Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 April 1887 — SCHWARTZ-WATT. [ARTICLE]

SCHWARTZ-WATT.

Progress of the Trial of the Rock Island Train Robbers at ttor-* ris, EL 9 Strong Testimony Against the Accused—A Sermon Cause.* a Sensation. iMoniUB (ILL.) CORRESPONDENCE^ , The trial of Schwartz and Watt on the charge of having, murdered Kellogg Nichols, the express messenger ut) the Rock Island Railroad, in March, lhH., has been in progress here two weeks, and will in all probaoility not be coneluded for at least another week. The testimony so far adduced, though mainly circumstantial, taken as a whole, makes up a rather strong case against the two accused br&kemen. Carl Woods, engineer of the train upon which Nichols was murdered, described the blood stains in the car in which Kellogg Nichols was killed, and gave evidence which indicated that Nichols mode a desperate effort to reach and set the air-brakes. Witness 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 tho 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 : “Set 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 atraid, and would do so. Witness gave some testimony to show that there could have been no man ou the top of Watt’s car covering him with a revolver thrust through the transom. Conductor Wugnor testified that the iron poker with blood upon it, with which the mesie iger was evidently beaten to death, was found hanging behind tho stove in its accustomed place. This circumstance is regarded as almost positive pi oof that the murder was committed by a train man, as no one unaccustomed to the cur would ever think of hanging up thepoker in its proper place again after tue perpetration of the deed. Napoleon Briggs, who wia fireman on Engineer Woods' train, testified to Schwartz's movements and actions after the crime, and his disinclination to talk about the matter. Conductor Danforth gave similar testimony to Briggs, aud also told about finding tho tell-tale suohel in the car closet on the return trip from Davenport. He usked Schwartz what ho thought about the murder, and who committed it. 'To that Schwartz throw out his hands and said : "v olonel, I don’t know anythiug about it.” He did not want to talk about the matter. Witness looked in tho ladies’ car closet after leaving Marseilles,and there was nothing in it. At Seneca, the next station five miles on, witness saw Schwartz carrying a sachei. Alter leaving Seneca witness opened the closet door and found obstructing the door a sachei, new and of cheap description, and partially torn up. Fart .Of the sachei cornel-piece was stuck fast in the closet aperture. Witness called Schwartz, and both .picked up the pieces. Among them witness found a piece of torn voucher, and remarked that it might have some connection with the robb.ry. The jiieco of voucher was shown to witness by Mr. Carter, and was fully identified und put in evidence. It was passed over to the jury and examined with great interest. The debris of the sachei was also produced, identified by witness, put in evidence, aud examined by the jury. Several other train employes wero 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 Debell to the jurors that they should uot talk over the evidence in the case among themselves, or allow any one to refer to the case in their hearing. He said they must allow nothing whatever to influence their minds, hut should keep them strictly in such state that they could give to each portion of the evidence as it might be presented the just and fair weight due it. Then he asked if counsel would have any objections to .the jury attending church in charge of officers. Counsel tor both sides assented to this ■ readily, little imagining what would result. A little before church time word was sent to the Rev. M. A. Phillips, pastor of the Methodist church, that the jury would attend at his sanctuary, ami accordingly three seats were reserved ih the central portion of the church for its accommodation. It was a more thun ordinary service at the church by reason of the presence of the Rev. Dr. N. A. Axtell, the presiding elder of the Joliet district of the Lock River conference, within the bounds of which Morris is situated. l)r. Axtell preached on the strength of power and the 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 tho possession of extraordinary powers or ability wnich commanded instant admiration, but on a careful, painstaking, and industrious utilization of little sources of strength, as they might be termed. ; He went on to emphasize the important part often played 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 seemingly equally unimportant, revealed guilt beyond a doubt. He gave an illustration by telling how a man had committed a crime in California, escaped suspicion for a time, and finally went to Indio. Among articles gathered up at the scene of the crime which it was thought might fumißh some clew to the perpetrator was an envelope containing a draft or paper of like description. The corner had been tom off as if by the teeth. Years afterward there was found in the vest pocket of the man in India a'little pioce paper which fitted exactly to the tom part of the envelope, and the man by that evidence was brought to trial and found guilty. Dr. Axtell told the story with great vividness, and when telling how the ragged edges fitted exactly together held up his hands witii the fin-ger-ends interlaced. The strongest evidence thus far introduced in the trial is the finding of a tom comer of a bank voucher in the car closet of the train on which Schwartz returned to. Chicago from Davenport, which little piece fitted exactly to a tom voucher found in the contents of the robbed safe. The almost exact identity of Dr. Axtell’s illustration with this was very apparent, and, taken with his powerful presentation of the importance of circumstantial evidence, struck many as most remarkable utterances to be made before the jury; The sermon has been the talk of the town for the past three days. The counsel for the defense held a brief consultation on the subject just belore court opened Monday. Whether to call the attention of the court formally to the matter, and demand that the trial be stopped at once and the jury discharged, was one of the propositions seriously discussed. It was finally decided that it would be better to say nothing about it and to let the trial proceed, as, in case a verdict of guilty should be returned, the defense could make use, in a way likely to be effectual, of the fact in an attempt to secure a new trial .or, obtain a reversal by the Supreme Court. Judge Debell was not disposed to talk much about the propriety of the jury having listened to such a sermon, or the serious consequences os complications in the trial likely to result, but did say that the matter was deplorable and most unfortunate. Miss Emma Lewis testified that before'the murder Schwartz and his wife were living in poor circumstances in Chicago, and that Mrs. Schwartz’s clothing was extremely shabby. After Nichols’ death both his and her wearing apparel became suddenly better. Mrs. Schwartz soon had three or four new dresses of silk and lace. Witness visited the- Schwartzes two or three times a week. After the robbery they got a new Brussels carpet and finely upholstered furniture, lace curtains, folding-bed, and easy chairs, and silver knives, forkß, and spoons. Miss Lewis confessed to indulging in a bit of eavesdropping at Schwartz’s house, between him and Watt. The twain went into’ the; kitchen, closing the door after them. Placing her ear to the keyhole she overheard the following conversation: Schwartz said to Watt: “Newt, yon seem to be wanting to above all the suspicion on me.” Watt replied, “Well, you are safe, your father is, rich, you could easily account for your money.” Schwartz said : “Well, why didn’t you give mo two fifties instead of a hundred?” Watt said it was dark where he got them, and he took the first once he came to. Witness beard Mrs. Schwartz coming back at this point and did not dare listen longer. Lr-is supposed that one reason why an apothecary’s goods sell so readily is because he always keeps laudanum (landin’ ’em). “Hate you a mother-in-law ?” asked a man oi a disconsolate-looking person. “No,” he replied; “but I’ve a father in jaiL” A train of pure thought will only run on the track of a well-graded mind. The thermometers used -in Holland are not raised from Dutch bulbs.