The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1853-06-18
Trial cf George Gates for Murder

rtcnll-ct the finding uf tie body. Have hal
some means Of knowing abuut John Gate. pscn
mary croun stances a. had dealings witiI him
lin. and covered with him about money. III.
owed n,c part # a debt over two s-srs Hc
owed me ) Ia aud was to pay m- by the middle
81 May, year atn this month, by breaking pra-
irie. He disappointed me and went pre hiu
about It, he then agreed To do it ln time 10, me
:" put m my wheat Lu, he did not DO 1t. Abvut
two week. before the finding uF the bohy saw
hun at Ar. EllIon's and lie told me the reason
lie did not com. as he agreed war that be was
out of gram for his turtr., and had M ra0nPy to
buy 1t. and he vanird 10 know II | wuudu' buy
couple of little steers oi him. | told him dill
not NEED them, but wanted my pay, ~ he had
disappointed NE about breaking my ground. He
offered 10 turn me out his wagon, fnd wanted nae
To buy that. ! said it would d. me 30 good, as
was disappointed about my crop &C wheat
lie said he MAS very sorry to ,ilsdppont me so,
but he couldn't get The grain without the money.
and that lie had nOur, aud 10 way TO get it, and
that lie could not break prairie without gram for
hi horses. left him then aLd ii ! not bee Inn
again until he was arrested by Sheriff Lnyeless
Hsrrg Loreie's Recaiied- Had few weeks
before finding the body oa Otter creek some
He told me- he had no money. At the Mny term
oi oar curt therewas -nsll fire assessed against
hm. Had demand If sl6,25 against him. that
hid to be paid forthwith The taxes were lees
Il an onp dollar. | went TO see him tSu or three
tints aboI, the matter and he told NE hr had no
mnrey Think this was N June, might have
De II July, haint certain about day or werk
lie amount WAS ar eYrCunoh and fee bill against
Gates aud Baldwin. | was never able to col
lect II from him; and | finally told LIN il he
would give me his note with good secnrty,
would give him 1 months time. When we
were NJ Greens John Gales asked Constahtine
Chew whether he h-d money enough tn do him,
and said Il had not hp (Jrhn Gates) could let him
have some, rs he hnd plenty, and then sho"k his
purse to Aira Green and sai il was FIJI Of vel.
low boy, ju-t such rs he had shown her This
wA' ON Monday night before the body was found.
LroM tx Moved to Livingston county over
twn yenrs vrevlus 10 last August. from York
Vile. On FIX river. Never was absent from
Pontiac to Ohio. Think fira. saw George Gates
: wear ago last August. Became acquainted
Vrh DeN"l s"mrthirg over two Years agO
| lhns DeYu's rrput ttIOn for truth aid ytraCIiy
j. baf, where tle people aro acq qn.lnted with hun
The remainder Of Lnvplsss evidence oniy con.
hrm what hr and John Dey0l hdd given before
days briore ! heard OF the murder, hr comra to
NY house and wanIeh to buy some lumber on
credit He said he had ma money aud had no
means Of making any except from hi- wheat.
told him We did not trust umter. He said he
must have the lumber tpinre he could thrash hi4
wheat | told him gur,srd would have To
let him have It, andle have $50 feet. IN credit
Heard uf The hndug Of lhe bUdy on Mrnday
the day Efer il wa-frund
tornei'H5 HGlrath.-kno~ George Gates
"~i YEAR. HraTd oi the hnoihg "' the oody the
.amr d"F II was found saw tee. Gales n'
! "rdn.shay or lhHf-das Pr-vlnus 10 the day The
b"uy Was i3unH, f"-''"g my rtiL He conducted
himself very sihguthfH wren ETst saw hih
ee was standing si!l. .and appeared to or eSainln
lig hiscloihes. apparently brushing something Il
NJ them. tie would brush oft and then pass on
rod or So. and then ""uis,op, look rnund, and
taen again busy hm-tt with las clothes lie snn'
durted hiT>elf in this wav .,s some 81 "r so
f"d-, anita lie got oni OF ny sight Sad had
seen Geo. Gates with different cont on than
had s''n hIm ever wear brf're. II was sort "f
London brown, | may have heen or 10 rods
"ii. lie could not c"n"enily see me US there was
small s'uP"i corn between ua. The coat was a
'r"cs coat ana appeared I" he very hne broad
rl"'h coat, iit'le longer than the common make,
h"'N bh''''l Lucy "h' 'oh"l1eihO'N "'Vualh'tu
with hlm. tie rode with me III a wagon seyera!
'im"'. once when WAS gong to church "n
sabbath. Cant say 'Xuctiy how long ago 1t was
Ihmk It was some time year ago, Inst summer
"r hii-am pretty cuutii-nt 1t was two year.
az" ih's spring not p's'lve, Come to conS'der,
tnuS II was wear ago this srrug that Lilry
rode with me. Geo, Gates rode with NE sane
uns' Ihey d'd not rude together. AT that tn'r
iAlty h'h on London brown, or 'nuft c"lured
'"a'' !, was rather longlsh made. II HAD been
up 10 ueo' Gates could have told better how
mar coat e"rre'ponded with the one Gates had on
when he passed my field noticed liley's coa.
casually, but WIS too far from Gates to tell
whether 1t was the same, though II 10 sed So
uH'es was gong tow"ris Pontiac i've about
miles ir"Hi iontac. Never saw Gates before
wear '"a' IKE 'ha'' nor SINCE
Cross E@-" "a at work that day on eas, sde
"i my Held ar rods from the fence THINK
G"is' passed along hetweea and o'clock
ra'es was gong towards Pontiac was never
thsrn up Tor sfraing--ii was. don't know It
NeVtr was complained ot tetre Justice Tor
''es',"s' ahi certainly moi oy air. Cummings nor
ny hr SHERMAN. Mr sherman sied me once Tor
vN' neot surprising had cui some timOrr an
hs 'ahh hGt hent nm IN tue sult-tErew tie
cost o" avn Was never taken up Tor stealing
"hy 'h"s' never h"aih oi such 'hing.
Crd"dW Shh~ - Knew Daniel Llley. Re
e'shl'ea marx on MS right foot It was caused
ny cut "i an axe across the bg toe, He showed
u 1, NE once whIls washing his !eet at my house,
and said he had had very bad 'oot of it.
examined Tue loot on the body snd found that