Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-30
SECOND MAN TRIED
| IN SANDY SPRING
BANK Staying CASE
Court at Frederick Hearing
Testimony Against "Big
Bill" Mitchell.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

\ fhEDEhiCh, ND. SepleHicSf o1'~
Facing murder charge, John W.
Mitchell. alias Big Bilr' Mitchell. of
Philadelphia, Pa. indicted with Clar-
ence J. Adams of Camden. n. j.. and
Joseph Thomas Penderghast of Phila-
delphia. in connection with the Sandy
Spring bank robbery and the murder
of Francis NJ Hallowell went on trial
here this morning before the Fred
erick county court.
The court, at the opening of the
trial, announced that the decision in
! the Adams case, which closed last
| night. would be re:erved until the con-
clusion of the trials of Mitchell and
Penderghast. Chief Judge Urner eS-
| planned that should either of the two
untried men ask for jury trial. the
| courts decision might influence the
jurors.
art Patterson of Philadelphia He has
/ but two witnesses. Patterson CLAIMS
! that Mitchell will be able to prove an
| alibi. upon which defense Adams pin
/ ned his hope for freedom.
| Mitchell claims to have been in New
York at noon on April Is, date OF the
| crime. leaving for Provfdence, H. l.,
THAT afternoon.
i
| Asa Stabler Of Sandy Spring. who
has been connected with the Sandy
Spring Bank and the Sandy Spring
Savings Institution for three
tyears. and who is eighty-three years
old, was among the first to TESTIFY
He described the robbery and MUIR
der, and said Mitchell was the man
twho stood in the doorway between
the bank room and the directors
broom. holding two revolverS-
! There was Slight discrepancy when
Mr.. Stabler attempted to identify
Mitchell. Asked to indicate the man.
he pointed to man with his hand
prisoners had their hands to their
faces. but apparently Mr.. Stabler
meant Adams, who sat to the rear OF
Mitchell. On cross-examination, Mr..
Stabler admitted he had made a mis-
take" at first. but he was certain
mitchell was the man he saw in the
bank. and he pointed to him. making
his Identification positive.
/ A. b. Thomas, president of the bank.
Twas on the stand at noon adjourn
ment.
| Adams Trial Concluded.
| The trial of Clarence r. Adams on
charges of being one Of the five ban
dts who looted the First National
Bank at Sandy Spring. Md, and shot
and killed Francis N. Haliowen. a
director of the bank. April Is, came
to a conclusion in the circuit court
here yesterday at o'clock. Chief
Judge Hammond Urner and Associate
Judges Glenn H. WorthinEten and
Edward C. Peter reserved their de-
cision.
! States Attorney Thomas L Dawson
and Attorney General Alexander Arm
strong. who conducted the prosecu-
tion. in their closing arguments
, murder, and that the court impose
hanging as the punishment.
Claim Alibi In Frame-Up.
They told the court that in their
opinion the alibi of Adams was a
frame-up. They explained how sew
eral of the witnesses. in their en-
deavors to make stronger the alibi.
made by each other They expressed
the belief that Adams purchased the
sheet of zinc in the Philadelphia
| store. not on April IS, but few
days before or after the crime was
committed in Montgomery county.
| Attorney John A. Garrett. who de-
Tended Adams. contended the witness
es who said they saw Adams in the
! bank or near Sandy Spring at the
time of the crime were mistaken. He
told the court it was it's duty to take
the testimony of the burglars just as
seriously as that of the detectives.
! He argued that most of those who
said Adams was one of the bandits
| who looted the bank and killed Mr..
Hallowell had made themselves be-
lieve it is the man because they want
to share in the $4,000 reward offered
for the arrest and conviction of the
robbers and murderers. He called the
reward blood money" and said it
should be spurned by honorable men
and women.
Two Others on Trial Today.
The trial of John w. Mitchell. alias
Big Bill" and Joseph Thomas PEN
derghast. alias "Gunman joe" who
were jointly indicted with Adams
started this morning. John Kelly. the
fourth man indicted. escaped from the
Baltimore city jail few weeks age
and is still at large. The NTH man
has not yet been captured.
| Adams occupied the stand during
most Of the session yesterday. He was
calm and collected at all times. De-
ispite the grueling examination to
which he was subjected by States
ATTORNEY Dawson. he failed to change
any of the testimony he gave during
Ibis direct examination.
Detective Dougherty. who was
: called to the stand in rebuttal by
; the prosecution. created a sensation
J when he said Adams told in the pres
ence of several witnesses in Camden
IN j., that he always knew what
! ives coming to him before he planned
Job and always knew how he was
| going to get out Of it before he went