The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-29
is NEARING A VERDICT
George M. Roe Is on Trial Charged
With Robbery.
IN UNITED STATES COURT
A Great Part Of the Evidences Is Already
In - He Is Accused OF Holding
Up the Agent at Warm
Springs.

Al
Pacific station agent and postmaster
at Warm Springs, on the evening of
Jan. IA last, and robbing the postoffice
was commenced before Judge Knowles
in the United States court yesterday.
The morning session was devoted to
securing a jury and the receiving of
the testimony was taken up at the at
ternoon. When court adjourned at
o'clock the greater part of the evil
dence was in and it is expected that
verdict will be reached to-day.
On the night mentioned Agent and
Postmaster Eldred was held up and
$165 of express and $50 government
money was secured. Roe was employed
in the laundry of the state insane asy-
lum. About a week after the rob-
berry he left for Lincoln, Neb. Sus-
picion attached to him, and he was ar
rested and brought back for trial.
The present trial is on the charge
of robbing the postoffice. The prose-
cution is being conducted by United
States District Attorney w. B. Rodgers
and his assistant, ]. c. English Roe is
represented by Attorney w. H, Trippet
of Anaconda and ]. H. Hinkle of
Butte.
When the afternoon session was open
ed the following jury was sworn: A. J.
ans, w. H. Abbot, f. c. Foreman, A.
j. Chambard, w. c. Bryant, j. M.
Blakely, George E. Daily, e L. Mayo,
Carl Engel and Enos Cameron. The
opening statements of counsel fol-
lowed.
]. S. Eldred, agent of the Northern
Pacific railroad and formerly postmas-
TO a no wit
ness He related the circumstances Of
the hold-up. 1t was shortly after 6
o'clock on the evening of Jan. 14th last.
He left the station office to go after
some milk. and just as he stepped out
| side a gun was showed into his face
and he was ordered to hold up his
| hands. He did not at first comply, but
did at the second command. His cap
| tor then marched him back into the Of
| flee, made him open the express COM
| pany's safe, and after securing its con-
| tents and rifling the postoff1ce money
| drawer he was marched some distance
| down the track and released. He at
once notified Dr. Mussigbrod at the asy-
| lum, who ordered his men out. Wit
ness described the clothes worn by the
| hold-up as a long, black overcoat and
SLOUGH hat He was also masked. Ask
ed il he could identify the man who
held him up, the witness said he could,
and that the person was the defendant,
whom he knew as an employe of the
laundry of the asylum. The hold-up
secured about $50 in money belonging
to the government.
| Cross-examined by Attorney Trippet,
the witness admitted seeing some men
around the station during the after
noon. He said that not more than
minute and half elapsed between the
time witness was held up and the time
| he hnll R,oic he jnh
telephoned to the asylum at exactly
| 6:52 o'clock. The robber secured, be-
sides the government money, about
| s165 belonging to the express company
He also took a pocketbook and box
| which contained some of the money.
The box was found the next morning
some distance from the station. The
| distance from the station to the asy-
| lum was about 400 yards: 1t was about
| five minutes from the time he first saw
the robber till he telephoned the asy-
lum.
Here Mr. Trippet asked. "Mr. Roe
was in the habit of visiting your
| house, was he not?"
Yes: I knew his voice very we'll
rs it not a fact that you never
thought of Mr.. Roe being the robber
| till it was suggested to you by the
Northern Pacific railroad detective"' g.,
THAT is true"
rs it not also a fact that you told
Detective Hunt you thought one of a
couple of tramps you had seen around
the station held you up?"
Il did"
On redirect examination, the witness
was asked by Mr.. Rodgers how De-
tective Hunt came to suggest Roe as
the hold-up and why he (the witness)
had not thought of him himself. The
| witness said that Hunt came to him on
| = dow fo11 rirnrr Ibn hnl1 a md
said Roe had checked his trunk to Lin
coin, Neb. Witness said at once, That's
the man." Continuing, the witness
said: 1.-The voice came to me then, and
the mans size and actions all con-
| WINGED me it was Roe who held me up,
and I've never had any doubt of it
since"
BY a map which was exhibited to the
jury the surroundings of the scene OF
the hold up We're explained, and on re-
cross examination 1t was shown that il
would take eight minutes to go from
the station to where the money box
was found and then to the asylum.
Mrs. Eldred, wife of the PRECEDING
witness, was next called. She stated
that the living apartments of herself
and husband We're in the station build
| ing. At the time of the hold-up she
saw the robber in the waiting room
as the holding up process was going on
She gave no other testimony.
Ed Hobart, an employe at the asy'
lum, said he was eating supper when
| telephone message came announcing
the hold-up, and he, with others, went
Immediately to the neighbors to procure
guns. On the way he crossed the patti
leading from the asylum to the depo'
and saw Roe standing at the gate OF
| the convalescent hospital He ap'
peared to be out of wind, but witness
was running and was out of wind him.
self and might have thought from that
fact that Roe was also. Witness couic
not be positive whether Roe was COM
ing from the station when he saw hin
or whether or not he was walking OF
| running. Asked If he had not testified
before the United States commissioner
at the preliminary hearing to the effect
that Roe was running, going from the
depot to the asylum, the witness re-
piled that he could not remember, bu
that if he so testified he would say -
again.
Cant YOU remember how you die