The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-13
SYLVESTER IN JAIL
New York World Knows Moth
ing Of the Man.
Bound Over to Criminal Court For Larceny
Under Two Hundred Dollar
Bond.

| Yesterday morning the case against
H. R. Sylvester, claiming to be space
| writer On the New York World, whose
troubles with regard to a shirt and hand
kerchief belonging to Mr.. M. D. Kirk was
| told in Yesterdays News and Observer
was tried before Mayor Powell.
AS q result of the trial in which Sy1-
yester sat almost dumb, he was sent tC
! Jail on a charge of larceny in default oil
! . 5000 bond This puts the case for trial
during the term of court beginning Janu-
airy s, 1902
In the trial yesterday Mr.. Kirk testi-
| fed that he came to Raleigh as a travel
Ting salesman. For some time he occu-
pied room with Sylvester at Dorsett's
Hotel Going to Goldsboro he missed a
shirt and handkerchief. On his return
he and Mr.. Dorsett found the missing
articles in Sylvester's valise. Mr.. Dor
sett corroborated this testimony, and
! said that Sylvester represented himself
as a space writer on the New York
World
At this point Sylvester asked Mr.. Dor
sett If Mr.. Kirk was not sick while here
This question was objected to by Mr.
w. B. Jones, counsel for the prosecution
as being irrelevant. This objection vas
sustained by Mayor Powell, who held il
had nothing to do with the larceny oil
the clothes. After this question Mr.
Sylvester opened not his mouth again
but sat dumb as a sheep before his
shearers.
Mr.. Fred Sutton testified as to con-
versations with Mr.. Sylvester, and as &c
Sylvester telling him that if his right
name was known it would create SEN
sation. Mr.. T. P. Sale testified that
Sylvester had told him he was travelling
for a grocery business.
Sylvester declined to go on the stand
and Mayor Powell said that he found
probable cause for holding him for court
under a 5000 bond. AS Sylvester is with
in Jail.
Sylvester in a statement made after
the trial, says that he is innocent and
knows nothing of the shirt being in his
valise; that Mr.. Kirk had been drinking
and he had helped to take care of him
while he was sick. In explaining why ne
had not made defence of himself he
said that when he wanted to show Mr..
Kinks condition his question had been
ruled OUT that he was alone, without
friends or money, and that the witnesses
had told of the finding OF the articles in
his valise, while he had no witnesses.
The newspaper articles which Sylvester
has written. and which he showed to a
reporter, speak in complimentary terms
of Raleigh He declines to say what his
real name is, as he does not want his
identity revealed He says he came here
with a friend from Washington who went
on to Savannah, Ga.
Yesterday afternoon Sylvester request
ed Mr. S. B. Shepherd to act as his coun-
sci and assist him. 1t is possible that the
case may be heard later on in some pro-
ceedings which may reduce his bond, or
set him at liberty pending further in
yestigation of the matter.
kilograms were sent yesterday to the
New York World inquiring if Sylvester
was a writer for that paper. The reply
was that there was no such man on the
paper, and that the World had no one
working in this territory. The suspicion
aroused by Sylvester's actions and his
statement of being writer on the World
are confirmed by the reply from that
paper. Who the man really is, and what
his business is here are matters of mys-
terry, which may or may not, be solved
in time.