Evening journal., 1900-02-28
Chief BERRY
HERE YESTERDAY
Chester Officer Searching for
George B. Eyre's Missing
Ring and ShOtguns.
LOCAL PAwNsHOPs VISITED
AND BOOKS EXAMINED, BUT NO
TRACE or THE ARTICLES COULD
BE FOUND-SUBPOENAS SERVED
FOR THE PIERCEs' TRIAL.

i
A search of the local pawnshops was
made yesterday afternoon by officers
with the hopes of finding some trace OF
the missing ring and shotguns which
belonged TO George B. Eyre, of Ches-
ter, who was murdered in December
last
Chief Of Police Berry, of Chester, ar
rived in this city yesterday afternoon
and in company with Chief Dolan.
made round of the loan offices and
carefully examined the brokers' books
for information that might be useful in
the trial Of the Pierces for Eyre's muir
der. No clue was found, however, and
before he returned home Chief Berry
said he had reason to believe now that
the missing articles were not disposed
Of in this city.
The Chester official was of the opin-
ion the ring and guns had been pledged
at Harris pawnshop, and police offi-
Gals went to Harris and made an ex-
tensiye examination OF all the books.
containing entries from December last
but there was no record Of guns. ring
or watch similar to those possessed by
Eyre, having been pawned there.
Eyre's guns were Of the Parker ham
merless style.
SERVING SUBPOENAS.
A dispatch from Chester states that
Police Edward Vandegrift. one of the
regular force, went to Paulsboro and
Bridgeport yesterday and served the
subpoenas on Dr. John Laws. Coroner
Miller, James Carney and the other
witnesses in the Eyre murder case. and
they said they would be on hand ON
Monday and would be in attendance az
the court as long as they We're wanted
There is no difficulty or difference Of
opinion between District Attorney
Smith, Of Delaware county, and Dis
trict Attorney Starr, OF Gloucester
county, in the matter of the prosecu-
ton. The latter has advised the Off
cials and witnesses in New Jersey to
accept service in Pennsylvania and to
lend all the aid that they can in the
matter Of the prosecution. He
will himself bring all the
evidence that he has in his possession
and will lay it before the court through
District Attorney Smith.
The chief Of police served a sub
poena on Captain Oil, of the schooner
which was anchored in the Delaware
river on Christmas day and on which
jim Pierce took dinner He was the
only reluctant witness. He wanted t.
know where he was going to gel his
pay for going to court. He finally COLI
sented to come and accepted service.
There was to much ice in the river
for a search to be made, and the wealth
er was too cold for the men to work
In the water but the chief expects TO
be on the river as soon as it clears, and
expects to be able to locate the boat
and have 1t in court in time for the
hearing. The expectation is that after
the case is presented to the grand jury
it will go over and all the witnesses
will be dismissed until the second Mon
day in March when the case will come
, on for trial. District Attorney Smith
4 will be assisted in the conduct Of ths
case by ex-District Attorney william
> l. Schaffer, his law partner. The com
monwealth has its side of the cas-,
} made up. and expects to be able to pre-
n sent a much stronger case than wa
= presented at the hearing before Auder
. man Robert Smith, when the Pierce.
were held for the murder of George B
Eyre.
The Pierces have a fighting team o
lawyers back of them in the persons o
= Joseph H. Hinkson, William B. Broom
a all and A. B. Geary. The latter ha
4 been associated in several murde
h cases, and has got his man off in eac
d case. 1t was he who forced a chang
e in the method of drawing jurors 4
= the county and had a man freed VIII
!. was arraigned before jury that ha
e been improperly drawn. This trio G
lattorneys expect to be able to not onl
lprevent a conviction of a seriOu
crime. but they say they will prov
such a strong line of alibis that the
n will clear the young men entirely.