The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-01
DRAWS ASIDE THE CURTAIN
HENRY GRUBER'S ARRAIGN'
MENT OF POLICE OFFICIALS
The Once City Detective Reveals an
astonishing Degree of ROttenness
In the Police Depnrtment-De-
tectives Had Orders to Arrest No
One I'm Grimn's SnIOOn--Te1Is
What Became of ROebuck's Gold.

Henry Gruber, once city detective,
told a straightforward story of what
became of George Roebuck's twenty
dollar gold pieces. when he was on the
witness stand yesterday. He made an
arraIgnment of the principal officers OF
the police department, and said spe-
officially that several OF them were in
conspiracy to keep the money that had
been given up by Furey, the thief.
He said that. when it became nee
esSary for him to return the money
handed to him and by him given to
Lieut.. Pothen, ne had to force Pothen
to give it UP at the point of a gun.
Pothen sat in front of Gruber. not
ten feet away, and was once directly
challenged by the witness to deny what
he said.
Pother turned redder than his usual
rudy hue, but gave no other sign that
he heard.
The witness also testified that he was
ordered not to arrest any one under
ANY circumstances in Red" Griftin's
saloon, snd that he had been repri-
manded fer disobeying the order.
His testimony created a profound
sensation in the court room.
The cross examination of the witness
by County Attorney Anderson was. in
effect a defense of the police depart
ment.
Henry Gruber did not look like a man
ON trial for a felony. He was well
dressed. well groomed and self-pos-
sessed. He had evidently made up his
mind to tell the whole truth, before
the trial commenced. 1t was also evil
dent. from the presence of Chief Goss
and Lieut. Pothen, that they expected
that Gruber was going into unpleasant
details. He justified their expectations,
and perhaps went little beyond them.
George Roebuck. who was treated to
Il - SC-
arm" on the streets of st. Paul in the
middle of the afternoon of Aug. II last,
had come up all the way from Kansas
City to be present at the trial, though
ct had been understood that be would
not return.
! Mr.. Roebuck was the principal wit
mess for the prosecution. He told the
well-known story Of how he had met
Furey, and had had a money belt con-
tanning thirty-fiVe twenty dollar gold
pieces taken away from him. There
was nothing new in his testimony.
The state rested, in the knowledge
that, when Gruber was through telling
his story, the real work of the trial
would commence, for, in order to con-
Wet the ex-detective, the police de-
partment must be Yindicated.
Gruber took the stand in his own
defense in the afternoon, and, without
any preliminaries. told his story. He
was not Intercepted to any extent, but
was permitted to tell his story in his
own way. He said:
I am thivty-seven years of age and have
been a policeman for twelve years in st.
Paul. During the last year of my service
/ was on the detective force.
On the 18th day of last August, l walked
down Seventh street with friend and met
Mr.. Finkelstein, the pawnbroker. on the
street. He said: There is trouble at Red
Griffn's; you had better run up there"
When l got to "Grif's" place, there was
crowd outside, but | pushed my way In.
Roebuck and some others, and was informed
that Roebuck had been robbed of a number
Of gold pieces. Roebuck was ratified and
wanted to get his money back l asked
where the man was that took the money,
and it was said he had gone to the back of
J the place. l went into the toilet room and
found Furey there. RCebuck followed me
in and identified Furey. and said he would
give up a hundred dollars if he could get
the rest of his money: said to Furey:
SAID he only had $400 and he'd give that up.
Roebuck said No, l must have $500.
Then Lieut.. Pothen put Furey under arrest
and started out of the place with him.
l was the other side of Pothen from
Furey and the crook reached around Pothen
and handed me number of twenty-dolar
gold pieces. eight of them.
Detective Murnane had come in in the
meantime and he and l dropped in behind
Pothen and his prisoner and went that way
up to st. Peter street, then Pothen turned
down Market to the station. and Murnane
and I went on to Washington. and l turned
that way with Murnane.
On Washington street l took the money
out Ct my pocket and showed 1T to MUIR
name and told him where l got it.
When | got to the station Furey in
Schweitzer's Office. I gave Schweitzer 1.-The
Office" to come out. but he didn't, and 1
went back to the detectives room and
found Pothen, Murnane. Carey and Roebuck
there counting money-twenty dollar gold
pieces. 1 went into the toilet room and
called to POthen to come in. He did so.
I handed the money, S160. Then l went to
dinner.
When I came back l found Pothen on
duty at the desk and he went up stairs with
me presently. We saw Furey and l told
him that l had given the money to Pothen.
We went down stairs and Pothen went
into the chiefs Office and started talking to
GOss Just before Schweitzer and l went
out I told Phil that I had given the money
10 Pothen. and l just then looked in through
the door ard saw POthen hand stack Of
gold to Cess.
That night l met Pothen the corner OF
Eighth and Wabasha, and he said: Il held