Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-06

Farley, expecting trouble in Wilkes barre Pa, but the strike did not take place. He next went to work on the New York subway when the trolley men there struck. He then lived at 166 Lawrence street, Brooklyn. It was there he first met Bassett. the ac- cused. He used to call upon the folks living on the lower floor This was last January and toward the latter part of that month Bassett went into the witness room one evening about 7:30 Preston was with him. He be- came acquainted with Preston when he had worked here. Preston called to witness room first and Bassett about half an hour later. A girl named Lena Paige. whom witness Knew here. was with him. She was living with witness then. They re- mained together an hour and discussed the ways and means of r0bbing old Lockwood. The subject was brought up by Preston. He told Bassett thaf Lockwood was miser and had a lot of money hoarded in his trunk, and
 would like to know if he would go and get it. Bassett asked him IF he saw the money and he said he did, that it was on the second floor in q trunk and that the old man used to call him into the house on his way from school and show him the money. The old man told him the paper mon ey was yellowbacks.
 Bassett said he could not attend to | the matter for a week and that he would talk it over with Preston how they could get at the money. Pre"ton then left. but he came back in a few moments and got talking with Ras- would take for the job and he said | that of course he would take half Of what he found in the trunk. Witness
 did not know where LockwOod's house
 was then There was some talk of us- | ing chloroform on the old man. Bas- sett suggested this. Preston said there was a skeleton hanging in the rr0m where the money was and they could l use that to scare the old man.
 A week or so later Bassett called again at Leonard's room. Joseph Ce- nesky, the other accused, was there before him. He became acquainted
 with Cenesky during the trolley | strike here. Witness thought the Paige girl was also present. They talked about robbing Lockwood. Ce- nesky said he know where Lockwood's house was and that all he knew about
 the old mans money was what Pres | ton had told him. Bassett said he
 had no idea of doing the job for few
 weeks yet and he told Cenesky hl could chlOroform the old man and get
 the money without hurting him, oe-
 cause he had chloroformed man in
 Harlem, N. T.. only two weeks before. Witness advised against using chloro-
 form and there was some talk of
 Preston not taking part in the affair, l as it would not be safe for him be-
 cause the old man might recognize
 him. r
 He saw Bassett few nights after ! the second interview on Lawrence street They did not speak to each other. That same night, an hour or so later. Bassett. Cenesky. the Paige girl and another man named Grover met in Leonard's room. Bassett wanted to play cards. It was about ii o'clock and there was rap at the door and Bassett left the room by window which opened on a roof. That was the last seen of Bassett that night Wit ness did not see Bassett again till about three weeks later. when a letter for him was received at the house. In consequence of that note Leonard went to Bridgeport by boat. This was late in February. He met Bassett there with Cenesky on East Main street They went to a house on East Main street and stayed there that night. All were to go tO Waterbury next morning. and to get up early so that people would not see them leave the house. All slept in the same room and got up about or 1 in the morn ing. Seeing there were no trains they took q trolley car to Ansonia and from there they took a train and reached Waterbury about 10 and went to Cen esky's house on North Leonard street There they stayed till about 1 o'clock. They then walked out North Main street to Preston's house and stayed there all night This was on Sunday. Before going to Cenesky's house they went to West Side hill and viewed the surroundings of LockwOod's house and saw the old man walking in the yard. They were on the road. As they were passing the house Bassett said it was a shame 10 take the old mans money. They then walked back to Ceneskys house and stayed there until early morning.
 It was decided by them to go ont to I.ockwood's house before he would get LID to milk his COWS. But they did not get up till 9 o'clock and toward noon they walked out to Lockwood's.
 Each was armed with a revolver and Cenesky had a jimmy which be Ionged to BaSsett. The only person they met whom they knew was the foreman of tho car barn. Arriving at the water tank on West Main street. Bassett took out a note book and tore a few leaves out of it. The book was then produced in evidence
 Resuming. Leonard said Bassett wrote in the book with his left hand; that BaSsett said when he would reach IsOckwOod's house he would ask him to sign the book and pretend he was an agent Of the trolley company seek ing . right of way: also that if he would gef no answer at the door De would open it with the jimmy. Bas- sett had q bottle Of chl0roform in his under coat for use on the old man. This was on Monday. February 2T. about ? o'clock. They remained about ten minutes at the water tank and then proceeded directly 10 LSck- woods house. The old man re piled to Bassptt's knock on the door and Basseit asked him to sign the note hook favoring a trolley road Cenesky