The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-11
VERY STRONG CHAIN
OF CIRCUMSTANCES
Points TO Frederick Roland Being Guilty
Of Safe Cracking.
HE TELLS A PLAUSIBLE STORY
Took Notes Of the Evidence Against
Tries to Explain Away the State.
mcnts Which Would Convict Him
With the Crimc..0thcr Cases in
Criminal Court.

ON the night of June . or early in the
morning of June 10, William Mason's
butcher shop in Olyphant was broken
into, the safe crack d and the strong
box. containing over 500 in cash, and
/ any valuable papers, removed. Yes
terday Frederick ID. Rogan. alias Rol-
ari was on trial before Judge Arch
ba!G charged with the crime. Having
no counsel, court assigned G. Ballen-
tine to defend him.
District Attorney Jones made out a
strong case against him with circum-
stantiai evidence. He proved that EOl-
and is Il nomad; that he came to oily
piant the day before tn. burglary:
that he could not account for his where
lhoutS from Il O'Clock at night until 6
O'Clock the next morning; that he had
a pa! with him during the day and part
oi the evening; that both of them left
town the morning after the burglary;
that man answering Roland's de-
SIrirtiOn was seen coming out of the
butcher shop at > o'clock in the morn
in:,, that Roland, after being arrested
in Scranton, said to his capturs. Don't
arrest the other man. he Knows moth
ing of the safe business" and that this
w2S said before he was given any init
niIt!on Of what he was arrested for.
IT was also shown that when he was
~ trial before Squire Mccormick h.
claimed that he had stopped over night
at owens hotel, but when confront ii
with Proprietor Owens statement TO
tie contrary he admitted that he had
made Il mistake.
ROLAND ON THE STAND.
Roland took the stand to combat this
seemingly almost positive proof of his
guilt. He had taken notes of the tes-
timony of the various witnesses for
the prosecution and holding these be-
fore him he modified. qualified or de-
MED in turn each statement which
would lend to connect him with the
burglary.
He said he is a travelling decorator,
without any particular home, but Late
~ had lived in Carhondale. Wilkes
Barre. Reading, Brooklyn, \. Y, Wer-
nersville. Pa, and Lebanon. which lat
ter was his native place. He left Car
bondale. with his paints and brushes
i'm Il small satchel, on June ., intending
to come to Scranton to get some work.
ON the way hithcr he met an old ac-
Quaintance named Hart, who was dis
tiibutng the New York Family Story
paper in the towns along the valley.
AT llart's invitation he went with him
to spend the day, and about o'clock
in the afternoon reached Olyphant. al
t"r nav ihS \lsiteu Jcihhsh anu -hay
field.
At the latter place Hart got into a
game of pool and lost ST. heavily that
he was forced to borrow money from
him. Hart expected to meet his boss
in Dyphant and promised to return the
money as soon as he should get his
pay. Roland reminded Hart that he
lad no place to stay, and Hart told him
that he would pay for his bed at Ow-
ems hotel.
ROAMED AROUND TOWN.
Hart then left to keep his appoint
mCnt with his boss, and Roland
roamed around the town. At II o'clock
he went to the hotel and there dscov-
eicd that Hart was not staying there
and further that he had made no pro-
visions for securing a bed for Roland.
Th,reupon Roland left his satchel with
Mrs. Owens, who was behind the bar
a; the time and went out to search for
Hart. He was drunk when he left the
hotel ana in going from one saloon to
another he got drunker and what he
did or where he Staid he does not know
further than that he was In different
saloons, drinking or doing in the bar
rCCmS.
At 8 o'clock he found himself sitting
in front of a hotel, where he believes
hr Sntnt greater portion OF the night.
Hart came along ana after snort taiK
he expressed regret that ne had NOT
paid back the borrowed money and
promised to do so in half an hour ii
Roland would wait where he was. He
waited. but no Hart came, and a! 10
o'clock he decided to walk to Scranton.
where he was acquainted and where he
could get help. He was i'm Callahan's
saloon on Penn avenue Nhen constable
jesse Morris placed him under arrest
ana took him back to Olyphant.
IDt,N,rIEIED py DAVIS
-, ,,.,,, ii,
Thomas Davis, VINO identified MN
as IN" man ne saw coming out ol the
b!tcher shop, stateu that tne man ne
saw wore a llght SUIT Oh clotnes' Kol-
ana called attention 10 the lact that
the au;t he was attired III was tne one
was w The only suit he owned.
The suit was dark brown in color.
He denied having made the request
not to arrest the other fellow as
Constable Morris testified, and also de-
MED that he stated at the hearing that
he remained over night in Owens ho-
| e. Then in answer to his attorneys $
questions he denied all knowledge Of
the crime. The case was given to the
;c,y at adjournment.
John Marshall. janitor of the city
hall. was returned not guilty of as
saulting John Curley and the prosecu-
tor was directed to pay the costs. John
Z. Scragg appeared for the defendant.
Peter Gilleran, a 13-year-old boy. was
| found guilty of assaulting his school
mste. Harry Williams. ii cOlored boy
of the same age. He was sentenced to
ray a fine of $2 and costs.
Attorney a. \. EOsburg succeeded in
| clearing his client. Mary Burns, of the
charge of assaulting Andrew kearney.
The costs were placed on the prosecu-
tor.
Thomas Coyne alleged that James
Igo. who worked alongside him at the
steel mill. struck him with an iron bar
and also hit him in the face with his