The herald., 1897-07-11
Claude Hill and Clarence
Gibbs Speak GIibly
CASE THAT'S BADLY TANGLED
gHE WIDNEY DIVORCE RUSHED
THROUGH THE COURT
a Point Raised That May Set Luck
enbach ct al. Free-Will Of G. A.
Steele Admitted to Probate

A most beautiful ENHANCEMENT re-
suited yesterday in the township cour
from the examination of the two boys
Claude Hill and Clarence Gibbs, who are
charged with having stolen horse ant
buggy belonging to j. T. Knapp.
Hill is about 20 years of age and his
companion gave his age as 16, and either
one or the other is a real bright boy with
phenomenal abilities as liar. Whict
one it is, however, is the puzzle that re-
mains to be solved on Monday when the
examination will be continued.
The complainant, Knapp, testified thai
he had left his buggy hitched at the cor
ner of First street and Broadway al
fifteen minutes to on the afternoon
when 1t was stolen. AT fifteen minutes
to 4 it had disappeared.
The defendant Claude Hill, told very
plausible story On the day in question
he said he met Gibbs about o'clock in
the evening in front of Blacks pool
room on Spring street, when Gibbs told
him of having obtained buggy to dis
pose of. He was asked by his frierd to
help in effecting a sale, in which case he
would allow him 10 per cent for his trou-
BILE and any amount he obtained above
$22 he might have for himself Hill con-
sented to aid in the deal, and at once ac-
companied Gibbs out to the Four Mile
house, where the buggy was stored. The
boys played horse aud drew the buggy
into town, and Hill took it to his aunts
house on Twenty-first street. Next
morning he came up town and happened
across friend named Adams to whom
he being of horsey proclivities--he told
about the sale he had on hand. Hill told
Adams if he would help out he would
divvy with him on anything that might
be obtained above s22, the price Gibbs
demanded. Adams said all right to the
proposition, but the first thing he ad-
vised was that they should hunt around
and get a horse and harness. This was
eventually done, but in hitching up set
of harness was discovered in the buggy.
The harness upon the borrowed horse
was thereupon removed and the set in
the buggy fixed up. Then an effort was
made to trade off the rig, with the result
that the law officers arrested both boys
Several reputable witnesses bore wit
ness to certain of the facts testified to
by Hill, and his statement seemed to
bear the earmarks of truth-until Gibbs
was heard from. That very self-posses-
sed youth denied Hills story in toto
In support of his sweeping denial his
mother and brother accounted for his
presence upon the day of the robbery
up to in the afternoon. He then went
riding with the driver of a delivery wag-
on belonging to a grocery store adjacent
to his home, and the driver, and also the
clerk in the store, testified to his having
been so occupied un til about o'clock.
Those witnesses, if they are to be be-
lieved, covered effectually the hour
when the buggy was stolen and made it
impossible that Gibbs could have been
the delinquent. But that was not all.
An old man cutting brush not far from
his home saw Gibbs about half past 5;
his mother, brother and 8 woman who
was at the house testified to his going
home to dinner at 6; he went an errand
between 6 and Z, which was amply testi
fed to, and at the latter hour he dressed
and went to Foresters' entertainment
in the hall close to Washington and
Bush streets at o'clock, and remained
there the remainder of the evening.
With such contradictory statement
of facts, how is the truth to be ar
rived at?