The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-12-23
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Last Weeks Lo1l 1lserccetOiDEs
Wednesday morning John Nicodemus.
Jenner township youth entered a plea
Of guilty 70 robbing Grofs store at Con-
huence. He was sentenced 10 pay the
costs OF prosecution. sl.ce fine and 10 be
confined in the Huntingdon Reformatory.
Jere Fletcher, of Somerset township,
accused Of stealing oats from lawyer VAL
eutine Hays farm was convicted.
The cross suits between John and VIII
liam Hart on one side and Samuel Tress-
Ter on the other. for larceny growing ont
Of a dispute over lot of corn and corn
fodder-tbe Harts having farmed for
Tressler on the sbares-were disposed of
by the Courl directing the jury TO return
a verdict of not guilty.
Wednesday afternoon the case of the
Commonwealth Us. Abe Mnsser. charged
with burglary on information OF William
Debakau, was taken up. The testimony
adduced was in line with the facts pub
lished in the HERALD the week following
the commission of the crime. The prose-
cutor told of the midnight attack on his
castle and how he had defended his life
and property with an AK; how he had cut
one of the men on the left hand and the
other on the head; he identified Musser
as the man he had cut ON the hand.
Mnsser took the witness stand in his
own defense. He declared that he was at
home on the night of the attempted rob
berry. He arose at an early hour the next
morning and went TO work in the Shaw
coal mine. While endeavoring to cut
wedge with which to secure a mine prop
he cut himselfon the left hand with az
AK. He hastened home and after his wife
had washed and bandaged the wound he
went TO Meyersdale and consulted a ply
sician. His wife corroborated his tes;i-
mony as 10 his being at home on the
night of the burglary.
\ number Of witnesses were called in
rebuttal and evidence was adduced which
went TO show that Musser had set mp
carefully prepared defense, when he Wis
tied the mine, but that in place of return
ing from the mine To his home, he went
from the mine to Meyersdale where he
had the wound in his hand sewed up.
The case was given to the jury Thursday
morning and at > o'clock in the afternoon
they returned a verdict of guilty in mar
ner and form as indicted. Musser has
not changed much in physical appear
ance since he was defendant in a case ior
robbery ten or twelve years ago, which
resulted in his conviction followed by
long term in the penitentiary. He is
frail looking man and one Of the last
men the casual observer would take for g
desperate criminal.
Simon p. Sweitzer was placed on trial
Thursday afternoon. the charge against
him being the unusual one of embracery.
Testimony was offered showing that
Sweitzer had treated juror to a glass of
whisky and conyersed in the presence of
several jurors regarding case in which
he WAS interested as prosecutor and
which they were trying as jurors. The
defendant testified in his own behalf that
he did not know the men in whose pres
ence he had been talking were jurors.
In charging the jury Judge Longeneck
er remarked that in case the jury found
the defendant guilty, their verdict would
in no way reflect upon the jurors Sweitz-
er had talked with. The jury returned a
verdict Of guilty. Counsel for Sweitzer
filed motions for q new trial and arrest Of
Judgment.
William Graves entered a plea of gull
ty 10 assault aud battery. He was SEN
fenced to pay the costs and undergo
ninety days imprisonment in the county
Jail.
SENTENCES IMPOSED.
When court convened Monday morn
ing Judge Longenecker directed the
Sheriff to bring jeremiah Fletcher, VIM.
Reep. and WILDER Allen into court for
sentence.
Fletcher had been convicted Of stealing
q lot Of oats and a half bushel measure.
The prosecutor asked the Court 10 inn
pose lenient sentence, and after consul
iation it was agreed that the defendant
should enter bail for his appearance at
February court, when sentence Will be
imposed.
Reep, who plead guilty 10 burglarizing
B. :. FIecl1's store in Jenner township,
was sentenced to the Huntingdon Re
formatory; and Allen who plead guilty
to pointing firearms, was sentenced TO
pay the costs Of prosecution and to un-
dergo six months imprisonment in the
county jail