Evening star., 1937-10-21
ROBBER IDENTIFIES
MONTAGUE AS PAL
Man Who Served Term for
HoId-up Accuses Holly
wood Golfer.
By the Associated Press.


ELIZABETHTOWN, N. Y, October
11.-Hollywood's John Montague was
identified today as participant in
500 Adirondack roadhouSe robbery
in 1880 by a man who has served a
prison term for the crime
Roger Norton, 35-year-old Cleveland,
Ohio, truck driver, once convicted of
the crime, sat calmly in witness chair
and testified Montague, then known
as Laverne Moore, was an accomplice
in the road house robbery.
Points to Montague.
Asked by Prosecutor Thomas w.
Mcdonald if he could identify Moore
in the court room, the soft-spoken
witness pointed finger toward Mon
tague at the counsel table and said:
"That is Laverpe Moore"
Montague, who won Hollywood ac-
claim by his golfing exploits, kept his
eyes fixed on Norton throughout the
ex-convicts testimony.
The pal of motion picture actors
has admitted he is Laverne Moore,
formerly resident of Syracuse, N. Y,
but denies participation in the rob-
berry.
Norton, who came here voluntarily
10 testify against Montague on the
seven-year-old charge, told in detail
the events of the August 1880, night
when Kin Hana's roadhouse was held
up at Jay, N. Y, rs miles north of
here.
Tells of Beating.
Norton testified that he and Laverne
Moore met William Carleton and John
Sherry at Mechanicsville, N Y, and
proceeded from there nearly 100 miles
to the roadhouSe.
Norton said he remained outside,
the other three went in.
Later, the witness said, he heard
Moore 'holler for blackjack" from
the yard in the rear of the restaurant
Investigating, Norton said he saw
Moore striking at Uncle Matt with
"a black object"
Uncle Matt" the witness explained.
Is Matthew Cobb. 74-year-old father
Of Kin Hana's wife. Mrs. Hama is a
second cousin of Norton.
Norton said he and Moore were
stopped once by State troopers near
Schroon Lake, N. Y, south of here, en-
route to Schenectady after the hold
up, and that Moore talked his way
out of it,
They parted at Schenectady, Nor
ton said, with Moore explaining he
was going to return to his Syracuse
home. That was the last he saw of
Moore. he added, until he came here
to testify against him.
Norton was arrested two days after
the crime, pleaded guilty and served
two years in prison.
Credibility Attacked.
James M. Noonan, chief of defense
counsel, attacked Nortons credibility
in a vigorous croSs-examination in
which the witness said he had had
various liquor dealings with Hama and
other Adirondack tavern proprietors
during prohibition.
Previously, Hanna, diminutive, be-
spectacled victim Of the hold-up, had
told the jury under cross-examination
that he could not describe any Of the
ROBBERS very WELL
First witness called by the State in
its effort to send Montague to prison,
the little japanese did not identify
Montague, but said the leader of the
masked quartet who held up his road
house was heavy set and about feet
inches tall"
Describes Hold-Up.
Speaking in broken English, the be-
spectacled Hama described how the
masked quartet threatened him with
guns on August 5, 1880, and bound
himself, his wife and three daughters
after emptying the road house safe.
Defense Counsel James M. Moo
mans cross-examination brought out
Hanna's professed inability to identify
the quartet definitely.
A lengthy cross examination
brought from Hama the fact he was
twice convicted of violating the pro-
hibition laws before 1888 and that
Norton is a relative of Mrs. Hama.
Guest at Roadhouse.
Norton was guest at the roadhouse
q month before the robbery, Hama
said. Norton is here to testify for the
State.
Hama, the prosecutor said, was one
of six persons in the road house who
were bound and gagged by four men
one of whom the State contends is
Montague, then known as Laverne
Moore. Two were caught and served
prison terms, a third was killed when
the getaway car overturned, and the
fourth escaped.