The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-03
c. c. JONES TRIAL
IS ON
In Case for Selling Stolen
Stamps. Governments
Evidence All In.


frey bonds at Jonesboro, was begun
yesterday in the Federal court. on the
charge of receiving and selling stolen
postage stamps and being implicated
in the robbery of several postoffices,
including those at Apen and White
vile.
The trial began yesterday morning
about a quarter to 2 o'clock, and at
haif-past five in the evening the gov
eminent had rested it's case, and court
adjourned until half-past nine O'Clock
this morning.
1t took onl va few moments to Sc
lect a jury.
The C: C. Jones case was called at
quarter to twelve o'clock in Federal
Court yesterday. Jones was in court
with his counsel, Judge w. 5. OBJ.
Robinson, of Goldsboro, Mr.. Horace
Comfort; of New York, Capt w. H.
Day and Mr.. r. S. Fuller, of this city.
There were about thirty witnesses
S. ". Hudson was first called by Col.
Skinner He is postmaster 1T Apex,
and testified that the postoffice was
broken open on the 23rd of Septem-
ber 1908. The next morning he found
the door of the safe blown open,
and some tools. About $36 in money
and between $176 and SLIT in stamps
gone They were in ones, twos, Fights
and some special delivery stamps.
They We're series of 1902. His safe
being small he had divided the sheets
i'm half in blocks Of so, SO they WOull
get into his safe. On the morning of
September 23rd gentleman came Up
i'm great hurry and asked witness to
change a $40 bill. He wen1 to the
safe and opened it, and when he look
ed up, there was the gentleman right
by his side, watching him. He had
gone back to the inner office. Wat
ness had described the gentleman to
Inspector Davis as being chunkiy
built, with blue eyes, and dark, low
growing hair. Later i'm GGldSborO he
had identified Jones in a group at the
hotel, and later in Raleigh at a drug
store and at the trial before the Com
missioner.
B. FL. Griffin, proprietor of the Ho-
tel Kennon at Goldsboro, was the next
witness. Jones took table board at
the hotel, but did not room there. Did
not occupy room 40 Had bought
stamps from Jones twice, first on 10th
of December, 1902, paying him 1913
less five per cent. Jones had come to
him and asked him if he did not WIN,
to buy the stamps. He could not talk e
all Jones had. From time to time
they had bought few from the post
office, when these could not be got AT.
The next time he bought stamps from
Jones was November 4th, 1898. This
time he got $176.30 worth with "
per cent off Jones had left town fer
awhile, but witness could not tell
when this was. Had no knowledge of
his return whatever, did not cOmmc-
nfcate with him in my way.
Capt. Day asked Mr.. Griffin is 20
Jones' character. Witness said it was
good.
Col. Skinner asked if witness did not
know he kept a gambling saloon. He
did not know of his own knowledge.
Was he not a general sporting char
acter? Witness did not know just
what was meant by sport. Jones
might be something of a sport. Was
he not engaged in Richmond in get
rich-quick concern, sending out CIR
culars and getting stamps in return
Yes, witness had heard that. Was he
not charged with completely in the
robbery of the bonds at Jonesboro?
Yes, but witness had not believed him
guilty of that and he thought the peo-
pie of Goldsboro generally had not be-
lieyed it, Had he not been indicted
for immortality? Did not know Was
1T not the general report that he kept
a woman? Yes, witness had heard
that.
81.
master, testified that the Whiteville
postoffice was robbed on October 9th,
1902 About 1892 was lost, in stamps,
ones, two, Fights, special deliveries
and possibly a few tens. These stamps
were received on October 9Th. The
loss was mentioned in the papers.
A. J. Cook, clerk at the Hotel Ken
non, testified that the first 10: of
stamps was bought from Jones in
1902, December 10th, few do,ars
over 5000. Second lot was November
4th, 1903. After Mr.. Davis reached
Goldsboro Jones sent word he waited
to see Griffin. He said the stamps
were all right but they might give Mr..
Griffin little trouble for the present.
Witness did not know Jones was 60
ing to leave nor how he left. Witness
did not know Jones had left for sew
eral days after he had gone. Did not
know where he went. Did not know
that Jones had sold stamps to anyone
else.
S. N. Davis, Postoffice Inspector,
who investigated the various pOStOffice
robberies. He went to Goldsboro on
January 4th, and again two weeks la
ter. Did not see Jones. Bought some
special delivery stamps from Mr.. Grit
fin. The stamps were partly torn
apart When investigating at Apex
he noticed that the borders were torn
off all the stamps i'm Mr.. Hudson'S Of
flee, on account of the small size of
the safe Mr.. Hudson said some of his
stmps had the corners crimped up.
and he recognized the stamps as his.
Witness already had two or three de-
scriptions, and Mr.. Hudson's descrip-
ton of the man correspondent with
one that he had.
On cross-eXamination by Judge
Robinson, Mr.. Davis said that in at
tempting to find Jones he wired to
New York describing him as being
heavily built with brown hair and
light or medium complexion, about 80
years old. One of the three descrip-
tons was known as Charlie. He was
said to be the leader.
Henry Person, colored porter at Ho-
tel Kennon, testified that Jones used
room No. to entertain his company
at the hotel. He ran a pool room.
Never saw Jones with any stamps. but
noticed the hotel stopped buying
stamps from the postoffice. Did not
know when Jones left Goldsboro. He
was at the train and did not see him
leave. or any baggage leaving for him.
Saw him on Sunday evening for the
last time talking to a gentleman on
the second floor of the annex Mr..
1T oIx 1,o rrixr L;