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William Hart Tried for Burning the Court-House, THE JURY FIND HIM NOT GUILTY. **Red's Wilson Arraigned for Trial—The Prosecuting Witness Fails to Appear, and the Case Goes Over to This Morning Mrs. Juke Aug Lucey for Divorce. The trial of William Hart, the only person the special grand jury were able to connect with the cburning of the Courthouse, was had yesterday before Judge Avery. Hart was charged with arson. The claim of the State was not that Hart, who is a young married man, employed by the Stone Lake Ice Com pany, was the first to apply the torch to the Court-house, but that arriving a little late upon the ground he assisted in the destruction of the building. Two witnesses were introduced, who said they saw him at a second-story window throw ing out books, which others put on the fire below, and two others, who said they heard him say the next day that he had his eye brows burned off at the Courthouse fire. The defense, on the other hand, introduced two witnesses who said they went with Hart to the fire, arriving about half-past 10, and that they did not approach nearer than the Court street square. Others testified that they saw Hart the next day, and did not notice that his eye brows were burned off. The Court charged that, though he did not kindle the first fire, if he assisted in spreading the fire through the building, he was guilty. The jury, after being out for two hours, found him not guilty. The testimony was as follows: Max Abel, of No. 969 Central avenue, testi fied for the State that he went down to see the burning Courthouse. He was with Felix Cumbach and William Meyers. They took their stand in front of the Second National Bank. The fire was in the Treasurer's office. There were a lot of men up on the second floor throwing books and furniture out of the windows. He saw the defendant at one of the windows and remarked “There is Billy Hart.” The fire lighted the window up brightly and there was no sinew, in recognizing him. He wore a stiff hat, ilness had known Hart for nine years. Did not see him have a torch in his hand. Felix Cumbach, of 969 Central avenue, testi fied that he was with Abel in front of the Sec ond National Bank Building, and heard the remark, ‘There's Billy Hart. ’ He looked up and recognized the defendant at the window. He was throwing things out. People down on the sidewalk picked up what was thrown out and put it on the fire. It was books and papers, and not furniture,that Hart was throwing out. Did not see him have a torch. Hart was wear ing a straw hat. Illiam Meyers, of Liberty and Moore streets, testified that he was with Abel and Cumbach, and heard Abel say, ‘“There’s Billy Hart,” but Hart was a person whom he didn’t know, which, of course, prevented his recog nizing him. The man at the window could be seen districts .. The fire at that time was in the Treasurer's office; a ladder had been placed ageions the Courthouse and the men on boys who were on the second floor went up on the ladder. There were fifteen or twenty of them. Witness saw no one among them he knew. Fire was being started on the second floor at that time. It was between 9 and 10 o'clock. The mail pointed out as Hart wore a stiff rimmed hat. Joseph Huber testified that Hart was in his place the Sunday morning after the fire, and directed the attention of those there to his eye brows. He said he had them burned off at the Court house fire, the night before. Mrs. Huber confirmed her husband’s testi mony. She said Hart asked them to look at him. She supposed from his remark that he had been getting some new clothes. Then he pointed to his eyebrows, which haad been singed. He said it was done at the burning of the Court-house, . Edward R. Branneis was in his saloon, o r the Court-house, when it was first fired. The adder used in cleaning the ceilings was under one of te seopagatory dows. Piargd got up on the ae. way. They threw paper and books out of the windows, and others picked them up from the sidewalks and threw them on the bon fire in front of the Court-house. There was much noise and excitement and a good deal of firing. The crowds were driven from South Court street by the militia, who advanced as far as the corner on which this saloon is lo cated. The fire in the Court-house and in front of it lighted the building up,so brightly that witness could easily have fized those in side had he known them, e thought the building was first fired between 9 and 10 o'clock. Frank Jobson, Clerk of the County Commis sioners,was called as a formal witness to tes tify that the building known as the Court house, burned on the night of March 29, was the property of Hamilton County. The State then rested its case. Mrs. Henrietta Hart, mother of the defend ant, testified that she lived on Baymiller street and the canal. About 10 o’clock of the night the Court-house was burned, her son William, who lives half a square from her, came to her house to call his brother Henry. He then went out. The fire-bells were ringing at that time. When pressed as to how she knew it was 10 o'clock when she saw William, she said she judged it was as late as that for the reason they were preparing for bed. Mary Southers, living on Harrison avenue, asked the Hart residence about 9 o’clock. Mrs. art was sitting on the doorstep, and she stopped and talked with her. William passed out and spoke to her. He said he was going up to the corner to play a game. The tire-bells =~ about that time. William Hart, the defendant, said he lived at 956 Central avenue. He took a nap after supper on the night of the 29th of March, and about 9 o'clock went out to play a game of ol at Mike,Gabe’s saloon. Meeting his father Charlie and another young man, who were going to the fire, he went with them. They took a street car and rode down to Vine and Canal. They remained there a few min utes and then walked over toward the Court house. It was on fire all through. They stood there for some time, until driven back by the soldiers. He lost his brother at that time. He afterwards watched the fire for some time from the drug store on the corner of Court and Walnut streets. He went home between 12 and 1 o'clock. It was not true that he told Hubers or his wife some days afterward that he had his eyebrows burned off in the Court-house fire. ,He was not near enough to the fire for anything of that sort to happen. He saw no one, after losing his brother, whom he knew. He was not in the Court-house at any time that night, and had nothing to do with setting it on fire. Henry Custemann, Jr., testified that he had known Wm. Hart for twelve years. He was playing pool with Hart in Mike Gabe’s saloon. About half-past 10, some time after the fire bells rang, they started down to the Court house, taking a street car. They left the car at Vine and Canal, and after staying there a few minutes they worked their way over into the Court Street pot. When the crowd was charged upon by the militia they became fed from the defendant and did not see ie pas That was between 11 and 12 Charles Hart,a brother of the defendant, gave similar testimony, except a slight dis crepancy as to the time the crowd was charged by the eee Robert and Frank Reynolds, of the Stone Lake - Ice Lope, both testified that they had known the defendant for several years, and saw him every day; saw him the Sunda morning after the Court-house was burned. There was nothing unusual in his appearance. If his eye brows or mustache had been eee they would in all probability have no it. Their men all went down to see the fire, and were talking about it that morning, Hart with the others. Henry Reynolds, of the Stone Lake Ice Com pany, testified that he was in Gabe’s saloon hen the fire bells rang. There was a party Bore playing a game, and Hart was looking .They remained some — the game con nuing. People came in said the Courthouse was on fire, and Department were not al and the loved to put it out. A we ais i 5 ° Sons’ ag see it, one of them, “RED” WILSON’S CASE. “Red” Wilcos, the bankoist, was arraigned for trial before Judge Maxwell. It had been expected all along that either “Red” or James Cook, the uting witness, would fail to appear. The event roved the expectation to be well grounded. ‘* ’ was there, but as was not, Gus Dohrman, of the Prosecutin Attorney's office, ont down to Rushville Ind., to notify Cook of the oe. He found urge i to be prompt tery fond in atte a on this Homes Cook fae tat cate. “te ae now ‘on me Uncle Jim y.” The wetare re of E Ges visig vesionria teet. k at first a abdout Coe but the tt ce having been on a come bo train an ... Pekin tas timony Upon the ened, this was called and the venire ex order s op BR, Btate an tack He for ie defen ye , as agreed upon ahd sworn, an for follows: George W. Gan, G Thornton, Samuel ‘= C. 8 eee a are eee ae Paul 8 ove. GruerT, E. diew Johin Carnish, Mal, Malsion ‘Holbrook'and 0 The State then asked for Levi of the case until 2 .m. in the hope th ling witness would appear. At that he hear ft bail to be again announced by the State that no one had seen him, and and continu ance until this morning was asked. . Jack Hart opposed another continuance in OH rey spintter.. He said he he told Mr. be fay oe trial was called as the Court eee put in an apert stom at that point remarking he was intimcating that his Fabeus knew more about the prosecu iing witness’ reasons for being absent than he ought to. The Court added that this was a case that ought to be tried. He did not care to hear anything further from the A pic inte and would grant the continuance asked Billy Hagen was then sent down to Rush ville after Cook. He said he would bring him in, and he can try do it if anyone can. Mr. Gerard was much accused at Cook’s con duct, and threatened to have him indicted for compounding a felony, Peggy Ryan and other friends of *Red'’ were banging around the rebolt. Peggy said he hoped Ook wouldn't show up, for if he did “Red” would go to the portitenniaey Cook will be remembered as the stock deal er who was bunked out of a check on Web ber, Loner Co. for something over a thou sand dollars. Charley Smith, of the Vine Street Opera house, took the check to 8. 8. Davis’ bank and got it cashed. Will Taft ob tained a judgment for Cook in a civil suit for the amount of the check. The judgment was against Smith. The bankoing occurred nearly two years ago. The charge against Wilson is robbery. A DAMAGE SUIT. The case of John Cayil nst the Reuben R. Springer Transportation Company was tried before Judge Force and a jury. The plaintiff sued for$5,000, for damages sustained in hav ing his hand crushed while packing a cold water pump of the docter engine. He had been a fireman, and was filling the place of a striker at the time,he was injured, and claimed that he was inexperienced and was inre put at this work by order of the engineer. At this the defendant denied, claiming that Cavil was a handy and experienced man, and that the accident to him had happened by reason of the risks incident to the position. The jury found for the defendant. Jeman Harper for plaintiff, and Charles H. Stephens for defendant. MRS. AUG SUES FOR DIVORCE. Mrs. Louisa Aug has brought a suit for di vorce from Jacob Aug sr, to whom she was married a year or more ago . She charges him with habitual drunkenness and extreme cruel ty, alleging that he has often threatened to shoot her, and frequently in his fury, broke their furniture up and threw it out of the win dows. She asks for divorce and alimony, and that she may be restored to her maiden name. Judge Matthews granted an order restraining Aug from disposing of his property while the present proceeding is pending. A SCALY TRICK. Josephine Pickett has sued for a divorce from Edward Pickett, were married on the night of the riot. Within two months Pickett is accused of going to St. Louis on the pretense of seekin employment that he went from there to Memphis, from whence the wife re ceived two telegrams and @ Jetter signed E. B. Anderson, informing her of her husband's death. She has since ascertained that he was alive and well at the time, and sent the letter and telegrams himself. The police in Memphis renee of his trick, and he has been ar rested, COURT BRIEFS. -Hoffman, the filicide will perhaps be sen tenced to hang to-day. ' _Rosenstein Bros. have sued Reis Bros. to recover $5,617. 05 for goods sold and delivered, om, o . T. Warren Co. for $1,597 70.0n _ three afts. --A jury in the case of Adolph Petsch vs. the C., H. D. Railroad Company, in which damages were asked for injuries, received at the Winton Place crossing, returned a verdict for the company. _— POLMEEGQOURT L ness and paid the costs; hard ‘Was 44 drunk and went out to the Works for three months; ~ Hoeing fond of baseball, practiced the game on the street and the costs for his sport; Frank Slevin threw a bowlder through Theo. Ungerer's saloon on Vine street, near Eighth, for which he paid $10 and costs; Isaac Lindeman, for assault and battery, had his case continued until the 15th; George Hick man and Jas. Cronin were charged, with dis orderly conduct, and it was proven that the former was guilty and here thirty days, while the latter was dismissed. Peter Frick hofen, a rather unsophisticated looking indi vidual, has been amusing himself lately by sending threatening letters to Christian Boh nard, a reporter on the evening Anzeiger, and the only reason he gave for his conduct was that he only did it for fun. A suspended sentence of three months in the Work-house was put over Peter’s head, Thomas Bucker had a club, chasing a lot of women around Bucktown, and for his fun got thirty days in the Works. Paul France, for be ing drunk, went to the Work-house for thirty days. Joseph Jones, a colored gentleman, was ‘up on the charge of loitering, but it was dis covered that he had been working within the past ten days, and he was dismissed. Thomas Smith and Thomas Kelly, charged with assault with intent to kill Wm. Becker, will have their case heard on the 25th inst. Gus, Campbell, We. Miller and Louis Mey ers, charged with disorderly conduct, will heard on the same day. Wm. Soelinger, a street-car driver, who ran over and killed a lit tle girl some time ago, had his case continued until the 18th. John Smith was disorderly, and received a sentence of three months in the Workhouse, which was however suspended during good be havior. Thos. Donnelly, accused of stealing a lot of pigeons, was sent to the House of Refuge. VU. 8. COURT, Wm. Farr Goodwin, of Middlesex County, tow Swans, filed in the U. S. Court, yesterday, a bill for injunction and relief nst Whiteley, Fassler Kelly, of Springfield, Ohio. for an alleged infringement on patent improvements in harvesters, NEW LIDITS. In the Common Pleas Court: 70,821—Josephine Pickett va. Edward Pickett; di vas “70,822—Louisa vs, Jacob Au «AT; daly 70,925 Lewis vs. Law brahots appeal ree yee we . McFaddin vs, John “Geler et al.; ap- Pm the Superior Court. 89,785—Rosenstein Bros. vs. Reis Bros. Co.; mone 30, 736—Semeva, J. T. Warren Co.; money. 60,787—Otto Heinze et al.,vs... G. Strahey et al.; money,
Newspaper Details
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette
Cincinnati, Ohio, US
Sat, Jul 12, 1884
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
Rochelle R.
19 Jun 2026
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