The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-10
A HIGHwAYMAN,s CONFESSION.
collier Tells How He and Adams Held
Up the Cedar Street Car

The history OF The attemp. to hold I'D the
CEDAR street car last Saturday morning
and 10 rob Conductor Skinner and Motor
man Barnum, incidentally including aDy
passengers that happened around. is In the
possession OF Detective Cudihee and Depu-
" Prosecuting Attorney Norris There
was no attempt on their part to coerce
Collier. the would-be robber, who was cap
tured by brave Conductor Skinner. He
acted OF his own volition, and in fun
knowledge OF the consequences of his con-
fession. The story was told in Justice
NcElwain's courtroom last evening at the
time Collier and John Adams. the other
robber, were arraigned. Adams still re-
mains ike an iceberg, and not a word has
been obtained from him The police. how
ever. know something OF his record, and
are firmly convinced that he has seen the
inside OF penitentiary. Adams will have
a preliminary examination next Monday
but Collier waived and will plead guilty
in the superior court as soon as he can be
arraigned- Detective Cudihee brought
Collier down to Justice McElwain's court
last evening where Deputy Prosecuting
Attorney Morris was waiting
Collier intimated that he desired to talk,
and Mr.. Morris told him that any state
ments he made would be used against
him. but II he desired TO talk he must tell
the truth or nothing. Collier then said:
II was IN Seattle nearly year ago, and
was at that time arrested in company with
a number of other persons, who were
charged with being Migrants. Shortly aft
er this 1 was released. and Immediately
left Seattle. going 10 Centralla, and then
10 Oregon. After remaining in Oregon for
several months i went 10 the mining dis
tricts In Eastern Washington, and took
up some claims. After the bad weather
set in came back TO Seattle. I had only
been here short time until / received $40
as my share of the proceeds of the sale OF
one of my claims. which sale was made
and the money sent to me by a mining
agent. After receiving the money /
bought from man named Johnson a
cabin near the foot OF Pike street. paying
IS. and took from him a receipt. With the
remainder of the $40 / bought provisions
and placed them In the cabin. Some time
after this, while / was fishing on the bay,
I met this man John Adams. and got into
a conversation with him Adams said he
was a stranger, and had no place TO stay.
! told him about my cabin; that was liy-
ing alone, and that he might stay with
me- He accepted my offer eagerly, and
short time later this plan to hold up the
Cedar street car was formed. How well
we carried out our plans may be judged
from what took place, and where We are
at
After finishing this narrative, ne said
he was perfectly willing to tell his whole
history.
Tell 1t IL you want to- said Morris.
well, / was born in Georgia" said Col
ller, land lived there until l was Is or l6
years old. Then I went to Canada. and re-
manned there until about 1894. when went
10 the mines ia Eastern Washington for
the first time. i was never arrested in
my life until in Seattle. when / was
hauled in with others as vagrant. / have
never done anything of which l am asham-
ed until tried street car robbing"
Collier said TO Detective Cudihee that
he could have killed Conductor Skinner
without any trouble, but he had 20 inten-
ton or desire to take life.