The record-union., 1898-03-29
FACE TO FACE WITH THEM
Z. ]. CRoLY CoNFRoNTS LEROY
AND SEARIGHT.
A Session OF Court Held by the
Bedside of the Wounded
Citizen.

Z. j. Croly yesterday, Whlle the
wounded and suffering citizen gave his
testimony in the examination case or
Charles Walker, alias Leroy, and James
Searight, the thugs who invaded his
home a week ago last Sunday and shot
him down while he was defending hlm-
self and his household.
Yesterday was the day set for Le-
roy's and Searight's examination, put
as Mr. Croly was not able to leave his
bed, and it was deemed necessary 10
have his testimony in case he should
not recover, that portion Of the exam
ination had to be held by his bedside
There were present during the taxing
of Mr.. Croly's testimony Justice q. =.
Davis, City Attorney DeLigne, Stenog-
rapher B. c. Brier, Chief of Police
Dwyer, Police Detective Fisher and
Officer Maley R. NJ. Clarken, counsel
for Leroy, was also present, as were
DR.. G.. G. Simmons, the attending ply
Eician, Mrs. Croly, the two nurses and
press reporters.
When Judge Davis declared the court
TO be in readiness to proceed, MI
Clarken said that on behalf of Leroy
he entered a formal objection to the
so-called preliminary examination, Tor
the reason that there is no legal City
Justices court, and that therefore
there could be no preliminary exam
ination. He also objected to the hear
ing of the case at that time before the
Hon G. G.. Davis, for the reason that,
there being no City Justices court,
there could be no City Justice. He
further objected to the examination of
any witnesses.
Justice Davis promptly overruled the
objections, and Mr.. Clarken was cred
tied with an exception thereto.
After a few preliminary questions of
a formal and statutory character, Mr..
Croly was asked to go on and state in
his own way what occurred on the
night of the Goth in his house. He
was propped up in his bed in a half
sitting position, and in a slow and
measured manner, but clearly and dis
tinctly, the wounded man proceeded 10
relate the circumstances under which
he received the two pistol-shot wounds
that had so nearly ended his life.
All of the time Leroy and Searight
stood by the side of the bed. only a
few feet from their victim, where he
could distinctly see them. Most of the
time they gazed stolidly at the suffer
ing man before them, neither pity nor
remorse for their hellish work being
pictured on their features.
MR.. CROLY'S STATEMENT.
ION the night of the 18th Of this
month" said Mr.. Croly. my wife and
I attended a Masonic banquet, and It
was early on Sunday morning when we
returned home. Not being in the
habit of being up late we retired early
on the following night Sunday. My
Wife retired about 5 o'clock, and I
about a half-hour later, after first fast
ening the doors and windows, as usual.
The house bells are on the first .loor,
in the rear part of the house, while our
bedroom is here on the upper floor
Any ringing Of the bells down stairs
could not be beard by US up here.
About 9 o'clock I heard a noise
down stairs. It did not disturb me. as
] knew our servant girl was out that
evening, and l supposed she had re-
turned with her sister, who sometimes
came with her.
Il then doZed away, but soon after
heard voices in the house, and was
about to ask my wife if there was any
one in the girls room with her, when
q flash of light came through the
transom over the door of our room. l
jumped out of bed and opened the
door when 1 was confronted by that
man there pointing at Leroy. There
was another man behind him, whom L
could not see distinctly.
"The men started back toward the
stairway and dropped the piece of
candle or whatever it was that made
the light. I grappled with one Oeroy).
when a shot was fired, and I was struck
by the bullet in the right breast. l
thought it was fired by the smaller man
who was ahead and near the stairs.
II continued to pummel the larger
man and struck him several times,
when he got out his pistol and shot me
in the left breast. fell, and they ran
down the stairs.
'I was conscious, and told my wife
to go to the telephone and notify the
police that I had been shot. The first
person to come in was ". Fl. Hanlon.
He raised me partly and gave me some
whisky. Soon after DR.. Simmons came
and then the police"
Mr.. Croly was asked if he was GER
tain there were two persons present
when he opened the door of his room,
and he replied that he saw two men
distinctly He positively identified
Leroy as the one with whom he crap
pied. but the other mans features he
did not see plainly.
HIS was of the opinion that the one
who fired the first shot was not the
one with whom he was scuffling, but
was not positive on that point.
The pistol secured in Chinatown,
where Leroy had hidden it, was shown
to Mr.. Croly, and he identified it as
his own. He said it was stolen that
night from pigeon-hole in his desi;
down stairs.
The windows of the house, he said
We're all provided with what the hard
ware stores sell as burglar-proof sash
fixtures.
At the conclusion of his testimony
Mr.. Clarken asked the witness a cou-
pie of questions. and again notified the
court that he entered a formal objec-
ton to the whole proceeding.
Returning to the courtroom Justice
Davis continued the further hearing OF
the case till 130 D. m. on Wednesday
ESTATES IN PROBATE.
A Number of Documents Filed in
Caur% Yesterday