Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-11-27
TRAIN ROB.
bER TRIAL
NEAR THE END
Defence Putting on Excep.
tionaIly Strong Tes.
timony
Postmaster ef Brcomfield Colo.. Testlfas I
that he Delivered = PsekAse 10 Mur.
ply On Day Of Robbery

The case against the Black brothers
and John Murphy is nearing its close
The testimony for the defense will
probably all be completed this after.
noon, and probably tomorrow morning
will be consumed by the rebuttal evid-
ence. This should enable the attorneys
to conclude their arguments tomorrow
afternoon in which event the case will
reach the jury tomorrow evening.
The prosecution made a strong case
against the three men, stronger with.
out doubt than was made last spring.
The attorneys and big bunch Of spe.
cial and regular officers have left no
expedient untried that would by any
possibility add strength to their case.
1t looked when the prosecution closed
as though though their position was
impregnable.
However. II it was true that the
United States has made stronger
case than before, It is equally true
that the defense is making stronger
showing. Notably IL this true as the
result Of the evidence produced today
in the shape Of the testimony of the
postmaster OF Broomfield, Colo. This
man swore that on July 30th, 1904, at
5 O'Clock In the afternoon, he deliver
ed registered package to John MUIR
pfy. He pointed Murphy out in the
court room and identified him as the
man to whom the package was deliver.
ed. He showed his book on which the
entry in his own writing John. Mur-
ply, July 3O' was made and opposite
the acknowledgment in Murphy'A
writing. ( The signature OF Murphy
was produced and compared with that
OF the book and found to be Identical.
Also the receipt for the package, sign
ed by Murphy was produced and upon
this was the government stamp
"Broomfield. Colo. July 80, 1904"
Witness testified that Murphy was
accompanied by another man, and
pointed out John Black as the man he
believed was with him. He could not
however be absolutely positive on this
score. The cross examination of this
witness by the United. States was omit
ted. ~
The examination Of Mr.. Thomas.
who swore that the three men were at
the Sunnyside, mine, July 80 was con-
cluded Saturday afternoon md Miss
Wilson was called to the sfend. This
witness testified that whlk in the
bunk house Of the Sunnysidf mine, the
morning Of July 80, she saw Jim Black
and John Murphy leaving the camp.
sAfteh the d1fense flushed with the
witnyss, there occurssd cn. cross exa-
mina3 3pn, peculiar l1Mdeht. The at
torney sfor the pros@tution read from
note book a niyhber, Of, questions
very similar to those spropounded by
the defence. He also read a number
Of notes regarding what xtbe prosecu.
tion would probably say Ahe witness
and asked her II It was Not true that
she had in her posse ION a paper
upon which these questions and also
the note read were written. The wit
ness was considerably taken aback,
but she admitted that she had paper
containing LIST Of the questins like
ly to Ne asked by both sides Of the
trial.
Another witness called by the de-
fese this morning was mail carrier
Who testified that he was at the Sun
dysile. July 20. for the purpose of de-
1ivering the registered package to John
Murphy, and that he could not deliver
II because he was told Murphy was in
the mine. The next morning he went
back again and was told that Murphy
had gone.
Miss Wilson makes the following
explapation of having had in her pos
session paper containing copies OF
the questions that would probably be
asked by the attorneys: She was
very nervous at the idea of going on
the stand and before coming to Las
Vegas had had copy of the ques-
tions that would probably be asked
made and had studied them with a
view to being master of herself. when
she came to testify She says that
she left the paper in her purse In her
room while she went to the opera
house and that in order to secure a
COPY some one interested in the case
for the United States must have