined by attorneys for de-
fense and the Kid also examined it with
apparent interest. The cross-examina-
tion developed the fact that the express
Office was in the back part of the store
room. where it was so dark that the agent
had to use lamp in the daytime. and
it was by this light only that he saw Par
ker or Thompson. and yet he positively
identified the defendant as Parker.
although he couldn't tell what kind of Il
building he had been doing business IN
for years-whether it was brick, stone or
wood.
Will Smith. special officer or detective
OF the Southern Pacific company, next
appeared on the stand He had seen the
defendant write an order in Justice Bar
tholomew's court last November. The
signature was produced, which he identi
mitted to be compared with the signature
of w. S. Parker in the express book.
Witness had talked with defendant in
the Jail at Tempe and had told defendant
what had been developed in the case up
to that time. He showed him kilograms
stated that Mrs. Alva johnson had made
confession and given the whole case
away. Witness denied having tried to
extort confession from defendant. He
had learned afterward thai the statement
in the telegram about the confession was
not true and had SO informed the defend
AM. The Kid manifested much interest
| in this witness statements, and made
| numerous suggestions to his attorneys
while cross-examinine.
Detective Smith gave a long detailed
statement of his detective work in the
case ana the different interviews with the
| prisoner.
Minnie Phliippi. Alva Johnson step
daughter, testified that she was living
at Johnson's s ranch in September. 1894.
Had seen Thompson there at that time !;
he came with party by the name Of
Etzler.
L. D. Rogers knew where Johnson S
ranch is located went there with Detec-
| tive Lawson after some stuff. He dug up
| some overcoats from the bottom Of a
privy vault about eight or ten feet deep.
| They were pinned down by 2x4 scant-
ling driven through them into the
ground. He washed them off with hose
and brought them to Lawson's house.
| c. F. Smith. Wells-Fargo clerk. had
received bag of coin from Will Smith
and turned it over to the main office.
Charles Shafer, delivery clerk of Wells
Fargo, had received bag of money
from Clerk Smith. 1t was labeled
! officer s. P. company. Hold till called
for" 1t was marked Mexican money, but
it had been sealed ever since it came into
his possession. The seal was then broken
and the coin exhibited in evidence and
examined by the attorneys and jury. The
| DdS COnLalTeu 200 Mexican silver 0OllarS
! After examining several other witnesses
Alva johnson was called and the interest
of everyone present was at once manifest,
for it was expected that he would make
full statement of the whole affair and
all connected in any way with the Ros-
coe hold-up and robbery. He took the
stand with an uncertain air. In reply to
questions he admitted that he knew the
defendant. Thompson; that the defend
ant had been on his ranch; that he had
been at Roscoe himself. but he couldn' t
| remember having seen the Kid there.
At this juncture he showed much hesi-
tation and decided disposition to not
| reply to questions or make any state.
ment, and finally broke down completely
and cried and sobbed like child. After
repeated efforts of counsel to get him to
testify. the Judge took hand and told
him If he didn't wish to- testify or make
any statement he would be excused from
the stand. He managed to blubber out
between sobs that he did not think he
had been treated right and thus left the
stand and the court room. He seemed
to be completely broken in spirit and said
to the officer who accompanied him back
to his cell that there was nothing for him
to 40 now but to die.
Court adjourned to this morning at 10
O'Clock. i.
TUE cpMpn ~nM n ,rrcp