The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-20

Nelson and Belmont Committed TO
Jail by Commissioners Lewis!

| lure united STATES commissioner Lewis
yesterday afternoon and were committed
| TO jail to await the action of the feder-
al grand jury, at the next term of court
The preliminary hearing before the COM
missioner was held in the Office of the
Lieutenant of police at the police bar
racks, the prisoners being brought up
| from the county jail where they were
sent under a previous commitment from
the commissioner few days ago. The
case was conducted for the government
| by Assistant District Attorney w. r.
Leaken. The commissioner heard the evil
| dence of Detective Stark, suspended De-
tectives Scully and Barrett Assistant
Postmaster Googe, Of Ocilla, and Proprie-
tor Jacob Bigler of the Kentucky restau-
rant, where Detective Stark found por-
ton of the stolen stamps, amounting in
value to $lO2
Although the men were quite ready to
plead guilty it was thought to be the wis
err plan to take all the evidence that was
at hand, for the use of the district attor-
ney in preparing the indictment and work
ing up the case against any other parties
who are suspected of being guilty, other
than the men already under arrest. From
the giving of this testimony came the in
terest that attached to the hearing, nor
was there lacking certain humor, that
lightened the otherwise dry proceeding,
and made it amusing as well as instruc-
tive
Inc hrst question asked of suspended
detective Barrett by Mr.. Leaken had
regard TO his name and official position.
me ofncer told his name, and in reply to
the second part of the question said:
wen, until last Saturday 1 was a city
detective" He did not seem worried or
annoyed that he could no longer give this
as his official designation
bafrett told of the arrest of Belmont
ana Nelson, a story that has already been
given 10 the readers of the Morning News
IN answer to a question of the assistant
district attorney he stated that he and
ms fellow detectives had accompanied the
prisoners from the station house to one
OF the places where they had lodged after
there coming to Savannah and had recover
ed some property belonging to them Bar
rett stated that none of this property be-
longed to the government and that none Of
IL correspondent with the description of
any OF the articles stolen from the post
office at Ocilla. He said, though that
among the property of the prisoners, that
they found and claimed as their own
were four pistols, two of which were APP
parently quite new and just from the shop
AT any rate they showed no signs of hav-
ing been carried in the pocket or else
where for any considerable length of time.
There is story to the effect that the
attention of the detectives was first
drawn to Messrs. Belmont and Nelson by
certain traffic carried on by them with
certain of the pawnshops and that
among the articles purchased or ex-
hp CT hot he. 8,
the postoffice at Ocilla had formerly con-
tanned was pistol or pistols 1t may he
that these weapons the detectives found
had come into the possession of the GRIM
inals in this manner.
Detective Stark and Jacob Bigler, the
latter proprietor of the Kentucky restau-
rant, testified TO the find and recovery of
the $l02 worth of stamps. The restaurant
proprietor had first come across them I'M
der the pillow of the bed in the room used
by the men at. his lodging house, run in
connection with the restaurant. and had
turned them over TO the detective.
Assistant Postmaster jefferson L. Googe
of Ocilla was another of the witnesses who
testified at the hearing before the commis-
sioner. He told of the burglary of the
postofiiee and described the property that
had been stolen. This consisted, he said
of $195.56 in 2-cent stamps, and $4.0l in
money. OF this $102 in stamps have been
recovered, leaving 1913. As in stamps and the
money still unaccounted for. The prisoner
will not account for it, and up TO this time
nobody else has been able 10 do so.
However, there is clue to the where
abouts of portion of the stamps at least
Since the arrest of the two safe blowers
there came TO the Savannah postoffice a
registered letter addressed to Harry Bel
mont, which was held by the postoffice
thorities. II was fat and bulky in appear
anoe and presented all the outward indi-
cations of containing something of value
and concealing something of interest.
Deputy Marshal Charles ]. White OBJ
tanned from Belmont a written order for
the delivery of this registered letter to
him, and going to the postoffice received
and receipted for it. The letter was then
taken to Belmont, in his cell at the jail
and he was requested to open it in the
presence of the officer This he declined
to do, nor could any amount of urging
or persuasion induce him to reconsider
this determination, which he held to with
the greatest obstinacy. Belmont stated in
the most positive terms however, that the
letter contained nothing belonging to the
government. and that there was no stamps
concealed within its folds.
In this he is mistaken. Although the
letter has not been opened. there is every
good reason 10 think that 1t does con-
tain stamps, and that these stamps are
part of the spoil of the Ocilla postoffice.
What Belmont thought he would gain by
his denial of this fact that will certainly
be brought out, IL ii be essential to his
conviction, when his case is tried does not
appear.
The letter with the stamps and other
exhibits tending to prove the acknowledge
ed guilt Of the accused, will be held by
the commissioner and turned over by him
to the court. 1t will be for Judge Speer
10 decide whether or not the letter shall
be opened.
The prisoners had nothing to say as to
their assistant in opening the postofIice at
DELLA and in blowing open the safe. The
question as TO the connection of John
Perry the other man, under arrest at
Ocilla, who is charged with completely in
the crime, with its commission, was not
asked. on other occasions, though, Bel
mont and Nelson have denied strenuously
that Perry had anything at all TO do with
1t. The men were both recommitted 70
jail.
Postoflce Inspector r. e. Barry is still