The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1882-10-25
THE FORDS
l,pening of their Trial at Plattsr
burg tor the Murder of
Wood Hite.
r,,al Of Mrs. Scoville for Insanity.

Kansas lily, oCtoDet Io.-1A
Times Plattsburg, Mo-, special says:
The court room this morning was
crowdedto its utmost, as the testino-
~ was commenced in the Ford case
for the murder ofWood Hite.
+. C. Morris, constable of Rich
mond, testified to the finding of Hite's
body buried in a pasture near the
house. as heretofore published; that
the skull was crushed on the right
side.
D. E. Masters, justice OF the peace
test,fied that there was also fracture
on the left side of the head.
Chas. Sayres, merchant of Rich
mond, testified that he, in company
with Joe Sonderson and !. E. Ball,
called on Bob Ford while in Jail at
ST. Ioe for the killing of Jesse, and
that Ford then told them he had kill
ed Hite; that Dick Liddle was in one
room and Hite came to the door op-
posite and commence fireing. Mrs.
Bolton. (Ford's sister), and her two
children were in third corner, and
he was in fourth, near the stairway.
As the room was filled with smoke,
he was afraid his sister would be in
iured, and he drew his revolver and
shot Hite, killing him almost instant
ly.
! A rigid cross-examination failed to
break Sayres' testimony, and Re tu-
ther said 'sBob did not appear to be
excited"
Joseph Sanderson, a merchant at
Richmond, testified that he was with
Mr.. Sayres at St. Joseph, and corro-
borates the latter's narration Of the
conversation.
Mrs. Bolton testified that she was
standing III the southeast corner OF
the room when the firing began. Hite
was in the northeast corner and Lid
del between them, and Bob in the
northwest corner. She did not
know who fired the first shot. Before
the conclusion of her evidence the
court adjourned.
The defense is closely contestins
every inch of ground.
DAMAGING DEVELOPMENTS.
Plattsburg, Mo-, Oct. AL
though all the prominent and noto'
rious parsonage connected with the
Ford trial went home last night, the
developments therein have been the
leading topic of conversation here to-
day. 1t seems to be generally under
stood that none of the Jameses will
appear in this cause, and the opinion
prevails that an agreement was al
fected between the attorneys of Bot
Ford and those OF Frank James at !
conference they held at Lexington
some ten days ago. that none otthen
were to appear in Bob's case, tn
Fords, in turn, to be missing whel
Frank was on trial. Mrs. Bolton IL
her testimony Yesterday, however
divulged fact that contradi cts Franz
James assertion that he had not beel
III this state fort four years. In her ties
timony she said he had visited thei
place several times during the yea
1881. If this should be establishe
IN his trial, it will materially ASST:
the prosecution IN proving his cPn
neetion with the Winston and Blu
Cut utrobberies.
Chicago, October so.-Inquiry il
TO the alleged insanity OF France
NJ. Scoville, wife of George Scovll
and sister of Charles Gu,teau, mu
derer of President Garfield, begr
IN the county, court yesterday {
complaint of her husband, who ar
peared on behalf of the prosecution
The day was occupied in the sele
.'oa OF Il jury and hearing the ope
ing statements of the counsel. Scovli
m his statement, gave history
the Gniteau family, claiming
streak OF insanity ran through
since 1890. and that of eleven ch
slren of her father five died insane al
Mo of diseases closely allied to 1t.
MIR. Richard, Mrs. Scoville's .