The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-12

Northern train Bell and l went up to the
mail car and both entered 1t, Mr.. Bell go
ing first. There was an exchange of CREST
ing between Mr.. Egbert and ourselves. Bell
asked him about the registered package
from Harwood to Sandy Point. He asked
him II he had handled It, Egbert replied
that his books would show what he
handled. He then said he wanted TO throw
out the mail for the junction. We told him
we would attend to that. The mail was
stacked up near the door. was standing
where ] could see every movement Egbert
made. and as he made a movement forward
as though to reach this mail that was
piled UP in the door I saw him thrust his
hand in his right trousers pocket and
rapidly withdraw 1t. ] made an attempt to
catch him. His right arm had free swing
and as he brought it forward | saw some
thing go out the door out of his hand.
Immediately got out of the car and on
The ground. About that time Conductor
Shearer came up. I asked him to hold his
lantern down, or probably l may have
asked him to get down. When he held his
lantern down | saw q roll OF bills with n
rubber band around them. (Witness here
corroborated the testimony of Conductor
Shearer as to what passed between them
in reference 10 finding the money! After
I was convinced that Conductor Shearer
had seen the money on the ground,
picked 1t UP and handed it to him. We
then went into the mail car and in the
presence OF Conductor Shearer. Inspector
Bell and myself, ! examined the bills and
identified them as those that had been
left with Inspector Jones at Houston the
night before (Witness heres identited the
marked bills in court as the same that he
picked up IN front of the mall car at
Chenango Junction and examined with
Inspector Bell and Conductor Shearer.)
After the examination of the bills was
completed. threw the mail for the june
ton out of the defendants car and we
told the defendant that he was in our
custody. We went on with him to Colum-
bia where an affidavit was made against
him before a justice of the peace charg-
ing him with embezzling from regis
tered package"
BY the defense. Witness explained that
the reason for the mysterious dispatch,
with fictitious names, sent to Chenangp
to witness and Inspector Bell, was In
order not to let anyone into the secret
of their mission, which required secrecy
in It's accomplishment. About a year ago
witness had prepared test letter over
the same line to Nelasco, which never
reached its destination.
Counsel for the defense asked some
questions IN reference to previous diff
ticulty or trouble between Inspector Bell
and the defendant but withdrew 1t with
out insisting upon an answer. saying that
he would bring this out at the proper
time.
At the conclusion of the testimony OF
Inspector Fitzgerald, counsel for the de-
fendant moved to expunge from the tes-
timony the statement that witness saw
the package 20 out of defendants hand
out of the mail car, as this statement was
elected upon q question propounded by
the court and was not the voluntary
statement of the witness. The motion
was granted and the words "out of his
hard" were expunged from the record.
The only testimony introduced by the
defendant was as to his ability to give
bond. His father. d. Egbert. ST., testi-
1ed that neither he nor his son had any
property subject to execution. He thought
a bond in the neighborhood Of $1,000 might
be given.
Counsel for the defense pleaded for
reasonable bail. The court fixed 1t at
$4,000. and the proceedings were concluded,
In reference to the allusion to pre-
yious trouble or difficulty between In
spector Bell and Mr.. Egbert. made by
Mr.. Egbert's counsel during the prelim-
mary trial. Postmaster Seth B. Strong
called at the office of The Post last night
and said that he had been delegated by
ali three of the postofice inspectors en-
eaped In this ase--Messrs. Bell. Jones
and FItzgerald--to saw that neither one
of them had never had any difficulty
whatever with Mr.. Eebert previous 10
his arrest on this charge.