The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-11-14
. THO CAMBRIDGE ROBBERY !
Two Of the Prisoners Convicted a
POttSville Yesterday.
ONE SETS UP AN EFFECTIVE ALIBI.
MoDermott is Set at Liberty, But a Jury
Promptly Convicts Wilson and Gauger.
Crawford the Star witness Two
More Men Wanted.

Two of the men arrested for attacking and
gagging the watchman and blowing open the
safe at the Cambridge colliery on the 9th of
September, last were convicted before Judge
Savdge at Pottsvillc yesterday The testi-
mony was of such a character that the jury
delibented but short time. The third
man arrested was acquitted. lie succeeded
in establishing an effective alibi.
The two men convicted were John Wilson
and Gus Gaugcr. Both are men of bad
record from Mt. Carmel Wilson was re-
Gently tried at Sunbury with Mike Kline, of
town, and Others for asSaulting n watchman
at the Alaska colliery, near Mt Carmel, but
that case fell through for lack of evidence.
At the trial yesterday it was conclusivcly
shown that upon being released from the
Sunbury Jail Wilson went to Mt Carmel
and joined Gaugcr and two other men and
came to this town. After spending day or
two in inspecting the surroundings the men
made the attack upon the Cambridge colltcry.
Thomas O'Conncll, the watchman, was u
witness at the trial, but his testimony was Of
no Importance beyond establishing the mode
of the attack, the safe blowing and the
number of men engaged in it. He could not
identify any of the prisoners as being con-
cened in the affair. He said the robbers had
their faces covered with pieces of cloth up to
their eyes and did not remove them while in
his presence
The star witness in the case was man
named Robert Crawford, Of Mt Carmel In
previous reports Of the case he has been
referred to as John Smith" Crawford and
another tramp lodged in the boiler house of
the coliery on the night of the robbery.
| While they were there Wilson, Gaugcr and
two other men entered the boiler house and
engaged in conversation. Crawford knew
all of the men by sight and two or three of
them quite intimately. lie made their
acquaintance at Mt. Carmel The visitors
advised Crawford and the tramp to seek
lodgings at the lookup instead of in the
boiler house. That was the substance of
the conversation. The four men left
the place and shortly after the robbery
was committed. Early in the morning
Crawford and his tramp companion were
| found asleep in the boierhouse by the c. x
|. police and charged with the crime. The
tTamp's name was William Downs and resi-
dence given as no place in particular. The
two men were taken into custody. They told
/ the story of the visit made by the four men
the night before and Crawford gave theil
names and residences as well as he could re-
and to save himself from the charge Craw
ford agreed to run down the men. Upon thi,
condition he was released and allowed tc
travel in search of the robbers al will but
under the surveillance of the c. q /. police
some of whom kept up hot search
in other directions. The arrest of Wilson
at Riverside, near Danville, followed a
few days later and Crawford positively
identified him as one of the four robbers
About three days latter Gauger was traced
from Centmla to Mt. Carmel and he, too,
was positively identified by Crawford. Sub
sequently Thomas McDermOtt was arrested
on the outskirts of Mt. Carmel by Detective
Amour, upon being led by Crawford to a
place where McDermott was mendng shoe
under a bower formed by fallen trees When
brought here and arraigned before Justice
Cardin McDermott stOutly maintained his
innocence and declared that on the day of
the robbery he worked for farmer at
Ithaca, n. Y, digging potatoes. Crawford
was positive that McDermott was one of the
robbers and as the accused had only his own
oath to offer at the time and as Wilson and
Gauger had just as firmly declared their in
nocence, it was decided to hold McDermott
and he remained in Jail until yesterday
when he was given his liberty. He showed
cOnclusively that he was in Ithaca at the
time the robbery was committed. The Ithaca
farmer gave evidence for him.
Gauger and Wilson have been remanded.
Gauger will probably be sentenced next
week Wilson'S lawyers have moved for an
arrest of Judgment and new trial Two of
the robbers are still az large.