JOHN TRUCK PLACED BEHIND PRISON BARS, CITY OF CORTLAND CHARTER SIGNED BY GOV. ROOSEVELT, AND COUNTY COURT CASES

 

Cortland Semi-Weekly Standard, Tuesday, March 20, 1900.

TAKEN TO AUBURN.

JOHN TRUCK PLACED BEHIND BARS.

Handcuffed to Alphonso Wagner, Who Was Taken to Rochester—Thinks He is to Have a New Trial and Will Soon Return—Large Crowd at the Station Monday Morning to See Him Off.

   Handcuffed to another prisoner, in charge of Under Sheriffs John Miller and F. M. Hazzard, John Truck, the murderer of Frank W. Miller, was Monday morning taken from the Cortland jail where he has been confined for a little more than a year, and on the 8:30 Lehigh Valley train was taken to Auburn. As Truck left the jail he waved his hand and said good bye to the inmates and attendants. Alphonso Wagner who was convicted several years ago for assault [on] an Armenian girl near Little York, sentenced to Matteawan, and afterward brought back to Cortland jail was Monday morning to be taken to the Rochester Industrial school and he and Truck were handcuffed together and rode from the courthouse to the station in Garrity’s bus in company with Under Sheriff John Miller who was to accompany Truck to Auburn and F. M. Hazzard who was to go to Rochester with young Wagner.

   Truck was smoking a cigar and laughed and chatted as unconcernedly as [though] starting out for a pleasure trip. At the station a large crowd had assembled to catch a glimpse of the prisoner. After watching the crowd for some time, Truck said to Mr. Miller that he supposed they had all come out to see a crazy man. Mr. Miller replied that the more he could fool the crowd the bigger show they would think they were having, whereat John laughed and said he guessed that was so.

   The train was a few minutes late and the two prisoners and the officers remained in the bus until the train arrived, the center of attention for the ever increasing crowd. When the train pulled in the party took seats in the smoker and the crowd slowly dispersed.

   Following is a copy of the warrant committing Truck to the State prison at Auburn.

   The people of the State of New York, to the agent and warden of the State Prison at Auburn, N. Y., greeting:

   WHEREAS, At a term of the supreme court held in and for the county of Cortland at the court house in the village of Cortland, N. Y., commencing on the 29th day of January, 1900, by and before Hon. Albert H. Sewell, one of the justices of the supreme court of the State of New York, presiding, John Truck was convicted of the crime of murder in the first degree, and was thereupon sentenced to the punishment of death to be inflicted in the mode, manner and way prescribed by law within the week beginning April 29, 1900.

   Now, therefore, we do by this warrant command you to do execution of the foregoing sentence upon some day within the week thus appointed at the place and in the manner prescribed by law.

   Given under the hand and seal of the undersigned, who constituted the supreme court this 17th day of March, 1900.

   ALBERT H. SEWELL, Justice of the Supreme Court.

 

Main Street, Cortland, N. Y., circa 1900.

THE CHARTER IS SIGNED.

GOVERNOR ROOSEVELT AFFIXED SIGNATURE SATURDAY.

Becomes a Law at Once—Cortland Now a City—Delegations Returned Saturday Morning.

   A dispatch from Albany Saturday afternoon says: “The governor has signed Mr. Sands’ bill incorporating the city of Cortland.” The bill became a law at once after it was signed. Consequently Cortland is now a city. The delegations which went to Albany Thursday to be present at the hearing before the governor Friday returned at 11:25 that night. The hearing was at 12 o’clock instead of at 3 as was at first expected and both sides were given an opportunity to present arguments either for or against the measure.

 

COUNTY COURT.

Several Cases Will Have to go Over Unless an Adjournment is Made.

   County court convened Monday morning at the court house, Judge J. E. Eggleston presiding. On account of the extra work connected with the Truck trial, the district attorney has asked either that many of the cases on the calendar go over the term, or that a short adjournment be given in which he may make necessary preparation for them. Judge Eggleston has not as yet decided the matter. The following however are put over the term:

   The case of The People vs. Joseph H. Talmage, and the case of Clayton B. Johnson vs. the Cortland & Homer Traction Co.

   In the ease of The People vs. George Lane, indicted for bigamy, defendant this forenoon entered a plea of not guilty. This afternoon through his attorney, E. W. Hyatt, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to Auburn state prison for one year at hard labor.

   In the case of The People vs. Ida May Widger Hopkins, indicted for bigamy, prisoner through counsel, C. V. Coon, pleaded for mercy and was given sentence of six months in Onondaga county penitentiary.

   The case of Devanlson D. Newton, respondent vs. Ephriam C. Palmer, appellant was settled.

   The case of Tobias L. Rose vs. Harrison Wells is now being tried. This case is now on trial for the fourth time. Irving H. Palmer for plaintiff. Kellogg & Van Hoesen for defendant.

 

Flag of the Republic.

   The George Junior Republic at Freeville is to have a flag of its own. During all the years that the small republic has been in existence it has never had an emblem. Now it is to have one. The ground is of bright red with a large white star in the center. In the upper left hand corner is a blue shield, bordered by a narrow stripe of white and bearing in letters of white the initials “G. J. R.”—Auburn Advertiser.

 

Dr. Gazlay Dead.

   Dr. Henry C. Gazlay, well known in Cortland, died at the home of his daughter, A. H. Hollenbeck in Creston, Ia., Monday. Dr. Gazlay went to Creston last November and on Thursday last suffered a shock [stroke] which resulted in his death. The remains will be brought to Cortland for burial and the arrangements for the funeral will be announced later.

 

Death of Wm. Latimer.

   William Latimer died at his home on Fitz-ave., Thursday night at 9:45, from the results of a shock, aged 70 years, 2 months and 9 days.

   Deceased was born in Cumberland county, England, near the city of Carlyle and was of Scotch ancestry. He married in England and came to this country about forty-five years ago and lived for about a year in Onondaga county. From there he came to Cortland county where for thirty-five years he lived on the Latimer farm west of the village, moving to Cortland about ten years ago.

   In 1876 his wife died, and four years ago he married Mrs. John Youngs who survives him. He was the father of seven children by his first wife: John B. of Homer, Mary, now Mrs. Eugene Sprague, Rev. Wm. H. of Watkins, George T., deceased, Robert J. of Cortland and David J. and Fred F. who live on the farm.

   The funeral services were held from his late home on Fitz-ave., Monday, March 19, at 1 o’clock P. M.

 

   [Editor’s Note: We are inconvenienced by a temporary planned outage of our regular historic newspaper source at Fulton History. “November 13, www.fultonhistory.com has been taken off line to do maintenance...I expect about a week to 10 days to be down...sorry but I have no staff to help speed this up, Tom.”]