Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1887 — THE MESSENGER MURDER. [ARTICLE]

THE MESSENGER MURDER.

Progress of the Trial of the Two Rock Island Brake men at Mor* ris, 111. The Work of the Deteetives in the Case —Some Interesting Testimony. (morris, (ill.) cobrespondewcz.] The Schwartz-Watt trial is now in its fourth week, and is believed to be nearing the end. The prosecution rested its case several days ago, aud the defense has been introducing testimony for nearly a week. A number of witnesses have i eeu called for the purpose of impeaching some of the prosecution’s witnesses and establishing the good character of the two defendants. Among the witnesses examined during the week by the prosecution was Frank Wind, a Pinkerton detective, who has been braking on the Bock Island Boad since August, last, and who was placed on the road to shadow Schwartz and Watt. He told an interesting story of his experience. He roomed with Schwartz in Davenport, slept with Bob Watt in Chicago, and sometimes with Newt. He said he came to Chicago from Philadelphia to continue in the employ of Pinkerton. The first development he made was a conversation heheard between the prisoners at Davenport. Schwartz called Watt aside and told him he could not make it. Watt said: “When can you make it?” and Schwartz replied: “I will try it next trip.” Schwartz, at a subsequent time, said that unless the company raised his wages he would start in business for himself, and added that bis father had offered him $3,000 for that purpose. About this time Watt told the witness that his father-in-law was going to receive SI,BOO on back pension, and that it would be divided equally between his (Watt’s) wife and her sister. When they afterwards became better acquainted Watt told him that some day. when he felt better, he would tell him all about thetalk that was being circulated; he also told him. he would be better fixed in the spring. Later in the month, in Chicago, Schwartz said that he intended to go to Kansas in the spring and buy a stock ranch. About Oct. 11, in a Chicago saloon, just before Schwartz started for Philadelphia, he and Watt withdrew to the rear of the saloon and told witness to “keepaway" when he came near them. While they were talking witness stepped behind a board partition which set off a portion of the room and heard a part of their conversation. Watt said to Schwartz, “I want you to be very careful of yourself when you go East; don’t give up anything.” Schwartz exclaimed: “My God, Newt, I thought you knew me better than to think that; I would not even tell my wife. ” Schwartz, said he understood all the detectives were still after them ; that the company had hired new men, and that Pinkerton’s forces had been, withdrawn ; he said he could take care of himself and that they could not trump up any charges against him. Schwartz afterward told witness that when he went to Philadelphia he would have plenty of “stuff,” and when he cams back they would all have a night in Chicago and Davenport, he didn’t care what it cost. William J. Gallagher, now serving a sentence in the Joliet Penitentiary, testified to conversations he had with Schwartz while the twowere prisoners in the jail at Chicago. Schwartz told witness about the SSJ notes that he won playing laro at a gambling house at No. 125 Clark street, and that ho got the bills changed by buying meals at restaurants and ammunition at Spalding’s. One day, while they were playing casino Schwartz stopped playing and asked him what SI,OOO of American money would bo worth in England. At another time Schwartz told him that when he got out of jail he was going to Kansas, buy land, and settle down. In January last Gallagher had a conversation in the jail with Schwurtz, who asked him if he could get SI,OOO In large bills chauged: Into $5, $lO and S2O bills. Gallagher said to him, “Where did this money come from? is it connected with the Bock Island robbery ?” Schwartz said it was not, and then said that a brakeman on the fore part of the train coing out toDavenport saw a Jew get on a "Pullman car with a aachel, which he placed under the seat; this sachel, Schwartz said, contained a large amount of money. When the train arrived at Davenport the brakeman took the sachel and left the train, and the Jew continued on to Kansas City without missing his sachel. Detective William A. Pinkerton was examined at great, length concerning conversations ho had with Schwartz and Watt. Witness told Schwartz he talked with his wife, and she had said he had found a package containing over $7,000 in the baggage-car coming from. Davenport, and that he had brought the money home without counting it. Witness said he know it was a portion of this money he had been spending. Witness Baid Schwartz apparently disbelieved what he said about his wife’s confession, and doubted her presence in the city. Witness then sent for her, and when sue arrived defendant said: “Ella, I understand you have been talking with Pinkerton about this matter.” She answered in the affirmative, and he said he did not want to talk about it. (Then ensued the scene as related by witness when examined by counsel for the defense, as stated above.) Witness then told the defendant he knew he had sent a box weighing about a pound by the Baltimore and Ohio Express to Philadelphia directed to Harry Mayhew, in care of J. S. Schwartz. Defendant denied that there was money in this package, which he claimed contained meerschaum pipes. Schwartz said if he were to tell anything about the money it would not agree with what Ella had said, as she had made several mistakes. Witness then asked for his version, and defendant replied he did not find it in the express car; that if he had he would have known whose it was. He did not find $7,000, and did not know how much he found. He found it the night he left Davenport with Mulligan; found it under a seat in the smoker. There was a brown wrapper around the package, on which was marked “5,000 ” Schwartz reached Philadelphia ahead of the box he had shipped, and on discovering that he was being shadowed he burned the money up except $150; Witness then asked Schwartz where the balance of the money waß, and defendant said he would get it for him, but that he did not want to get the party in trouble who had it, as he was entirely innocent. After much questioning he finally admitted that he had given it to Watt. Witness said he saw Watt at 'witness’ officein Chicago the following day and asked him where the package was. He did not reply for some time, and then said Schwartz was a liar if he said he had given him any package. Mrs. Schwartz was present at the interview and called Watt’s attention to the fact that she went down town the day he received the package, and he must recollect that. The following day Watt and witness came to Morris and went to the jail. Witness told Schwartz the result of his interview, and Schwartz laughed and said: “Give me a chance to talk with him, and I will get him around all right." Watt was then brought into the presence of Schwartz, and the latter said, “Newt, don’t you recollect the package I gave you wrapped in brown paper?" Watt replied, “No." Watt said, “Harry, don’t try to mix me up in this thing; you know 1 am innocent." Sohwartz replied: “Newt, if you looked in the parcel and found that it contained money, and. becoming alarmed, destroyed it, say so, and I will have to make the amount good.” Newt answered: “I don’t know where it is." Witnesstold Watt it was in his house Dec. 11, 1886. Schwartz replied: “Don’t you see he knows more about it than we thought, or I ever told him?" Witness said: “Why can’t you get it?" to which Watt replied that he could not if he was hung. Witness said that Schwartz said the package contained SSO and SIOO bills. For the defense Jonas D. Mead, of Paxton, 111., father-in-law of the prisoner Watt, was the first witness called to the stand. He testified to receiving back pension of' $1,007 in June, 1886, and deposited it, less commissions, in the Ford Connty Bank at that place. November 11 he sent a draft for S3OO to Watt. He Identified Watt’s indorsement on the back of the draft.. , The hair cut from Nichols’ head after death was identified for tho State by A. L. Lapete, an undertaker’s assistant, Walker 8? Turner, and Mrs. Nichols. The hair and that found in the dead hand of Nichols were then admitted in evidence. Quite an array of witnesses, many of them from Philadelphia. Chicago, and other points, testified to the good character of Schwartz and Watt