The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-05
Hunsberger, Accused of Burn
ing Cottage Grove Sta
ton, Talks.
RELATIVE TO THE BLAME.
SISSONS, STE AT n ER OF
HUNSBERGER'S WIFE, WAS
ONE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE
FOR CRIME COMMITTED.

Liberty, Ind, June John Huns
berger, awaiting trial in the uni07
county jail on the charge of having
burned the depot at Cottage Grove on
the night of April =, 1905, tells story
which, if his statements are true,
proves him the victim of a scheming
re lative and the catspaW of heartleSS
swindler.
After Hunsbcrgers arrest at India
napolis he was brought here and IOdg
ed in Jail and in due time indicted by
the grand jury on the testimony of
railroad detectives, and an alleged
confession made by him to these same
sleuths. Relatives came to his assis-
tance and raised about $500 which was
intended to repay the companies who
had lost by Hunsberger's alleged pecu-
lations. Thomas J. SissOns, Of Cincin-
natl, step father of Mrs. Hunsberger,
was entrusted with the outside work
connec cted with the defense and short
ly after the money was placed in bank
in this city he went to Hunsberger,
and telling him that the railroad COM
panies were about to file an injunction
against the money. he induced Huns
berger to give him a check for the
full amount. SissOns cashed the check
and left for parts unknown.
Hunsberger Explains.
To local newspaper man, Huns
berger today told the following story:
I'm February Sissons came to him
asking for $3.50 to make partial pay
ment on a saloon at Lorraine, O., saying
that he had a case in court at COving-
ton, Ky, involving about $4,000 and
that this would be paid on or before
April l. About the middle of March
he again came to Hunsberger and was
given S240 more for the same purpose.
This money, $500 in all, belonged to
the c. c. & l.. and c. H. &, D. Railroad
companies and a small part to the ex-
press companies for which Hunsberger
acted as agent. On the first of April
SissOns called Hunsberger to Hamil-
| ton and told him his case at COvington
had been postponed and he could not
raise the money, remarking that the
only way to cover up the loss was to
burn the depot and swear the money
was burned with the building"
SissOns then left, saying he was go
ing to Cincinnati to try and raise the
money to cover the defalcation. The
next night, April > the depot burned
while Hunsberger was at his home, so
| he says, near Cottage Grove. DeteC-
| tives in the employ of the railroad
companies suspected Hunsberger and
under their promise that, if he would
| say the money was not in the depot at
the time of the fire, they would see
| that he retained his position as agent.
he made The statement that he fired
| the depot and used the money intrust-
| ed to his keeping to cover up losses
in bucket shop at College Corner
! Ohio.
Hunsberger now denies ever having
made any sworn statement and says
that the only money he ever lost in
| the College Corner bucket-shop was
about S22, but that the detectives were
| so anxious to lay the cause of his
downfall there that he allowed them
| to do 1t.
Hunsberger says that a few days af-
ter he was placed in Jail here. Sissons
! called on him and among other things
| said, Il certainly made a clean job of
| it" meaning that he had burned the
depot. Not wishing to implicate Sis
sons, Hunsberger says that he kept
silent, but. realizing that Sissons had
| played him false he decided to send
| for reporter and make a statement
| which he did with every indication of
sincerity.
In addition to the money he secured
by check on May 23, Sissons also took
from Hunsbergers wife all her Jew
elry and cash TO the amount of several
hundred dollars. which she had intend
/ ed 10 use TO pay attorneys who were
| looking after her husbands defense
| AS Hunsberger is now without funds
his little family is almost destitute.
depending on friends for their daily
| needs.