New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-04
VOSBURG GAVE THE PISTOLS
"OLD BILL AIDED THE POSTOFFlOH
ROBBERS TO ESCAPE.
IN THE GI'IsE OF A CLERGYMAN. HE WAS f"h
o,,rxr1y ADMITTED TO THEIR CELLS IN
LUDLOW STREET JAIL-OPENING

OF TAMSEN'S TRIAL"
There was a sensation at the beginning Vi u"
trio, Of Sheriff Edward j. II. Tamsen before
Judge Allison In Part III of the Court Oh VIC"
oral Sessions. Yesterday. 1t was caused by III.
announcement that "Bll' Nosburg' ,he ~
time thief and swindler would be a witness 10,
tho prosecution. Sheriff Tamsen is being u'e'
on an Indictment charging him with careie''
ness and negligence in permitting the escaPe Va
Allen Killoran and Russell. the three pos'o'N
robbers. from the Ludlow Street JAN ." '''
morning of July last His former parpe' wa"
den Raabe and two of the former keepei "
the jail are also under indictment. Nosou's ''
confessed that he aided The three Pii'o
escape and as a witness for the prosecu
will tell how the escape was planned anu "
fected.
There is no more notorious criminal ahVe III
this city now than Nosburg He is over seem
years old and he has spent good part Vi ',''
life in prison When he has been AT hpe'S "
has been a burglar. forger, high"a! man. "
sneak-thief, q pickpocket or sree"soVN
eteararv as he had opportunity. on November
IL he was arrested for swindllng COUNT '''"
nv the "greengoods" game, and his trial was
begun last week. He was charged WIFI eia"'
larceny as a second offence. and conviction
life in prison. He offered to plead guilty 10
Grand larceny if he could get off with iSh'
sentence and also to tell all he knew apouJ the
escane of the postofTce robbers. The DISTRICT
Attorney accepted the offer, and the ola man
pleaded guilty to grand larceny on Monday ana
was remanded for sentence. Then he was taken
into the District-Attorney's office to make MS
confession.
THE CLOTH AS A DISGUISE.
1,ocburp said he was the father-in-law o.
RUSSELL one of the robbers and he was allowed
~ visit the robbers after they were locked up
in the Ludlow Street Jail. He went to the jail
in the disguise of a clergyman, and he was per-
mitted to spend hours in conversation Win 'nc
robbers 1t was at his suggestion l'd'
they had their whiskers shaved OH ana
their hair cut short in order to escape
identification by witnesses when they were
arraigned before the United States 'o"i-
missioner He got on good terms with
Warden Raabe and the keepers and was never
searched when he was admitted to the jail
The robbers told him that the guys In the jail
were soft marks and that If a couple OF
gyms" could be "sneakei" to Russell and his
companions they would do the rest
After the robbers had walked out Of the jail
they went to a hiding place which Nosburg had
until there was an opportunity for them to
leave the country Russell vas caught in Brus-
sells recently. and he is being held there to
await extradition. II is expected that the test
mony of Vosburg will disclose some corruption
at the iail which has not vet been made public
THE sHERIFI~s INDICTMENT.
Sheriff Tamsen's Indictment was found under
Section 50 Of the Penal Code. which says:
.1fo
prisoner lawtuly IN MS CUSTODY IN any action or
procee iinG civil criminal or in any prison undr
cept as permitted 10y law, or connves a or assists
such escape. o. omts any act o. duty "helebl iuGn
/ IL he corruptly and whfully allows, connives at
. In any other case Is guilty OF a mlsdemeanor
In this case Sheriff Hansen is charged with
misdemeanor. the penalty for which. on convic-
ton. is six months imprisonment, or $500 fine
or both.
on October "a Judge Fitzgerald gave his decis-
ion on the argument in demurrer against the in
dictment. and another one which had been en-
tered by General Benjamin F. Tracy, one II
the Sheriff's counsel The Judge overrued the
demurrer in the case Of the Indictment found
under Section 81 OF the Penal Code and sustained
the demurrer in the Indictment which charged
the Sheriff with neglect of duty in not removing
Warden Raabe and Keepers Schoen and Schneer.
who were in charge Of the Jail at the time II the
escape.
f. Tracy Justice-elect Charles +. MacLean and
Internal Revenue Collector Edward Crosse DIS
,rict-Attorney John r. Fellows and Assistant
Observation-Disclosures Barlow :. Weeks ana George
Gordon Battle are prosecuting the case.
TALEsMEN EXAMINED.
Sheriff Hansen entered court shortly before II
a m. and took seat beside his counsel. Many
talesnen wished to be excused from serving on
the Jury and the first hour spent in weed
ing those out The courtroom crowded with
LAWYERS and spectators. Up to noon only two
Jurors were secured The first Morris Frank,
an undertaken at No. $50 West Flfty-fifth-st.
He formerly was a member OF Good Govern
ment Club f. The second juror was Simon
Gavin. proprietor of a saloon at No. 20 Chambers
ST. When asked his occupation he said he was
matchmaker and jeweller. He was asked to eX-
plain how he could be a matchmaker and saloon
keeper, and he said he Lad gone into the former
business with his son few weeks ago, and pre-
ferred to be known jeweller.
General Tracy asked him If he knew any one one
connected with the District-Attorney's Office lie
said he knew Mr.. Weeks.
The talesman asked If he was connected
with any political organization. He SAID ne Wds
a member of the Republican County Committee
and was the Republican leader OF the Ia ASSEM-
bly, District Ill, ,,,a,..,o,,,,, tho ta,esman
well, guess that VIII dlsqualiy the 'aeoIai'
from this trial" remarked Assistant District
Attorney Weeks.
ooh, no." said General Tracy. ON the con-
trary the mans affiliations well qualiy MN To
serve.
Judge Allison sustained General 1racy's view
and Gavin took the second chair In the jury
box.
When court took recess at p m there Were
seven Jurors In the box. In addition to Mr. Frank
and Mr.. Gavin, the jurors were Rlchard IS: NC
carthv clerk No. II Washington Place; william
Schrog butcher. No 635 West Fortieth-st; James
: Post architect, No. A Broadway; Henry
| ST and /, Fell. employed by Sullivan, Vail < Co.
| at No 329 Broadway
| The eighth Juror empanelled was Joseph Her,
! zig furrier. who has his place or business ana
| lives at No l4l East Forty -ninth-st. he testi-
| fled TO having an opinion in the case, but SAID
that that opinion would be Influenced by the tes-
| said was unfavorable to the defendant. The