Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-11-16
ESTABLISHED IN 1868

George GTOssley was the next Wit.
ness. He was in Jail at the time the
attempt to escape was made. He
identified the saws and frame used in
saving the bars. They were handed
in the rear window he said, by John
Seitz, whom he identified as one of
the defendants. The saws were receiv-
ed, he said. by Elmer Halderman, " no
stood i'll the cell -and extended broom
across the corridor to the open. wind
ow, outside of which. S itz was stand
ing. Seitz reaching in between the
bars placed the saws upon the broom.
after which they were noiselessly
drawn into the cell by Halderman. 1t
was not yet quitesdark, and he easily
recognized Seitz.
Officer John GrIer Voris was called
to the stand. He has known both de-
PENDANTS since their infancy. After
the arrest he asked.RaIph Hahn how
long he had been.known as "Toughy"
and lie replied: "Oh ten years or
more. -
Sheriff Maiers described the attempt
to break Jail aud identified the saws
and frame.
Evan r. Evans, blacksmith employ
ed at James Lakes repair shop, iden-
titled the saw frame as one which he
| mo do lnrinn T1Iu
! James Lake, proprietor of the shop.
also identified the saw frame, which,
he said, had been ordered by John
Seitz who was accompanied to the
shop by Ralph Hahn-thst the saw
was paid for by Saitz and was deliver
ed to him. This was some two or three
weeks before the attempt was made to
break i4il
Ralph Hahn was called to the stand
He denied that he had ordered the saw
or that he ever knew that one was
ordered. He denied that he was near
the jail on the night of September 16,
1905, when the saws were passed IN
through the window, but endeavored
to establish the fact that he was in
Bloomsbury and Espy at the time.
John Seitz was the next witness.
| He did not deny that he had ordered
| the saw of Lake, received the same
and paid for it. Hahn, however. he
declared, had nothing 10 do with the
| transaction, although he accompanied
Saitz both when the saw was ordered
and when it was delivered. To con-
ceal the transaction from Hahn, Seitz
alleged that on leaving the repair shop
he adroitly hid the saw frame under
| his coat. Seitz also declared that he
| himself was innocent of assisting the
| prisoners to escape, but that he had
caused the saw frame to be manufact-
ured st the instance of another, a
stranger whom he met at the Nail
Works spring and who paid him two
dollars for the part he played. He did
not know for what purpose the saw
flame was needed. Neither could he
describe the stranger at whose IN
stance he had the saw frame made.
Edward S Gearhart represented
Hahn. Seitz being without an attor-
ney the Court appointed Major O. P.
Gearhart to defend him.
The Courts charge covered the
ground very fully and was clear and
impartial. According to the evidence.
Judge Staples said he did not think
the defendants could be brought in
guilty under the first and second
counts, but only under the third, which
charged them with furnishing inst1u.
ments to prisoners for the purpose of
aiding them to escape" The jury re-
journment of court was still out.
| The next case attached was that of
Commonwealth VS.. Francis WoIl. the
charge being Receiving stolen
goods" The prosecutor is the Read
ing Iron Company, which was repre-
sented by James Scarlet. Hon. Fred
Keller appeared for the defendant.
Superintendent Hecht of the Mon
! tour Department of the Reading Iron
| Works, was the first witness. He iden
/ ii fed fish plate offered in evidence as
! those belonging to a switch or section
of track torn up Mt the Danville Roll
ing Mill and belonging to the Read
ing Iron Company.
Henry Mintzer. track foreman, was
the next witness. He assisted in tear
| ing up the track at the Danville Roll
ing Mill and SAID the fish plate miss
ing were placed ON a pile. He identjti-
ed those In court as the ones used in
the track that had been removed
Emery Heimbach, repairsman on
the p & x. track, also identified the
fish plate.
Z. t. SINNERS, p. & R. Policeman.
testified as to finding the fish plate on
Mrs. VOLTS premises, hidden under a
pile of other iron in an old barn, which
was kept locked W A. Persley, an
other p & r. Olfi3er, testified to the
same effect, as did also Chief Of Police
Mincemoyer. who accompanied the p.
e r. Officers on the search.
Elizabeth Woll, mother of the de.
fendant. upon whose premises the fish
plate were found, was called to the
stand. She herself did not use the
stable She could not say who owned
the junk, found in the shop. The wag
on kept inside belonged to her son.
Fred Woll brother of the defendant
who boarded with his mother. did no
know to whom the junk belonged.
Benjamin Miller, junk dealer, testifi
cd that prior to year ago he purchas