Arizona republican., 1921-12-08
STORY IF .ROY GARDNER |S
 TOLD IN TRIAL IN FEDERAL COURT
Many Dramatic Incidents As Particulars Of His Crimes Are Brought Out Many Sallies With At torney And Court

In a session filled with dramatic interludes which kept the interest of a crowded court room keyed to the highest pitch during the progress of the trial, Roy c. Gardner, mail ban dit whose spectacular career for al- most two years has made his name familiar throughout the United States, told the story of his life yes terday in the federal court.
 Marked by clashes between himself and United States Attorney Flynn. by his outline of his religious belief in cluding the statement that he con- sidered nothing but murder a crime. and by the beginning of the real battle to sustain allegations of his in- sanity, the entire course of Gardner's testimony was replete with startling revelations.
 No less startling. however. was his cross-examination by Attorney Flynn, who for several hours drew from the prisoner admissions concerning his criminal activities which revealed. in the opinion of those who listened to the trial, the operations of a daring and calculating man. Once or twice a sally of wit from Gardner caused Judge William II. Sawtelle to warn spectators against any disturbance.
 
 sis of the evidence presented by Gardner proved one of the most ab- sorbing examinations of witness ever made in the federal court here.
 Court Rebukes Prisoner
 The first dramatic episode of the day occurred in the morning, after Gardner had refused to tell where he had left the mail sacks taken from an Arizona Eastern mail car at Mari . .oI as a reason fer his refusal the fact that IL. D. Chance, postoffice in- spector, ha6 not kept his word with him. After Attorney Flynn had tried several times to get answer. Judge Sawtelle interposed and said to the members of the jury:
 "The reason that I do not punish this witness for contempt because of his refusal to answer and because of his demeanor on the stand is only because any penalty which I might assess would be unavailing in view of the heavy sentences under which he has already been placed" Gardner rose to his feet from the witness chair as Judge Sawtelle ended his remarks, and turning to the judge and pointing his finger at Fred A. Weage, United States deputy mar shal, who sat across the courtroom | he said:
 Judge, I told Fred weage there 1 that after this trial Is over I would | tell him where the mail sacks are. | Didn't I, Fred?'
 Weage made no reply, and the case | continued. When the afternoon ses- | sion opened Gardner apologized tc l Judge Sawtelle for his actions of the | morning.
 ExpIains Spirit Controls l Another incident which startled the court room into the keenest interest | occurred in the afternoon. wher 1 Gardner was explaining his belief fl | spirit controls. He had laid stress | on his belief that he was not amen able to man. made laws, which have no place in ''the spiritual plane, with the one exception of murder which, he said. was unforgivable be- cause restitution could not be made | for the taking of life. His declara- tions had been listened to with tht | most apparent attention by the hun dreds in the court room, and when h' | finished his remarks Attorney Flynn asked him, slowly and distinctly: ''What do you say. Mir. Gardner. t' a crime committed against some httl' girl on the streets. Do you thinl that this is forgivable? Do you thinl that restitution can be made for : sin of this kind?'
 T never thought of that" wa Gardner's reply.
 Gardner took the witness stand a
 soon as court convened in the morn ing, and kept it until half the after noon had passed. After brief out line of his early history-his birth il Missouri. his going to Colorado at tn age of II. his finishing his hisl school course, and his work in tn mines of Colorado, Arizona, NeN
 Mexico and Mexico proper-he toll
 of his being injured in Bisbee, whel he was struck on the back of tn head and operated upon. He the told of going to Trinidad. Colorado of his taking up boxing, which h | followed for about two years.
 Worked as Gas Welder
 He was married, he said, five year 1 ago to Dolly Nelson. He had learne
 the trade of gas welder and worke
 fer the government at Mare lslanc
 California, and for a shipbuildin
 company where he was employed fo
 two and one-half years up to tn
 time of the signing of the armistice
 He then opened his own welding sho
 at Oakland, which was burned dowr after which he opened another i
 Fvesno, which he sold.- and then h , went to Los Angeles, where h cleared about S2,000 on a contract He then went to San Diego, lost in greater part of his money at IT [ Juana. and perpetrated his first rob
 berv-that of a mail truck at Sa Diego. He pleaded guilty O this an was sentenced to serve 25 years i
 the penitentiary.
 Investigations concerning his san itv were started at Los Angeles b
 Mrs. Gardner. he said, but nothin
 ever came of them. He escape
 while on his way to McNeirs IslanC
 Puget Sound, and went to pavenpor Iowa. where he taught gas welding | m automotive school for two or thre
 Ilonths, after which time he returne
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