The herald., 1896-12-15
THE BANK ROBBERS
Trial cf Mccarthy Begins
in Department One
JONES THE SALOON KEEPER IEST|F|ES
Ia Behalf of the State Against
His "Pals"
THEY CHOSE PENITENTIARY
Wherein to Pass Their Lives When
Guiltiess OF Crime
A Set Back to the Rubio Canyon
improvements
THEY CHOSE PENITENTTARY
Wherein to Pass Their Lives When
Guiltiess of Crime
A Set Back to the Rubio Canyon
Improvements
A Temporary Restraining Order Issued
by Judge Shaw-The McComas Di-
vorce Suit-Attempt to Break
Homestead-Notes

The trial of the bank robbers has be-
gun. and SO far is not quite so sensa-
tional as might have been anticipated.
When the cases of Fred L. Jones and
]. ]. Mccarthy were called yesterday
the case of the former was allowed to
go over. but both sides were ready in the
case of the last named defendant and it
at once went to trial.
Both of the above mentioned defend
ants are charged with having been con-
cerned in the attempted burglarizing of
the First National bank of this city last
June by means of long tunnel, start
ing in the basement of Jones saloon at
the corner of Los Angeles and CONNER
cial streets and ending under the bank
vault.
While the prosecution of the case now
at bar is in the hands of Deputy District
Attorney McComas, the defendants
interests are being guarded by Attor-
neys A. B. Hotchkiss and Frank A. Da-
Wis. Considering the Importance of the
trial. the jury was impaneled in most
expeditions manner, the first twelve men
summoned to the jury box being ac-
cepted by both SIDES.
A ripple of excitement was caused by
five of the janitor's staff marching into
court laden down with the tools used in
carrying out the elaborate scheme to ROB
the bank. When one of the men spilled
a quantity of nitro -glycerine on the floor
there was some CONSERVATION and the
general properties of the explosive not
being known the officers and others
walked about in its vicinity with all the
deft carefulness of a kitten walking on
hot stove
President j. NJ. Elliott of the First Ma
tional bank was the first witness exam
ined. He testified that the bank had on
June 18th a sub-vault below the regular
vault. which was used for the storage
of old books and documents.
During June he saw that the ceiling of
the sub-vault had been tampered with
by the removal of a row of bricks of the
arch. making quite an opening, the sec
ond row being removed making small
er hole. There was also hole in the
floor of the sub-vault sufficiently large
for a man to pass through 1t was not
directly under the hole in the ceiling of
the sub-vault, which was the floor of
the regular vault. Mr.. Elliott had Wis
tied the other end of the tunnel in a
basement of a saloon at the corner of
Commercial and Los Angeles streets. He
saloon-papers that had been stored in
the sub-vault and had evidently been
brought away by the bank robbers
through the tunnel.
Mr. Elliott stated that during the month
of June there was a large amount of
money in the bank vault.
Edward Doher. an employe of the City
Tool Works, testified to having been en-
ployed by the defendant to make certain
tools last summer, upon the representa-
tion that they were to be used in build
ing bridges
Gus Erves, another employe gave tes-
timony to the same effect.
The next witness was Fred L. Jones,
the defendant saloon-keeper, who testi-
fled in behalf of the state. He told how
Mccarthy had come to him at his home
on Hill street and broached the scheme
| for robbing the bank; how the work was
| begun and carried on through the months
| from November to June. Campbell. Nc
| Carthy and two men unknown to him by
| name had carried on the work and Nc
| Carthy was in the habit of coming out of
! the tunnel in the morning and opening
| the saloon when he tended bar until the
! witness arrived.
The witness was subjected to rigid
! cross examination by Attorney Davis
! In going again over his testimony he
! stated that he knew Mccarthy for two
| or three months before the latter broach-
| ed his project. The proposition was first
| made at the saloon, but Mccarthy en-
| tered into the details of the scheme at
! the home of witness at 227 North Hill
| street. Witness was told his share of the
| ''swag" would be from $40 600 to $50 600.
| and, after thinking the matter over for
three days, he consented to join in the
| scheme.
January or February, but Campbell he
| met last year. Neither Stevens or
Stuart took any part in digging the tun-
| mel.
Mr.. Davis expressed great desire to
know about the two men who worked
in the tunnel and whose names were un-
| know to the witness. He asked witness
to describe them
| Well, one was about your build" was
the pointed reply.
! You don't mean to take me for him.
do you anxiously queried the attorney.
NO, SIR
THE other one was not like Col Hotch-
kiss, was hep" insinuatingly inquired
Mr.. Davis again.
NO, he was a delicate looking man.
standing about feet in1Aes.''
Had you heard what Stevens and
Stuart were?''
Il heard they We're plumbers"
Now. hadn't you heard that they were
'cracksmen?
We'll, yes I did hear that they were
pretty good men,"
After thus unequivocally giving his
definition of what constituted good men
the witness went on to tell how, on the
Saturday when an entrance had been ef-
fected into the sub-vault, conference
was held, when Campbell, Stevens
stuart Mccarthy and himself were
present. One of the unknown workers
was keeping watch on the bank outside
and 1t was then decided that as the up
per vault couldn't be penetrated by Mon
day morning. and the break in the foo,
OF the sup-vault would then be discov.
ered the best thing that could he dont
would be for each one to skip out anc
look out for himself.
The further hearing in the oase will
be resumed this morning.
A CURIOUS CASE.