The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13

great Trials III the murders by the
Mollie Maguires, in Schuylkill,
Northumberland and Columbia, be.
cause they were attended and tried
by the most eminent criminal law
yers i'll the State of Pennsylvania
The first trial was in 1860, when
Tom Donahue and John Duffy and
Prior and Pat, Hester were arraign-
ee in this Court for the murder OF
Alexander w. Ray. | knew Mr..
Ray very we'll He was a friend
and companion of mine when
studied law in Danville, and I re-
member him and knew him all his
life; and perhaps nobody, outside
of his immediate friends and family
was more hurt than I was at the
death Of Alexander w. Ray and the
manner in which he came to his
death.
But those cases were tried with a
vim and vigor that never saw De-
fore and have never seen since.
Donahue and Duffy and Prior were
acquitted. The District Attorney
at the time, Mr.. F.. r. Ikeler, took
a noll. pros. as to Pat. Hester, and
the whole party were turned loose.
That you will observe was in 1860,
and with the exception of my friend
at my hand here, Judge Mari, Mr..
Wolverton (who, unfortunately, Is
not able to attend this banquet) and
myself, believe not one single man
is alive.
In 1877 there was another raid
made upon the Molly Maguires,
and Pat. Hester and Tully and Nc.
Hugh were arrested and tried for
the murder of Alexander Ray. l
think ought to say here that the
counsel for Patrick Hester always
believed him only technically guilty
OF the murder Of Ray. Judge Mari
and Mr.. Wolverton were with me,
and Mr.. Wolverton and myself
followed the case to the Supreme
Court after it had been tried and he
was convicted here, and the Su-
preme Court turned us down; and
we went to Harrisburg and had the
case heard before the Board OF
Pardons, and they turned us down,
and the Governor of course had
nothing else to do except to issue
the death warrant for three men
Who were in the Jail here in Co.
lumbia county.
AT the request of Hester, I went
with the Sheriff when he read the
death warrant to these men in Jail,
md l stood beside my client (as was
my duty being local counsel in the
county here until the sentence had
beer read; and l shook hands with
him and turned to the door to go,
when he said to ME Colonel,
come and see me hanged" / said:
No, Pat, l can't do that. l have
gone with you as far as can 90.
Excuse me from that" I did not
20, of course. l never saw Pat.
lfterward, and l now repeat that
his counsel were always satisfied
that, except technically, he was not
guilty. In other words, I believe
hat Pat. Hester perhaps did go and
vas with the gang at Tom Dona-
lue's saloon the night that the
'obbery Of Alexander Rea was de-
ermined upon. But they were
personal friends and had been for
lears; and Pat. assured me over
and over again that there was no
thought in his mind, and he did
lot believe there was in the minds
If the rest of them, tomurder Alex
lnder Rea. But they did mean to
rob him, because it was supposed
ne had that day very large amount
IF money with which he was going
o pay off some of the coal mining
1perations in the county of Schuyl-
iill. But the fact that he was there
md that that murder was committed
n pursuance of the robbery they
lad agreed upon, was all that ever
convicted Pat. Hester. Perhaps it
was legal and right, but he never
raised his hand against Alexander
w. Rea.
Gentlemen, I have thought, as
said before, that this little historical
sketch of the County of Columbia
during the time of its existence, of
the things that have been done in it.
of the great lawyers that have sat
upon its bench, of the great law
yers that had been before that bench
practicing their profession, would
be gladly listened to by you young
er men. And l think, Mr.. Presi-
dent, that these references to the
olden times, to the old lawyers, to
the old methods and manners in
which things were done in those