Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-09-30
ROBINSON ACQUITTED.
He Will not Be Called Upon to Board
With Uncle Sam.

George Robinson of Hazslton who
was tried in the United States District
Court at Wichita last week charged
with cashing a check taken from the
U. s. mails, in favor of one A. Nc.
Garraugh, was acquitted.
The Wichita Beacon contains the
following account of the case:
George w. Robinson charged with
cashing check which he knew had
been taken from the United States
mails, was acquitted last evening.
the jury remaining out but a few
minutes before reaching verdict. The
acqnlttal came as a surprise TO the
federal officers VINO considered that they
had established strong case against
the man. and confidently expected that
he would be found guilty under the
evidence.
The case Is the same one in which
Jim McGarrah was involved. McGarrah
pleaded guilty a year ago, to taking a
check from letter, which he knew was
not meant for him, and, after spending
about eight months in Jail was sentenc-
e6 to serve thirty days more This time
was all served in the Sedgwick county
Jail and Jim made many friends
among the officers who believed that he
was Jolly good fellow but had step
ped into crime without any intention
OF doing wrong. Robinson, however, me
authorities believed to be the guilty
one, but the jury believed otherwise,
when 1t had canvassed thoroughly the
evidence on both sides and he was
turned loose.
ut Is an old story of poker game in
a small town. Jim McGarrah was a
barber in H&zelton. AT Corwin, three
miles east of that town, there lived a
man whose name was pronounced in
the same way, but who spelled it A.
McGarraugh. The latter had done some
business with man In Oklahoma, anS
| . check for $44 was forwarded to him.
but by mistake was sent to Hazelton
instead OF Corwin. When 'Jim' Nc
Garrah went for his mai! the post
master told him that he had nothing
for him, but that the A. McGarrah
letter evidently was meant for some of
his folks. He took the letter. and in it
was q check. Instead of returning IL
at once as he should have done, he
carried 1t around with him For a time
Finally he became mixed up ~ a poke.
game In barn I'm Hazelton, and the
story Is that be lost the few dollars that
he bad in short time. In spirit of
bluff he drew the check from his 0 p;k
ct and, throwing 1t upon the blanket
which served for card table, remark.
ed that he still had money His
testimony was that Robinson grabbed
the piece of paper and went with him
to the butcher shop OF a man named
Kelley, TO have It cashed McGarrah
said that he told Kelly that the check
was not his, and Kelley refused to cash
IL. Robinson then took it to the bank
aud the money was paid to him. Nc.
Garrah said that Robinson offered him
$40 OF the money but that be refused
to take It,
Later McGarrah was arrested plead
ed guilty and served bis sentence. Be-
fore the grand jury which indicted him
Robinson appeared as q witness and
McGarrah also appeared as a witness
against Robinson when his case was
being investigated. The government
AYERS that Robinson, when be learned
that he was In tight box, procured
the check from the bank and DESTROYED
1t, after paying back to the bank the
money 1t bad paid him Oh it.
But Robinson's story was different.
He contended that there WAS man ins
the poker game whore name was gwen.
as A. McGarraugh and that he believed
he had won the check fairly and that
from the man who really owned 1t. He
declared that the man was a stranger
to him, and he could not tell whether
his name really was McGarraugh. but
he knew he had been introduced to him
In that way. He was substantiated by
brother ,in-law who also had seen this
man. and this Is the story which the
jury believed to be true"