Bridgeton pioneer., 1900-08-09

WardS mouse. That Saturday after
noon, March Sd. David Hand and
Gertie Baker, with John Hand, went
to the Edwards house. They say
that John Hand told them to remain
there as he was going on to Port
Elizabeth to see Trader. They did
not remain there and then Wesley
Cousins came along, and he Staid
there. They were all there when
John Hand returned at midnight.
To some of them he declared that he
had this trouble with drunken
man, while to others he told the
story about the breaking down of his
wheel, and his remaining at the
Manumuskin station to repair the
damage.
John Hand will be formally charged
with the murder of John Trader this
week. The complaint has been made
and the warrant is ready for the serv-
ing That the awful charge does not
to-day hang over his head is due to
the fact that Constable Lore intends
to use Hand as a witness at the in
quest to be held sometime this
week.
Asked yesterday when the inquest
was to be held, Constable Lore re-
piled that it had not been fully deter
mined. Some time this week prob
ably, but not until the authorities
were satisfied to disclose the evidence
that had been secured.
Joseph Madden, David Hand,
brother of the suspect, and Wesley
Cousins are still in jail. Madden ex-
poets to get bail to-day, but the other
two have no hopes of being able to
furnish bail for their appearance at
Court and will probably remain in
Jail until the October term.
At present all three are in cells
upon the third floor which are as
signed for witnesses. AS a matter of
fact charges have been made against
the trio, and they will probably be
held to answer. Technically they are
charged with concealing crimes, and
are so committed. The form of the
complaint charges that each of the
three men had knowledge that one
John Hand committed murder by
taking the life of John Trader, and
wilfully concealed the information of
the crime
When the arrests were made early
Saturday morning. Madden was es-
pecially perturbed. He shook like an
aSpin leaf, so much so that it was
noticeable to his employer, Max
Sharp, who was present, and reproved
Madden and told him to brace up.
Since his incarceration, however. he
has recovered his composure and
seems perfectly at ease. He declared
yesterday that he knew absolutely
nothing about the crime except what
he has told. He says that he was at
the Maurice River township caucnS
on Saturday afternoon. February 24th,
and that John Trader was there. He
further says that in the early even
ing of the same day Trader came to
Max Sharp's hotel and got bottle
of beer. One half of this he gave to
Madden. Then Madden got bottle
of beer, and treated Trader to half of
it. He said he did not sell Trader
any whiskey, and that the dead man
did not get any whiskey of him that
night or anybody else.
In the investigation of the matter
the "Pioneer' has learned that Mad
den is correct about the date. The
authorities and everyone else except
Madden and Andrew Snyder, have
declared that the disappearance of
Trader occurred upon the fourth of
March. Yet everybody agrees that
the date was the same as the town
ship caucus. Certain it is that the
Maurice River union caucus was
held on the oath of Feb. Again the
official weather records show that on
Saturday, March fourth, the day was
clear and cloudy in the evening,
while at nine o'clock the thermome-
ter was forty-two. The records of
the weather for Saturday, February
24th, show that it began to rain
about seven O'Clock in the evening.
and that the rain turned to hail and
snow and the mercury dropped to II
degrees above zero. This is exactly
the weather of the night that Trader
disappeared. an8 seth
Time of Inquest Decided.
Coroner Hand, M. D., of Maurice
River, came to Bridgeton this morn
ing and had an important conference
with Prosecutor Fithian and Con-
stable Lore. After that Conference
Coroner Hand announced that the
time of the inquest had been fixed