El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-16
UNITED STATES
VOLUNTEER
Charged in the United States
. Court With Larceny While
Stationed at Fl. Bliss.
CONFLICTING TESTIMONY
Given by the Witnesses and Most OF
the Evidence CircumstantiaI,

| An important case called by U. S.
District Attorney Terrell on last Satur-
day was that of Dick r. johnson, who
was charged with stealing and parlotn-
| ing q silk quilt, q number of handker-
chiefs, table linen, and two suits OF
clothes, the property OF Mrs. Arthur
E. Coane, while q member of the Third
| stationed at Fort Bliss on the 18th day
of December of last year.
At the time that the goods were
found johnson was In leave of absence
and was in the Indian Territory. He
was arrested and brought back to Tex
as to face the charge.
Mrs. COane's hu band was SER
geant in the 18th Infantry band
| and had gone to the Philippines with
| in the band room in charge of Quarter
master Sergeant James l.. Douglass, OF
the U. s. A. Mrs. Coone sometime after
that went to the quartermaste for her
effects She found that the box which
contained the goods had been rif1ed and
certain things stolen. MrssCoone went to
Lieutenant Matthews and demanded
Matthews in company with the quarter
master sergeant, 1st Sergeant
Mcconnell, made q search
of the barracks where the soldiers had
their various effects and slept. One
of the first lockers searched was that
belonging jointly to johnson snd
another soldier by the name
locked and Vanstell claimed that
johnson had the key, they undertook
| to force the lock. Just before the lock-
err was forced open Vsnstell said, Don't
do that. 1 have the key here
and will unlock it, When
the box was opened the goods belong
ing to Mr.. Coone were found and Phan
Steel said they were in the side belong
ing to johnson. On further examine
ton, the linen napkins were found in
Johnson's bed.
M. B. Matthews when placed upon
the stand testified that the de-
PENDANT had told him that when he had
charge of the bath house, he had oc-
casion to fix the pipes in the loft of the
house and when he went there he
found the goods, with which he is
charged with stealing.
Shortly after this johnson was given
q leave of absence and the theft was
discovered.
ALI of the witnesses who knew John
son at his home in Greenville, testified
that they knew him to bear a good re-
putation for honesty and integrity.
Mr.. Terrell argued that the evidence |
QAO Ooeu OOlloQ QO"u 10 UuS OuS idCG
tn at the Jury must decide, whether they |
believed johnson had found the goods |
as he said or whether he had stolen |
them. II there is as much guilt ag ainst
Phanstell as johnson, why, then, did
johnson say he found them.
The judge charged the jury and they
retired.
The jury returned verdict of not |
guilty and the defendant was discharg- |
ed.
WILLIAMS SENTENCED TO PRISON. |
After the jury retired in the case of
Johnson, Judge Coldwell made plea
before Judge Maxey in behalf of his
client A. T. Williams, who was found
guilty Friday of extracting q valuable
letter addressed to another person
from the Sanderson postoffice.
Judge Maxey said be would be as
lenient as possible and as the district
attorney did not insist in the full penal
~, Judge Maxey sentenced Williams
10 eighteen months at hard labor in
The United States penitentiary at
Leavenworth, Kansas.