The Brussels Post, 1885-4-3, Page 22
THOSE STOLEN BALLOT BOXES
08810 they wore token (rum the (333410rleit
Court Howie.
The ultcr003 fr the f,,11ot hex rob.
bery of best November, which bed
gradually (lied away alter 1110 failure
of the first 1vedtigac31 11 was dl1i14 (11y
revived by the erreet of :hews Bailey,
proprietor of the Union hotel, awl
John Curry, of the firm of Cul ry
Bros„ on inforulntinu bud by govern
meet detective Joseph Rogers, who
has had the case in enlarge from the
beginning. The intermit tion inelnelee
"other persons to this deponent un-
knowu," the Charge being, thtet they
feloniously broke into the (hurt
Hoose and stole therefrom five bullet
boxes, c0ntaiumg alargo number 0f
ballot papers the property of 1 Ger
'Majesty," etc. The delay e1 the ea=u
heretofore has been owing to the eon•
Untied abeeuce of John McPherson,
jr,, who seems to have been tho tool
of the originators of the theft Ho
left for Ohmage the Tuesday after the
stealing, and returned only on \Ved-
nesday the 18th ult. TM exurnina
iron of Bailey end Curry wail begun
before Mayor Horton, at 10 o'clock
on Saturday. J. T. Garrow appear-
ing for the prosecntioe, and 13. Cam -
prep t.e•'he defence. We give below
alm001 1 oerbatinc report of the evi-
dence taken. Tho court continued
until 0.80 p.m. nu Saturday, wheel au
adjournmeut \vas had until 10 11.111,
on Tuesday. The atteudauce of epee -
Gators at the exatnivation w•as very
large.
John McPherson, jr., sworn I
live in Goderich, am it tailor by trade
know James Bailie and John Curry,
the parties charged ; du not recollect
the day of the week or the month
when the vote ou the Scott Act was
taken ; remember the fact from being
lmplloated in this business ; I was
implicated on the Sunday Dight oc
Monday morning after the voting ; I
broke into the Court House and took
out three ballot boxes ; I was offered
money by Jas. Bailie and John Curry,
to steal the ballot boxes ; on the Fri-
day night or Saturday night previous
I was offered the money ; it was first
spoken of in Bailie's sitting room iu
the presence of several: Andrew
Moore, a brakeman on the railway,
ens present ; also a man named
Wells, who lives in Saltford ; Mr.
Bailie lvaa also present; Wells, Moore,
Bailey and myself were alt talking
about stealing the ballot boxes ; can-
not say who started the conversation;
was not sober myself, cannot say for
the others ; had been drinking with
them ; Bailin wad either ; this wua on
the Friday eight ; it was then ar-
ranged between Bailie and myself
that I was to steal the boxes that
night ; be said he would give me $10,
and we 0(301(1 salsa sumo more ; the
two of nr' ouly were present et this
Lima ; I strayed away and forgot all
about it that night, became more in-
tuxicated ; on Saturday night mot
John Curry oppoeite Craig's hotel ;
ho Raid Ile would give me $200 from
money he could raise 1111 town, and he
would Igo down the line and raise
some more ; during the day I had
been in Curry's liquor store and talk-
ed with Jebel ebout steeling the box-
es : no arrangement was then made
that 1000 recollect ; at the oouverca-
tion with Curry on the evening of
Saturday I agreed to eteal the boxes,
he to pay ane as stated before ; ret a
later conversation it was agreed lou
boxes should be taken to Bailie's he -
teal ; Bailie and I made this arrange-
ment ; Bailie was aware of the ar-
rangement I had made with Curry; I
iold him of it ;1 told Bailie I ,would
tale the boxes t0 his house, he replied
"a11 right ;" this conversation took
place in Bailie's own house, no one
present but ourselves ; I stole the
boxes between Saturday night and
Sunday morning ; Bathe (;ave nee a
screw driver and a hatchet to get in-
to the Court house with; the screw
driver now produced is very much
like the one I had ; I lost the ecrew
driver, the hatchet I brought back to
Bailie's ; It was after 8 o'clock on
Sunday morning when I got the box-
es ; I am 10 error in saying Saturday
night and Sunday morning, should be
Sunday night and Monday morning ;
I broke into the court house by shov-
ing in the window, and got through
it ; tried the door and found it locked;
had no one there to assist me ; took
the boxes to Bailie's and lifted the
window of the sitting room and put
the boxes in there ; saw no one at
that time ; got into the window my-
self and then went and woke Baihe
tip, ho being in bed ; did this to put
the boxes in his charge; we then put
the boxes in a back room; after this
James Farquharson came in, about
four o'clock, he was a boarder in the
house, and said lie camp down for a
drink ; Bailie took Farullarsou into
the back room and showed flim the
3-
ballot boxes ; our 0l' the hove was
tiptoe a wood the odium of literal ;
11)331110 oiled satisfied with what I
lint( liuue ; at 11.18 31010 dtd not pay
303 ,uaytbiug. 13aihu'a bar -tender
ewc,l Imo $7 ; 1;eilte gave dna $10,
being $i3 for what the bartender owed
ulc ; this wee all 1 received from him;
Corey died not pay me anythiug ; I
(111 not eve Carry after waling the
b ii es ; 1 had arranged to meet Curry
Urea. on Monday ereniug ; I wont to
their house but saw no one; nu :Cues.
day morning 1 left for Chicago, fear-
ing they would catch ino, and have
been out of 311m country since until
last \Ve(luesdav ; 1 wrote to Bailie
once from Chicago, reeking 11101 to
Rind me souse luouey ; received an
nuswer which 1 think 1 eau produce.
At the conversation with John
Curry ou Saturday evening when he
offered tee the me aiy, Wm. Craig
was stainling pretty near ; Could not
say whether he heard us or not. Mr.
Bailie gave ole liquor that I did not
Duty for, niter I came in with tho box -
ca ; 110 Cue advieed mo to go to (1hi-
cego, my reason for going was I was
afraid they would not stay by mo ;
I judged the boxes wore in that room.
tried 0110 more tooul before 1 triad that
one ; I thought the boxes were in a
room on the east side of the court
house ; I got into rho Master -in -
Chancery's office, but found the boxes
were not there ; first time I heard
about the ballot boxes was on the
Feeley night immediately after the
election ; I was not anxioid to steal
the boxes ; I was drank ; was nut in
a etato to remember all I aid that
night ; I was im Oraig's and Bailie's
hotels that night ; swear I was not iu
the British ; Baulie and Neild were
the first to speak about stealing the
boxes, in Bailie's hotel but don't re-
member the time of night ; I was
drunk ; I did not exactly agree that
Friday night, there wad not much of
au offer that night ; I do not remem-
ber much what they said to due or
what I said to them ; they proposed
the stealiug ; they spoke among them-
selves as to what an act it would be
to steal the boxes ; Bailie asked me
to steel thein ; I said I would, I was
ready to steal that eight ; Wells sail
he would bo willing to pay some
money ; on Saturday .norning I got
drunk again ; remembered in the
morning the eouversatiou of the pre-
vious evening, but had no intention
of stealing the boxes ; next caw Bail-
ie on Saturday night, was drunk then
was in the habit of going down to
Badie'e ; had no iutentiou of making
a bargain to do the stealing ; do not
remember in what room I caw Bailin,
nor the time of eight ; don't know if
any person was with Bailin ; I swear
I did not say to Bailie, "I am willing
to do what I agreed to last night, out
up your money ;" Bailie did not say
to nee that he thought I was fooling
\ellen this matter woe spoken of the
the night before ; he agreed to pay
me $10 to steal the boxes that night;
1 was to have no assistance : I how
remember it was in the front sitting
room off the bar ; can't say the time
but there teas lamp light ; lir. Bailie
first spoke to me ; lie said he would
give mo the money if I would (lo the
job ; I remember no conversation ex-
cept that regarding too ballot boxes,
I remember this distinctly; aaunot
account for my recollecting this con-
versation and no other ; 1 told Bailie
in reply, "all right ;" we talked fur-
tbor about it but do not reoollect
what 10119 said ; the bargain was then
completed ; saw join.) Curry ;00 Sat-
urday during Ude day, in his liquor
store, 30118 drunk then, David Curry
was present, told Curry that Bailin
bad completed hie offer ; had not
reason to go anti see Curry ; what I
told him that day must have been
what occurred the night previous ;
Johu Curry then offered me $100,
and it may be $200 or $500, it did
not occur to me that Curry was jok-
ing ; can't say where I want that
night ; don't know whether I was in
bed or not ; I was drunk again on
Sunday ; when not talking to them I
lost the idea of stealing the boxes ; I
was at Bailie's on Sunday, don't
know whether I was drunk or sober ;
caw John Curry on Sunday evening
before going to steal the boxes, he
began the conversation, Wm. Craig
was present ; there may have been a
number of persons !]resent ; I after-
wards went to Bailie, and ho gave
Ina the screw driver and batohet
on't reoollect how 1 got up to the
window ; I shoved the glass through
with my shoulder ; had no ladder ; I
went into the room and took out three
oxes, dropping them out of the
ow ; I came out by the window ;
'hon I took the boxes to Bailie he
id not tell me to get out of this house
evith them ; on Monday 1 came to
ailio and asked him for my money,
nd he said be would pay me at night;
told him I wanted what he was go-
ng to give me, as well as $7 clue me
y the bartender ; Bailie called the
',I'FIE BRUSSELS POST
bartender out and welted slim about
it, and the bertoudor wits willing he
should pay 1110 the $7 ; 13ailio then
paid me $10 ; se Curry 011 Monday
and 1(0 promised to meet toe that
evening ; Curry said he would get the
money for mo ; I told 111111 I iuten(led
to start out in the morning ; I 3.338
afraid it wothl leak out; went clown
that eight to Curry's house but did
not see (him ; I did not ask \Vin.
Mitchell for any money ear tell him
I was in trouble with a girl ; told
llitclhel what I had done, aid not tell
hila I had received $85 for doing it ;
wont to Chicago, and wrote to 13eilio;
told him I would give hie( away un-
less ho sent mere money ; it is not ou
this menet that 1 gave him away ; saw 13n11ey ; Bailey did not say iu
ca0not say from whom I next heard; my presence that he was dissatisfied
had several letters from Bailie and with McPherson bringing the boxes
they all mentlon04 it ; wad not asked
by any ono before I left Chicago to
give this evidence ; if I had been
properly paid aaunot say whether I
would have given this evidence or
not ; feel I was treated meth in this
.Arun, 8, 1885,
(1i(1 not go the 1(3813111 have to go ; 00- Tei ONdY TO LOAN.
Whig was said at that time abulic lit rriivvntob'unds• Aj,j„rnt re vow eul,11e1,•
motley ; shortly after that 18aiel I 1) lion.,
1114
would go, rather them (43)33' dual 1488
him get Into a fix lllruogh anything f111-10te B'LET OHER
I knew ; Bailoy lent me $15 I lveut '
to Ch1011go ; I hewn never relaid the
money ; 111300 not been aakeet for it ;
erne Oval Watelllualee• duet J0100101.
at the tame 1 got the money lune --
Bailey, I told him I would pay lhicu t;eUtff050hee,ellver0'lsdedWare,
back its soon as I was Chic, 811080 O5'otchoa. (Toed,),
Cruse examined :-1 think I leave Uo1,1 ((intra, v1u1nnn, Ela.
told all 1 kuuw ,(bout the (muter ; 1 _
had no con114otiou tvitli getting 111) 1 keel; toll (lits of goods Usually hmn
hap( 111
t110 job to eteal the boxes ; the first I ere(-alasoJowolry ',tore, ('all fold exe nino,nw
1(0(1(0 11110 that morning w11011 1 0131110 (0011610 to snore 0 coda.
down and sal' tho boxes ; 1loPher. -__. ..
son wee not with Hailey when I first ,.....or of mars•So.go ysaon.oac.
Agentfor ()coon 1r10 (sts.Amc ricnn 111xprss
there, al11(11(0 told me afterwards Hutt O90/113 a net (front North western tologrnrh
he had 00 knowledge of them coming
there ; could not say (whether lio-
I'horsou was (Iruuk or not ; Bailey OUR OUSTONI•
in my peeaen00 did not find fault
with McPherson for taking the box -
matter ; detectives in Chicago told es ; I had been drinking on Sunday,
my boos C would get something if I but I was sober thou ; I was not pay -
gave it away ; do eat expect anything lag any partitalar utteution to what
and had no conversation with detect- was going on. I have borrowod (roue
item in Chicago nor promhsos here ; Bailey before, and in tins (setae ; I
was not aware before I loft Chicago just asked him for $15, and Ile gave
that anybody was in communication it to nee ; I told him I was a little
with the government. short of money and wanted $15,
BailioualledFargahnreou back and John Reid, sworn : —Ho waft care- 1 WING
H Uf1
stud the ballot boxes were in the room Ial(eh' of Gembered 311otte8rielScotl cot Aurt House ; 138 ro-
an(1 Farquharson said he did not want mct election, and
to bare anything to go Pith them ; the returning officer placing the bol- Till 1 get the 13russels mill in opera -
the ballot boxes were afterwards put tion and 10111 301(0 in Wool hero iu
under Bailie's barn ; 11(1 and I put
them there ; Fargnharsou did not
help ; he got his drink and left.
'►RS.
I wish to informal( 111181 1 111110 101130(1
the
WOOLEN 6 ',<L
lot boxes in the coo t house ; atter
the boxes 1voro plated there, wituoss
locked the door, and gave the key to
Mr. Musgrove ; examined the wind-
01vs, alert fastened them. On lfoudny
morning iu going jute the yard, ob-
served the window broken ; this was
between] 81x and seven o'clock ; the
window glass was ab00t 14 inches by
10 or 18 inches ; the glass was brok-
en but the ragged edges were Left;
when I saw the manner 111 which the
glass was scattered in the yard, I
thought WO had locl(ecl a dog in the
room, and it bad jumped out ; I ex-
amined the window, and saw where
the marks of a chisel were made, or
some dull instrument ; about nine
o'clock lllr. Musgrove came and went
into the room, and I followed him ; I
did not count the ballot boxes.
At this point his worship announc-
ed that the eveden08 against John
Curry was entirely unsupported, and
he would therefore discharge him.
The examination of Bailey was ad-
journed until Tuesday, bail being ec-
oeptod for Bailey, with Henry Mar-
tin and James McLean 339 securities.
On 'Tuesday rho examivatiun wits re-
sumed a8 follows.
A. H. Musgrove, the returning of-
ficer in the election was sworn, and
testified to 3118 fact that he had col -
looted the boxes by ]himself and dep-
uty, and placed them in at room in
Bhngham's block, after which they
had been removed to the Court House,
after which he eonntecl them, and
locking the door took the key with
him. Ido was not inside the Court
house frotu Saturday night until
Monday morning. IIo did not sloop
in the room watt the boxes, nor had
Ile any ego111 sleeping there. Ile
could not say whether the window
10118 broken from the inside or out-
side, bnt at first thought ite was brok-
en from the Meido. 'Three boxes
tvero stolen, two of motel and ono of
wood.
The prisoner was asked if he heti
anything to say for lemself, but do•
alined either by bimsolf or counsel to
make any stetemeee.
His worship said ho would have to
commit him for trial at the first
court of competent jurisdiction,
Bail was accepted the same as on
Saturday, except Chet Thou, McLean
took the plane of Jas. eicLeau,
Win. Craig, sworn :—Live in Gud-
orich, and keep a hotel ; I remember
the voting ou the Scott Act ; I recol-
lect that on the Sunday evening fol-
lowing the Scott Act election, there
was a conversation between John
Currie and the last witness, on the
sidewalk near my premises. The
conversation was a general one ; there
was nothing private about it; we
were talking about what might be
done, in the way of taking those bal-
lot boxes. I looked upon the oonver-.
cation as a joke. I did hear It men-
tioned that probably t( 801110f money
could be got for suolh a purpose. I
think it was said that there would be
no .trouble to raise $100 for the pur-
pose ; any person who knew McPher-
son could see lie had been (drinking ;
he was not roeitng, but conic' take
care of himself.
James Farquharson, Iworn :—Live
in Goderioh ; I am a harness maker ;
I remember the Scott Act voting last
October. I was boarding at Bailey's;
I .(now John McPherson the witness
here to -day ; 191(10 him in Bailey's
hotel after the Scott Act voting ; I
saw him very early one morning after
the vote was taken ; it Wee 0n Mon-
day morning, about throe or four o'•
clock ; I saw him in lir. Bailey's
company, rn the liquor room behind
the bar ;I cannot say what they were
doing there ; it is not n usual place
for parties to be at that time of the
morning ; I wee surprised to see them
there ; I came down stairs with the
intention of going to the pump to get
n drink; when I got to the foot of
the stairs, I hoard some whispering
in the clirealion of the bar or liquor
room ; I could not unrleratand who
could bo in tho hoose at that time of
the morning ; I listened, and present-
ly Mr. Bailey camp out into the hall ;
I nskod him what ho was doing up at
that time of tiro night ; I don't re-
member his answer, but he asked me
to come in and have a drink ; .L wont
into the bar and had a drink ; I said
let us have another one, we lied too
drink, and I started to go beak to
bed, and 1038 as far as the .sitting -
room, when Bailey called me beck,
and I followed him into the liquor
room ; he said to me that he had
some boxes there, and wanted me to
help llim get rid of them ; I said no ;
1 saw a box ; my impression is there
was more than one ; I never uutil
that time had seen what was termed
a ballot box ; I have eeen toelay the
ballot boxes iu the town hall : the
boxes seemed to be eighteen indent
high, and eight or ten inches wide
it eves rather clerk then ; there was 0
light of some kind, either a lamp or a
lantern ; the box had some resembl-
ance to the box now shown to mo,
(one of the town boxes) ; I noticed
what I thought was a big red seal on
the box ; 1 noticed that particularly
nothing was said in my presence as
to whore the boxes came from ; Mo•
Pherson wits present in the liquor
room ; I told Bailey I would have
nothing to do with the boxes ; I had
soon enough ; I asked Ilan no eines-
tions, but suepectod that they were
ballot boxes, and refused. to have
anything to do with them ; 1 wont a-
way shortly afterwards ; I event away
on aecolrnt of this matter, 110 I dad
not went to let it out on other part-
ies ; i3ailoy said he had a wife and
family, and I had none, and that if I
VAI1IETU(g.
A. man in Georgia boasts that ho
has throe mothers-in-law living.
Stripes us the thing for him to boast
of is that he is living.
The girl who hangs on the gate
with her sweetheart says she hopes
gas will not got to 110 cheaper than
moonlight.
"There are good and bad points
sheat this coffee," said a boarder in a
judicial tono. "The good point 15
that there le no ohiokory in It ; the
bred, that there is nn Coffee in IL"
A Vermont farmer reports that he
made a plot of $248 from six loons
the past seasons. He sold them in
the spring and oonsequently had to
plant his garden only once.
Tom (Matthews, a famous clown, 1s
living at Brighton, ]England, eighty
old, hale and hearty, The jokes 130
used to get off are also halo and
hearty, and much older than eighty
years.
Love is 'omen's kingdom, but
whether she mounts the throne with
a rolling -pin or broomstick for a
sceptre mattes all rho difference in the
lvorld.
Trade as usual, I intend to (alto fn
All Hinds of lltiuufncturiog Ilcre, at
the Old 1Vot,lee Mill Steed, such as
Roll Carding, Spinning,
Weaving, Fulling, do,
sinal Guarantee to Give
Good Satisfactions.
—ALL KINDS OF—
Knitted Goods
Made To Order,
—SIUCH nh—
Jackets Scarf's, Stockings,
&c.
I have a largo stock of goods on hand.,
such its
Bed Blankets, Horse Blankets,
Sheetings, Union Flannels, All
JTVool Flannels, Tojl Shirts, of
various kinds, Under Skirts and
Drawers, an Excellent Lot of
A11 Wool Tweeds both Fine and
Coarse.
GIVE lir A CALL, 341•'.30»81?
SELLING Y0t:1t 3000L liL8I:w11-L1iL„ f
IAIONFaY TO LEND.
Any amount of (honey to Loan on
Farm or Village property at
'0 & 0 PER CENT. 'YEARLY.
Straight Loans with privilege of re-
paying when required. Apply to
A. HUNTER,
Div. Court Clerk, 13russel8.
WHAT TIIE LADIES' SAY I
We all held n meetin' and argued it warm
And voted far keopin' tho pence on the
term,
And so'tavas oonoluded, and settled up clean
That the wiamnin should leave a new
sewin' machine.
:that night we concluded, the wimmin and
me,
To go rho next day on a piranha, spree,
We'd heard our friends tell of a first-elese
machine
That boat all the other 00118nrna, sliek
and clean,
We went into town, and it didn't take long
To find the matinee that'll /lover go wrong,
The wimmin declare that they never hey soon
Sfelh a light rtlnafn' smooth workln' salvia'
maohino ;
16 must bo the best, ter 1 hoar we a111 say
That "Tae lttruonn" is the machine of the
(ay,
—CALL Ol1—
GMO. 2.1OV,
011(0)85035, OA T4