The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-04-14
CHAIN GROWS STRONG
Evidence Connecting Linn and coleman
With lncendlary Fires, Is PiIlng Up.
ANOTHER PRISONER LODGED IN JAIL
The Evidence of Linn's wifo Caused
1Efx Arrest-She TcRsiaes to- Hear.
ing Him Ask Her lIusbnnd to do
With Him to Rurn HhaichuEsI's
HasA-Linn nnd Doie,nnn Held.

There was another large crowd at the
Mayors Court yesterday. drawn there
to hear the trial Of Edward coleman.
who Is charged with the. robbery Of an
oyster house at the foot Of DlnWiddle
street, kept by Arthur Jones.
The first witness called was Arthur
Jones. the man who rented the oyster
house. who testified that on the night
Of March 18th. at 9 O'Clock, he closed
his shop and went to his home In Lin
colnville. He was certain that there
was no fire at the shop when he left It..
1t went out at 4 o'clock in the after
noon. and when he left that night he
secured the doors.
He said that there were two hooks
on the back door. and that he always
put two nails over the staple behind
them, SO that they could not be pulled
open. He used the Ratchet for that
purpose. and always kept J, under the
counter with his dishes. SO that he
would know where Il vas when he need
ed It. He was sure that the Ratchet
was In the shop when he left at 8
o'clock. He said tina. when he left
everything was all right. About 3:3O
O'Clock the next morning some woke
him up and said his shop was on fire.
He came down. but by the time he
got there the shop was burned down.
and he saved nothing. He said that on
saturday last he told Officers Warren
and Abbott that he believed If Inns
iiouSe was Seached lie would lind some
or h!s property.
"A search warrant was then procured
He and the two officers, In company
with Mollie Taylor and her lt1le boy,
went to her house and began searching
II.
FOUND HIS PROPERTY.
eAs soon n 9 the safe was opened he rec
osHized his salt cellars The closets
were then opened and he saw q hatchet
1Ir1l a
Davis property. Stirring things up he
FOUND his Ratchet. which answered the
description given the officers before the
search was made. pair Of pants and
par OF shoes were also found. The
extra Ratchet was brought 10 the sta
ton house.
Deputy Sheriff Abbott testified to the
hndlng OF the articles at Inns house.
and the willingness Of Inns wife 10
assist them In The search. Mrs. Linn said
Wnen the hatchetS were found that
she did not know tina, they were there,
put as 10 the salt cellars. that Linn and
coleman must have brough, them
there. as she knew no other way for
Them 10 get there. He also testified
that Tom D,vis fully identified HIS
ratchet. having given full descrip-
ton OF II before he saw It.
Annanas Clark. who owned the oys-
ter house. was the next witness. who
testified to having lost sail and some
Sother articles n, the fire at the oyster
mouse. He valued his sail a S25. He
eald he fully identified the Ratchet az
Jones property. also the sal, cellars.
Mrs. Linn. commonly called MoIlie
Iaylor. was the next witness examined
She said that she married Linn three
years ago this month. on Avon street.
an Norfolk. the Rev. Mr.. Webb otnciat-
Ing. She procured The license In Nor
PLANNED TIE FIRE.
She did not know when the articles
were brought to her house, but had seen
tne SAT- cellars. and thought her hus-
band brought them there. She assisted
the officers all she could in searching.
and did not intend 20 screen any one.
She had told her husband If he and
Ned coleman did their dirty work, she
would not screen them: that she would
dow on them, and Frank her husband