Waterbury Democrat., 1901-08-24
POLICE COURT DoINGs.
Pitcher Waller Told His Story
 Chicken Story Also Told

F 1lCASI w dlleI JUL HIS 0IOFX-
 Chicken Story Also Told.
 The court room was again crowded with spectators to-day. Judge Burpee was on the bench and Prosecuting At torney Durant was present.
 Thomas Griffin was charged with drunkenness. He was arrested by Of icer Noonan on Baldwin street last evening after being busted from two saloons. He was given 30 days in jail.
 James Egan was charged with being drunk and of taking a team belonging to John B. Contois, a farmer from Bethany, without permission. Egan stated that his home, is in New Haven but he works in Naugatuck. He was drunk yesterday and did not recollect taking the team. He was fined $5 and costs on each count
 Ehe next case was that of John Waller, charged with defrauding a hotel keeper, Mir Esinhart MT Esin- hart on the stand to-day stated that Waller owed him $20 for two weeks board for himself from August 1 to 15, and for his sister, who had board ed week or so at tie hotel On the day that Waller left the hotel the pro- prietor asked him if he was going to pay and he said that he would that night. That night he did not come back. He searched his room a few. days later and only found trash in it. Manager Harrington stated that Waller was suspended for week or more and that he had been given per- mission to spend few days at his home in Jersey City. He stated also that MT Esinharts had seen him in re- gard to Walters board, and he assured him that Waller was coming back and would settle the bill Waller himself stated that he had no intention of skip ping his board bill; that he was lit tie short of money that week, owing to his suspension for week. He tes- ttified also that he left his overcoat, coat, trousers, shoes and jerseys in his room, and he was corroborated by Catcher Luskey of the Waterbury team. After hearing the evidence Judge Burpee discharged Waller.
 James OBrien failed to put in an appearance in city court this morn ing, and accordingly his case was con- tinued until Monday morning.
 The last but the most important case of the day was that of Joseph O'Bri- en, charged with stealing 45 chickens, valued at $25, from the property of Mrs Herman Miller. O'Brien, who by the way, is no relative of James O'Brien, was de fended by Attorney Byrne Mrs Her man Miller was the first witness. She missed her chickens at z o'clock, Thursday morning. At that time she went out to the coop. The heads of o1,s lrvs,, oI, door, the lock of which had been broken. On investigation she discov- cred that 45 of her 6S chickens were missing. They were of various spe- cies. They were valued at about $1OO. On Thursday afternoon she was driv- ing along the Wolcott road and she was passing by the old Leyines War ner place. Her horse became some what restive and she spoke to it. At the sound of her voice she noticed sev- eral chickens running to the side of the henyard of the O'Brien property. She recognized them as some of those which had been stolen from her. She made no inquiries at the time, neither did she do anything of particular na ture to recover the chickens. Next day she went riding by the same place in company with Constable Gillette. She called her chickens by name-one was Gawk another Lone Star, etc. As she stopped ill front of the yard she said. 'Is that you, Gawk?" and the chicken came running to the side of the yard. On Friday morning she went to O'Brien's yard and identified IA hens there as belonging to her. Constable Gillette brought home nine of them, the other five they could not capture. Evidence was given by Maurice Alcott of the Wolcott road and Charles Miller of the Cheshire road to show that the wogan owned by O'Brien was around Mill Plain on the night when the chicken theft was committed. The evidence of Consta- ble Gillette was about the same as that given by Mrs Miller. Attorney Byrnes made strong plea in favor of his client. He stated that O'Brien had not been identified as the one who stole the chickens. It had not been proved tllnt he lived at this place or was there before. In word, he ask ed for the discharge of the accused. Judge Burpee found probable cause and bound the accused over to the next term of the superior court under bonds of $500.