The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-06-23
THE TESTIMONY ADDUCED
Is More or Less Damaging to the
Prisoner at the Bar.
BELABORED WITH A BIG CLUB.
An Old Man Tells the Story of the Attack
and of How the Burglars Acted
The Case Attracting a Great
Deal of Outside
interest

Juuge McCarty and jury have been
kept busy since Monday afternoon
with the case Of Ohio VS. William Hen
derson, charged with burglary and
larceny. The case has been reviewed
several times The midnight attack
on the home of the aged Bender BROTH
ers, near Massillon, on the night of
July IL, 1897 by five masked men, the
beating OF the old men with clubs and
the theft OF their hard earned money,
which was kept in chests in their bed
rooms, have been given over time and
again. The recital OF the villainous
work of the burglars by those who
were present in the Bender home on
that miserable night, as told on the
witness stand Tuesday morning, would
lead the average citizen to believe that
he was yet resident of the wilderness
instead of enlightened and police-pro-
tected Ohio. Thirteen witnesses had
been examined by the state at the noon
adjournment. The Witnesses whose
testimony was more or less damaging
to the defendant were: jeremiah
Bender, Alice Williams, William
Ricksecker, Thomas Ackey, mayor OF
New Philadelphia where Henderson
was arrested; Daniel Sweeney, marshal
OF New Philadelphia; Morris Silver
man, James Dorand, Charles Cutler, j..
Heffner, Fred Keefer, Elias Bender,
William Morrison Allen Williams,
Charles w. Pitsgon, A. B. Winnett,
John Masters.
Frederick Keefer was a
member of the Bender household. His
story Of the burglary was graphic and
was listened to attentively by every
one of the rather large audience in at
tendance. He told of retiring for the
night as usual; the scream of "ire''
which first awakened him; then Of the
entrance Of the five masked men who
pounded the old men with clubs and Sc
curely bound him to chair. He told
OF their talks as they robbed the chests
of hundreds of dollars.
"This is better than making hay,'
said one, and "This beats working in
Russels shops all to -" said anoth-
err"
In the meantime a thunder storm
ragged without and the old men
screamed in their fright. Final
ly the robbers left the
home, taking with him the old mems
money. Keefer, in direct examination
by Prosecutor Pomerene, said he rec
ognized Henderson as being one of the
men.
Mrs. Williams, who kept saloon in
Massillon at the time of the burglary,
testified that Henderson and man
named "Yorkey" Dick came into her
place the morning after the robbery
One of the men carried bag filed with
silver and gold. Mrs. Williams gave
two silver dollars for two gold dollars,
and the latter were introduced in evil
dence Tuesday morning. Mrs. Williams
and Attorney James A. Rice, who is
defending Henderson, had an amusing
tilt Tuesday morning. 1t was steel
against steel, until Judge McCar-
ty took hand in the men,
tai cannonading and called a
halt. Mrs. Williams said she had left
q sick bed to come to the trial Her
evidence was strong against the de-
fendant. She related at least one SEN
Satlonal STORY anu also salu Lnab ner lie
had been threatened since it became
! known that she was to testify against
Henderson.
1t has been a source of conjecture for
some days why A. B. Winnett, who
was sentenced to term in the peni-
tentiary some time ago, had not been
taken to Columbus to serve his
time. The reason became plain enough
Tuesday morning when Winnett was
placed on the stand against Henderson.
Winnett had been in jail with Hender-
son and had learned enough to be
valuable as witness for the state.
Prosecutor POmerene stated to News
Democrat reporter that Winnett's mis-
sion in jail had now been fulfilled and
it is probable that he will be taken to
Columbus as soon as Sheriff Zaiser re-
turns from Youngstown.