The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-01-12
Steelton Youth SaysHe
Had No Intention of
Skipping With the
Mother of Five
WITNESS ABSENT:
CASE CONTINUED
Trial of John Burns Is Halted When
Chief Bomgardner Does Not Appear
to Give Testimony as Star Witness
for the Commonwealth

The trial of John Bufns, alias Arthur
Parker, Steeiton colored youth, whom
Robert Geary, colored, accused of at
tempting to run away with Mrs. Geary
and her five small children, was begun
before q criminal court jury this morn
ing, but was halted because A. P. Bom-
gardner, Steelton IS chief Of police, an
important witness for the Common
wealth, did not appear to testify. The
jury was dismissed, the case marked
continued and Burns was remanded
back to prison.
Geary, the man who claims to have
been injured, did not hesitate, while ON
the witness stand, to say that young
Burns was endeavoring to "skip" with
Mrs. Geary and her babies, when the
police arrested the defendant. How
ever he said he brought charge of lar
ceny only against Burns, claiming he
stole trunk from the Geary home.
532 Ridge street, Steelton, which, wit
nesses said, contained clothing belong
ing to Mrs. Geary and the children.
Geary said he doesn It know the present.
Whereabouts OF MS WIIe.
Bomgardner is the policeman who
searched the defendant few moments
before Burns was, it is alleged, about
to depart on train for the West, and
the District Attorney said it was neccs-
sary to have Bomgardner in court to
support the claim that Burns had two
tickets to Chicago, ILL.,, when appre-
hended
Burns Makes Denial
Burns denied that railroad tickets
had been taken from him. He also de-
MED that he intended running away
with Mrs. Geary. Geary said that
Burns laid the alleged plan to run away
with Mrs. Geary while the defendant
was boarder in the Geary home. The
case may be tried later in the week.
Mrs. Geary is 81 years old. Burns is
"a.
Rebeeca Thomas, a coored woman,
convicted on charge of "huggingo a
white man and relieving him of his
! wallet, this morning was sentenced by
Judge McCarrell to pen term of from
one to two years. This was the second
penitentiary sentence imposed by the
court this morning. Only few min
Nutes before Judge Kunkel gave Walter
Buckingham, Middletown youth, q
term of from nine to fifteen months on
charge of stealing a pair of trousers
from Maurice Berman, Mfddletown
clothier.
Buckingham, after pleading guilty,
said he donned the trousers to see if
they would fit properly and then left
the store.
Seven Months for Forger
George Crawford, Pittsburgher
confessed to forging two checks, on q
Susquehanna township farmer, one for
SIS and the other for $2O, and he got
seven months in Jail.
Henry l.. Good, said by the police to
be veteran forger, got six months for
passing a bogus $40 check. Good is
more than 10 Years old.
On a burglary charge, Clarence Mo-
ten, colored, of Steelton, got four
months, the sentence to date from No.
vernber 81, 1914. He was convicted
of robbing a Steelton barber shop.
Joseph Salinger was acquitted on a
charge of unlawfully soliciting insur-
ance. David Sourbeer was acquitted on
a serious charge but was ordered to
pay half the costs. Just before the
noon adjournment jury found Philip
f1eek guilty on a charge of stealing q
bicycle