Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-20
Witnesses Robbed on Northern
Pacific Identify Defendant
as Bandit
POSITIVE IN IDENTIFICATION
Three Witnesses Testify That Ball and
shercliffs Are Men Who Hold UP
Passengers on April 16-Defenss
Continues Effort. to Prove Bal, 10
HireIins Of Dennison

Special TO Times Republican.
Minneapolis. Jan. 2O.--With his head
completely covered by one of the
masks used by the highwaymen when
he robbed the passengers of the North
ern Pacific train April Is. Sherman w.
Morris. alias Frank shercliffe, stood
before the witness stand yesterday af-
ternoon and was positively identified
by William c. Smith, one of the pass
engers robbed.
Mr.. Smith was one OF three wit
nesses who yesterday afternoon identi-
fled the defendant as one OF the train
robbers. The witness testified that he
had been given good opportunity to
see the features of the robber, as there
was n light In front of and another be-
hind him. He said he could see thru
the thin cheese cloth mask and could
even see the expression Of the rob-
ber's eyes.
On cross examination Mr.. Morrill, for
the defense grilled the witness severe
ly. Shercliffe then put on the mask In
front of the witness.
We'll, can you see the expression OF
this mans eyes when he stands as
close to you as you say the robber
did?" was the question.
NO. He has his eyes closed"
Now he has them open and / can
see them"
And you positively identify him as
the man that robbed you?"
Yes, sir. would know him any
where
Ansgar Gydsen. OF the Printers Sup
ply company; William c. Smith, a civi!
engineer for the Northern Pacific. and
George C. Moore. 1908 Fourth street
SOUTHEAST proprietor Of Farms, each
identified Shescliffe as -ths mSG who
was with Ball on the train. Mr.. Moore
said he knew that Ball was the other
man he saw on the train. Moores tes-
timony came at the close Of the after
noon session. He stated that he had
seen Ball and Shercliffe at the rear
door of the passenger coach in front OF
the Pullman sleeper. They did not have
masks on at that time.
S. j. Melllin, bookkeeper and time
keeper for the Schmidt & Henry furni-
ture company, Of Des Moines, Ia, went
on the stand this afternoon and testi-
fled that Shercliffe worked for that
concern for two years, stopping last
spring shortly before the holdup.
Sherciiffe Trying to Discredit Ball.
The defense in the trial Of Frank
Shercliffe, is exerting every effort in
the cross examinations to discredit the
states witnesses, with the intention ul
timately of proving that some man
other than Shercliffe aided Owen Ball
in holding up the passengers Of Nor
thern Pacific sleeper in northeast Min
neapolis last April
For nearly two hours yesterday the
defense subjected Mrs. Jessie Allen,
proprietor of the Astoria hotel on Hen
nepin avenue, to rigid examination,
trying to prove that her memory was
so poor that she might have been mis-
taken when she testified that Shercliffe
and Ball both stopped at her hotel
April Is, 1908, the date of the robbery.
Mrs. Allen, however, insisted that 1t
was Shercliffe and no one else. who
roomed with Ball on that occasion.
Just before the noon adjournment
George M. Stedman, general agent for
the Wells-Fargo Express company, was
called by the state. He identified
grip which had been shipped from Oel-
grip which was shipped from Oelwein
to Minneapolis, April 16.. and which
was claimed by Owen Ball. This grip
Ball said contained clothing and para,
phernalia belonging to both himself and
ShercMffe. This evidence was intro
duced to corroborate Balrs testimony.
Stedman was turned over to the de-
fense for cross-examination at the be-
ginning of the afternoon session.
The case is progressing slowly and 1t
may not go to the jury before Friday
night. The state has several more wit
nesses.
The bulk Of the evidence was brought
out in the cross-examination of Ball
when the defense read several letters
written to his relatives and his finance,
while he was a prisoner in the county
JAIL These the defense intends shall
show that Ball at that time was seek
ing to bring about Shercliffe's arrest
and Imprisonment to his own gain.
The letters tell of Owen Balls love
for emma: girl who lives in Mar
shalltown, Iowa.
comrade in Trouble.
In one letter Ball asked his brother
to inform Tom Dennison of Omaha that
a comrade of Shercliffe's was in trouble
and wanted to see him. Dennison is
known as an enemy Of Morris, for Nor
ris implicated Dennison in the cele-
brated Pollock train robbery. The de-
fense evidently believes that the letters
bear out the theory that Ball was
offered light sentence and good posi-
tions after he got out Of prison if he
would take the stand against Morris.
May Forfeit Charter.
Boston, Jan. 20.-The Massachusetts
charter of the New York, New Haven
and Hartford Railroad is declared to
l,, ffa,:fait,1ra in the annlla l