The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-11-24
Rockwell Again Found Guilty.


the murder of Lewis Haines was held in
Ridgway Elk county, last week, and re-
suited in the jury bringing in verdict
of murder in the first degree after being
out two and a half hours. This is the
second time within less than eight
months that he has been convicted. The
evidence ofthe prosecution did not differ
materially from that produced at the
former trial. and the witnesses told pract-
ically the same story as before, The main
witness was Mrs. Annie Haines, widow
of the murdered Haines, and who is con-
fined in the Jail at this place, under sent
ance of completely in the robberies COM
nitted by the gang of which Rockwell,
Newell and Haines were members.
The Ridgway AdUocdte says of the star
witnesses; "Mrs. Lewis Haines, who had
been brought from the Forest county
Jail, and John ]. Newell, whe bad been
brought from the Huntingdon reiorma-
tory to testify i'm this case, were present
in tho court room and attracted more
than ordinary attention. Mrs. Haines
was much heavier than when she APP
peared here before and was a good rec
ommendation for the good fare furnished
Forest county jail-birds. When John j.
Newell, brother of Mrs. Haines was put
on the stand he testified among other
things that Haines and Rockwell left
home on the Monday morning before
! Christmas. Haines said he was going to
get job in the log woods. Rockwell
said he was going to make Hanes believe
he was leading him to the log job by a
short route, was going to kill him and
get his wife. Witness never saw Haines
after that. Rockwell came home the next
morning. Newell found a pocket knife
in cigar box on a shell that he had
loaned to Haines and that Haines had
taken with him that fatal Monday morn
ing. At the breakfast table that morning,
in the presence of the entire household,
Rockwell said he had killed Haines and
left his body in the burning building.
Rockwell at that time told how he had
got Hanes to help build fire in the old
blacksmith shop to get warm by, that
while Haines was on his knees making
sha wings with which to build fire. Rack
well was engaged in knocking some loose
boards off with heavy iron bar. That
he got behind Haines, struck him on the
back of the head with the bar and killed
him. He then piled boards upon him
and set them afire, having first taken the
rubber boots off the feet of the dead
Haines, taking his cap also and the pock-
ct knife which Haines had been using.
Rockwell luther stated that he remained
near the burning shop unit the roof fell
in. He then started home through the
woods, lost his way, came to the closed
up Holland house, entered it, lighted the
gas, helped himself to some preserves
and crackers, lay down before the fire to
get warm, fell asleep, was awakened by
getting his leg in contact with the stove
or fire. came on home after stealing an
overcoat from the place, tapped on Mrs.
Haines' bedroom window, was admitted
to the house through the window by Mrs.
Newell and sat down on the side of Mrs.
Haines' bed and talked to her while she
, arose and dressed, after which he (Rock-
well) assisted in preparing breakfast.
Mrs. Haines was then put on the stand
and her testimony agreed with that given
by her brother and mother, even in
RockwelPs Illicit love, the breakfast table
drama, the frequent previous attempts tc
kill her husband, the plans for an elope-
ment and the disappearance of Haines
She said that Rockwell had asked her tC
, marry him and shn told him: "If were
single and was going to marry, / would
=, Just as soon marry you as anyone else
She had objected to the elopement for the
reason that Haines would follow them
and Rocky well had replied that if Haine,
. followed them he would fix him SO h,
would give them no further trouble
Rockwell said that he would have me
if he had to kill my husband TO get me.
Mrs. Haines said that Rockwell did no
wear an overcoat when he left homo will
Haines, but did wear one when he re
turned next morning. When Mrs
Haine's attention was called to a sligh
, disagreement with her evidence in tn,
first trial she said that she had made
, mistake ard she "had felt atterward tina
: she never could enter the Kingdom o
, Heaven until she corrected her mistake ,
| She denied having said that she saw
a Haines since that fatal December morn
ing looking at her through the window
! at the Forest county Jail, and said tina
she had dreamed of his having looked
. through the Jail window at her."
STILL ANOTHER.
The jury in the case of the Italian 10y
the name Of Barya, who shot man by
the name of Augusta at Dagus Mines il
July last, brought in verdict of murde
in the first degree at the trial just endeC
in Ridgway,
The trial of John Sobol, Hungarian
charged with the killing of fellow coun
tryman by the name of Krutsic, ended il
n a verdict of second degree murder a
Ridgway the latter part of last week
Judge Mayer sentenced the pr isoner to
term of twelve years and six months il
the penitentiary.
This makes three murder trials dis
posed of in one week in Elk county, tw
of which resulted in first degree yerdicts
A record almost unpreceded in the an
nails of legal Jurisprudence.
Sentences Passed.