The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-05
Defense Fought Prison
er's Confession.
MAN is AN ENIGMA
Neither Side Scored Point. No Sen
satiOnal Developments. Defective
Wattenberg Principal Witness
at the Preliminary Hear
ing.

lug.
No definite disposition has yet been
made of the Frank Moore case. which
was to have been given a preliminary
hearing yesterday morning before
Justice of the Peace r. G.. Reid. The
hearing was called at ten o'clock,
and was proceeded with, but the path
of progress in it was rugged and
knotty, and shaggy questions fire.
quently interrupted. Only three wit
nesses We're put on the stand. and each
was taken off before he could divulge
what he knew There were no SEN
sational developments, and the trend
of the semi-hearing was disappointing
to those who assembled to hear the
tale of tragedy. Finally, after much
abbreviated examination, the hearing
was continued until next Wednesday
morning at ten o'clock. the reason for
the unexpected delay being the intro
duetion of an absent detective who
was held by the attorneys for young
moore 10 be a very material witness,
and whose testimony would neceSsl-
tate the instant discharge OF Moore.
The main efforts Of Moore's counsel
were directed against the admittance
as evidence of the confession of Moore,
l.. Wattenberg, which was offered by
the prosecution, having been written,
and OF considerable length. This evil
dence IL admitted would doubtless
send Moore TO court under heavy
bond. and probably be strong enough
to make an acquittal in Superior court
difficuit--provIded cRe prisoner re-
mains faithful to his oath.
The first witness examined was
Deputy Sheriff Walters who has rem
dered efficient assistance TO the In
surance Department in it's search for
the hidden criminals. Mr. Walters
stated that he was called up TO the
office of the State Insurance Commits
sioner on July 21st, and had there
heard the confession made by Frank
Moore, and recognized the confession
he heard by Moore that day as
the one which Mr.. Wattenberg had
written. He said he had never, at
any time or place, heard any intlma-
ton of any threat or promise of any
kind having been made to Moore. Nor
was made, he said. during the
time that Moore was in the Insurance
Commissioners office on the day or
his confession. Moore asked him, ne
continued, after several Interruptions,
whether, If he told the whole truth
the sheriff would keep him out OF jail.
Mr.. Walters told him no, that the
sheriff could not do that even IL he
should be so inclined, and further told
Moore before and after the confession
! that he could promise him nothing
regarding his release from jail, put
felt that the court would take into
consideration the fact that he had
made the confession of his own free
will He had warned Moore before
| the confession was made, that he
| would better tell the whole truth, az
! all that he, said would be brought up
| in evidence before the court.
Before Mr.. Walters said more, Col.
r. M. Argo, for the defendant, asked
him if he had received his informa~
ton originally from Moore.
Mr.. Walters replied that he had not
and that he had first heard OF the
matter from Insurance Commissioner
Young, and he was then removed
from the stand.
The next witness was MIR. Watteh-
berg, the Pinkerton detective, and
thrill of unusual interest stirred the
| imagination of the loiterers in the
court room as they beheld real
detective" and the silence was imme-
diate when he took the stand. He was
| examined even more ingeniously than
| usual by the lawyers, and the sherlock
Holmes charm seemed TO perVade the
air Of the room. But he was simply
a gentleman, of gallant bearing, and
! manly appearance in general, and OF
all the idiosyncracies that the onlook-
ers seemed to expect to protrude from
| him. the only one was his keen, sub
tie, penetrating features and eyes. and
! the calm with which he withstood the
curiosity of the crowd. But instead
of being a Embarrassing revelation. his
testimony was well guarded, and was
| broken off at the most exciting and
| critical moment
| Mr.. Wattenberg was asked by So
| licitor Jones what he knew of the
case, and said in part
ION the 18th day of July | was or
dered by my chief to come to Raj
! eigh as / was wanted here to find,
| if possible, the perpetrators of
the crime of murder, arson and rob
berry at the Standard oil Company's
works in this city on the morning of
| MAY goth. On my arrival here / fol-
| lowed one or two little clues. which
amounted 20 nothing, till on saturday
evening, July 18th. / was Informed
by Insurance Commissioner Young
that / would probably find in Frank
Moore an object worthy of my con-
sideration. From that time on, up to
the time of Moore's confession, | met
him daily. and each day obtained from
him a great many statements regard
ing the fire. many of which were
true. and a great many of which were
false However there were plenty to
convince me that If he were not the
actual criminal. that he at least knew
who they were. The day of Franks
confession, / took him up into room
IL, Conn icciopar YoUusrsc office bllfId-