Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1887 — SCHWARTZ-WATT. [ARTICLE]

SCHWARTZ-WATT.

Progress of the Trial of the Rock Island Train Bobbers at Morris, HL Strong Testimony Against the Accused—A Sermon Causes a Sensation. (UOBBIB (T1.1i.) CORRESPONDENCE.] The trial of Schwartz and Watt on the charge of having murdered Kellogg Nichols, the express messenger on the Rock Island Railroad, m March, lfc'Sj, has been in progress here two weeks, and will in all probability not be concluded for at least another week. The testimony so far adduced, though mainly circumstantial, taken as a whole, makes up a lather strong case against the two accused brakemen. Carl Woods, engineer of the train upon which Nichols was murdered, described the blood stains in the car in which Kellogg Nichola was killed, and gave evidence which indicated that Nichols made a desperate effort to reach and set the air-brakes. W itness gave a detailed account of the appearance of the cars, how they were loaded, how the doors were fastened, and" other particulars calculated to give the jury an accurate knowledge of the circumstances of the crime. It was drawn out that it was not until some time after it was decided to take the two cars on with the train that Watt said : “bet them out; I’m d—d if I want to ride in them. ” Schwartz was asked if he would run the baggage, and replied that he was not alraid, and would do so. Witness gave some testimony to show that there could have been no man on the top of Watt’s car covering him with a revolver thrust through the. transom. Conductor Wagner testified that tho iron jjoker with blood upon it, with which the messenger was evidently beaten to deaih, waa founa hanging behind the stove in its accustomed place. This circumstance is regarded as almost positivo pi oof that the murder was committed by a ti ain man, as no one unaccustomed to the car would ever think of hanging up the poker in its proper place again after the perpetration of the deed. Napoleon Briggs, who was fireman on Engineer Woods’ train, testified to Schwartz’s movements and actions after the crime, and his disinclination to talk about tho matter. Conductor Daaforth gave similar testimony to Briggs, and also told about finding the tell-tale sachet in the car closet on the return trip from Davenport. He usked Schwartz what he thought about tho murder, and who committed it. To that Schwartz threw out liis hands and said: “colonel, I don’t know anything about it.” He did not want to talk about the matter. Witness looked in the ladies’ car closet after leaving Marseilles and thore was nothing in it. At Seneca, the next station five miles on, witness saw Schwartz carrying a sachel. After leaving Seneca wit%k|i opened the closet door and found obstructing the door a sachel, new and of cheap description? and partially torn up Part of the sachel corner-piece v, as stuck fast in the closet aperture. Witness called Schwartz, and both picked up tho pieces. Among them witness found a piece of torn voucher, and remarked that it might have some connection with the robb.ry. The piece of voucher was shown to witness by Mr. Carter, and was fully identified and put in evidence. It was passed over to the jury and examined with great interest. The debris of the sachel was also produced, i I entailed by witness, put in evidence, and examined by the jury. Several other train employee were placed on the stand, but their evidence was not of material importance, beyond corroborating and strengthening the testimony of those who had preceded them.

On Sunday last a somewhat sensational event in connection with this now celebrated trial occurred. Saturday afternoon court was adjourned with a strict injunction by Judge Dobell to the jurors that they should not talk over the evidence in the case among themselves, or Glow any one to refer to the case in their hearlnl- He said they must allow nothing whatevw to influence their minds, but should keep then gtricily in such state that thev could give to eich portion of the evidence as it might be presented the just and fair weight due it Then ne askwi if counsel would have any objections to tlie j ir y attending church in charge of officers. counsel'tor both sides assented to this readily, lit. ie imagining what would result. +1 „1, 10 ,, or o church time w ord was sent to rhmv.wrn;/; HkiUips, pastor of tho Methodist cnuich, that t. e jury would attend at his sanctuary, and scc.rdingly three seats were reserved m the cental portion of the church for its accommodation it was a more than ordiBervi ® e the church by reason of the piesencoof theßev.Dr. N. A. Axtell, the pree„ld f er of the district of the Rock Kivei conference witb,, the hounds of which. Morris is situated. Dr. Axtell preached on tho strength of power and tie important part which little things play in its composition. then, speaking of the practical pursuits of life, he said that success and reputation in them depended not on some one great and brilliant achievement, or the possession of extraordinary powers or ability wnich commanded instant admiration, but on a careful painstaking, and industrious utilization of little suurces of strength, as they might be termed He went on to emphasize tho important part often play»d by little things in tho securing of great results, and referred to the fact that criminals had many times been convicted and brought to their just punishment by circumstantial evidence of itself of the most trivial nature, but which, when combined with other evidence siemiugly equally unimportant, revealed guil. beyond a doubt. He gave an illustration by telling how a man had committed a crime n California, escaped suspicion for a time, and finally went to India. Among artichs gathered up at the scene of the crime which it was thought might furnish some clew to he perpetrator was an envelope containing a daft or paper of like description. The corner hacbeen torn off as if by the teeth Years afterwan there was fbund in the vest, pocket of the tan in India a little piece of paper which httd exactly to the torn part of the envelope, aid the man by that evidence was brought to tial and found guilty. Dr. Axtell told he story with great vividness, and when tellinghow the ranged edges fitted exactly together hid up his hands with the fin-ger-ends interlace!. The strongest evidence ►thus far introduce, in the trial is the finding of ? orner of a ’*nk voucher in the car closet of the tram on whiq Schwartz returned to Chicago from Davenpot, which little piece fitted exactly to a torn vocher found in the contents of the robbed safe. The almost exact identity ot Dr. Axtell s illustration with this was very apparent, and, takeiwith his powerful presentation of the importace of circumstantial evidence steuck many * most remarkable utterances to be made befie the jury The sermon has bei the talk of the town for the past three days. The counsel for the defense held a brief conjitation on the subject just before court openi Monday. Whether to call the attention of _ e court formally to the matter, and demand tH the trial be stopped at once a,nd the jury dismrged, was one of the propositions seriously dcussed. It was finally decided that it would 3 better to say nothing about it and to let the t»! proceed, as in cast a verdict of guilty shoul be returned thede sense could make use, a a way likely to be effectual of the fact in t attempt to secure a new trial or obtain a rowi 1.,; Court. Judge Debell wa 10t disposed ß to talk much about the propriety the jury having listened to such a sermd or the serious con-sara.-dssasasws.'aaj; able and most unfortunate. * Miss Emma Lewis testifi,' that before the murder Schwartz and ■ his f 0 wete Uvincpoor circumstances in Chic 0> ancl that jL Schwartz’s clothing was % emely B h a bbv After Nichols’ death both R>dTer weS apparel became suddenly bet. M vn soon had three or four new dis es ik . lace. Witness visited t^SUrS; throe times a week. After t robbery they got a new Brussels carpet nd fino f v bolstered furniture, lace curti 8 folding and easy chairs, and silver b a e A spopns. Miss Lewis confessed Wui trine in a bit of eavesdropping at Schwa- 8 house hp* tween him and Watt. Thai ai „ ' into the kitchen, closing tt d them. Placing her ear to tfio-eyhole she overheard the following con verbal, . Sr y. wn ii® said to Watt: “Newt, you seem shove all the suspicion on me.” “Well, you are safe, your fathei rich cm,’ could easily account for your mone s said : “Well, why didn’t you give instead of a hundred?” Watt said Z„ a where Re got them, and he took the 7 came to. Witness heard Mrs. Echw~ JJ.JJ back at this point and did not dare li^^longer 8