Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-11
Los ANGELES HERALD MORNING, JANUARY o. 908

teen feet away ths masked man told him
TO come on
Just before the masked man fired the
shot what did Rolla Robe dor asked Mr..
| Fredricks.
Ne didn't do anything" said the wit
ness.
Minerd said Robe had nothing in his
\ hands at that time. The two men ran to
the corner Mesl1il in the lead, and the
witness said he followed them short
distance when the masked man shouted a
warning that he would be killed If he
came nearer.
| ON cross-examination Minerd said there
was no one in sight at the time he was
searching Lyons except the patrolman,
Meskil and himself. Later, as Meskil
told the patrolman to give up his revolver,
| Minerd said he saw someone running
across the street, and the masked man
called to this person to Come here, /
want you"
NJ A. Grossman clerk at sporting
goods store, was the first witness of the
afternoon. He said he had shown some
revolvers on November 20 to a man who
had given the name of Harry Mitchell.
The man, he said selected 45-caliber
| Colt revolver, paying S. on it, and said
he would return the next day and get it..
paying the balance. No one, he said, was
with the man at the time.
p. E. Peterson, a clerk in the same
store, said he had sold the revolver to
the man next day, receiving the money
still due on it. He also sold box of
cartridges, but did not remember how
many were in the box of cartridges, sup
posing however that it contained twelve
and was intact
Peterson said he saw nobody in the
mans company at that time.
Tells of Weighing Bullets
ID testified
regarding the relative weights of the
bullets used in the revolver owned by
Meskil and the one found in Lyons skull
showing them to be about the same
Anthony Connolly, who effected Meskil' s
capture identified the revolver taken
from tn man. together with number of
cartridges Connolly repeated the story
of the fight in the pool room and re-
iterated the statement that MeslSil had
said he would have killed him as he had
Lyons.
Police Detective Roberts told of his
visit to Meskil's room after his arrest
and the finding there of the overalls,
blouse, cap and mask said to have been
worn by the man that night. Roberts then
told of a statement which he said was
made by Robe the night of his arrest
Robe" said the witness, was arrested
about midnight November 80, and l saw
him in the jailer's room at the police sta
ton. The defendants brother was present
at that time
I'VE asked Robe to tell us what other
man was with him that night and all
about it," said the witness, explaining
that 1--WE" meant himself and Detective
Rich. Robe said he knew the fellow by
the name of Harry Mitchell. He first
met him November 30 in a pool room on
Main street, between First and Second
streets, and they talked about holdups."
Talk of Robberies
Quoting the statement alleged to have
been made by Robe, Roberts continued:
Mitchell spoke of some holdups in Port
land, where he had stolen a horse and
rig. We talked over going into the holdup
business. Then we went to North Main
street to a clothing store and bought
some overalls and cap and afterward
Mitchell took t EN- to his room. We
went down the street and 1 left him at
Sixth and Spring. We were to meet at
o'clock that night at Seventh and Wall
streets. Mitchell had given me a 3S-
caliber revolver and had had a suit of
clothes made and took it home that
night.
I'VE later met at Seventh and Wall
streets and walked around a while.
Then we went to Garleman's grocery
store. We went back of it and got
horse and buggy and drove to the store,
where we failed to hold it up"
Roberts related the circumstances at
tending the accident on Central avenue
when the men were said TO have been
thrown out of the buggy
Robe said he lost his revolver and
some clothes at that time" said the wit
ness. 'They came up Central avenue to
the winery and Meskil went in and held
Grosser up and Robe went in and got the
money. Then he went out and across the
Ill IL, Il LII
pocket and placed If in the sack contain
ing the proceeds of the robbery.
HE came back across the street and
Meskil fired the shot and both men ran
down Fourteenth street and into a yard.
where Robe ran into a wire fence and
skinned his face. They went further and
Robe hid near a barn, and just then
Meskil fired a shot.
Robe said he didn't know why Meskil
fired but it may have been at man
following. He said he did not know what
became of Meskil afterward. Robe then
ran away
Robe Describes MeskiI
Roberts said the prisoner described
Mitchell, or Meski, but said he did not
know where he lived.
Further along in his testimony Roberts
said Officer Rich had asked Meskil, fol-
lowing his arrest and while the two
prisoners were together how they came
to go to Garleman's store.
-Meskil answered" he said, that Robe
told him the groceryman always carried
about $1,000 or more and never did any
banking"
"Garleman also has a horse and
buggy" Meskil is alleged to have said,
and Robe was acquainted with the horse,
and for that reason drove the animal"
On cross-examination Roberts said he
had not Informed the defendant that any
thing he said might be used against him,
nor did he hold out any promise of aid
if a full confession was made
NJ. R. Bowe. a policeman, told of the
capture Of Robe near Eighth and Central
avenue.
Will Resume Trial Monday
Other witnesses during the afternoon
were George Mordey, c. ]. Dozier, r. T.
Alnerado and w. b. Burner. Captain of
Detectives Paul Flammer was the last
witness of the day and testified regard
ing the statement said to have been made
by Robe the night of his arrest. His tes-
timony was not concluded when court ad-
journed
The trial will be resumed at 10 o'clock
Monday morning. Whether Robe will
take the witness stand in his own behalf
has not been decided by the defense. A
number of witnesses, however, it is be-
lieved, will be called in an effort to prove
that he bore a good character prior to
the crime with which he is charged, and
while it is possible it is hardly likely the
case will go to the jury before Tuesday
at the earliest.