Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-09-06
Frank James.


patch Gallatln special says the line of
defense IN the Frank James trial was
agreed upon at a consultation of at
torneys last night and briefly stated
is an alibi and mistaken identity. At
the converting of the court this morn
ing Mr.. Rush made an opening state
ment for the defense. He dwelt at
length upon Frank James effort to
get away from Ford He denied that
Frank had ever left Kentucky but
claims conspiracy between Dick
Liddell, the Fords and the Bottoms.
s. [. Brosins an attorney of Gala
tin who was ON the train at Winstin
was the first witness examined for the
defense. Witness told of the entry Off
men into the smoking car with drawn
revolvers. The larger of the two de-
voted himself to the conductor, the
smaller to the passengers. There was
a cry of hands up. The larger man
shot the conductor. Witness held
hands up and looked steadily iuto the
eyes of the smaller man, who was
shooting through the car. Witness
did not recognize the prisoner as one
of the u men; he said, "he is not the
man. =
On cross-examination witness could
not describe the clothing of either of
the men. Did not see three men.
only two. Witness admitted he was
badly scared and could not identify
either of the robbers; yet he could
swear to a man who was not there.
and to the best of his knowledge and
belief Frank James was not there. A
rigid examination failed to shake the
witness statement Fletcher Horn, a
Nashville detective testified that he
knew defendant rs B. j. Woodson
from the summer of 1877 until March
1878, during a portion of which time
he lived at what is known as Whites
Creek settlement He was engaged
In farming and hauling logs. He
saw him at least once a week. Dur
ing the whole time he behaved like
q gentleman, and was hard working
and industrious. Witness knew Dick
Liddell as Smith and Jesse James as
}. B. Howard, and believed he knew
Cummings, but defendant did not as
sociate with them. On cross-examin-
alton be said Jesse James was engaged
for while in buying grain and then
III horse racing. He owned the horse
Jim Malone and one or two others.
The whole party deported themselves
properly while living there. Taylor's
blacksmith shop was the defendants
headquarters during his visits to the
city. r. B. Sloan, of Nasty lie, at
tOrney, testified to an acquaintance
with the defendant, dating from the
spring of 1877. He last saw him
March 26. 1881. At that time defend
ant wore whiskers all over his
face. The acquaintance was only
casual Testimony of witness related
mainly to the details of Frank James
life in Nashville Mrs. Montgomery,
who lives a mile and half from
Winston, testified that two men ate
supper at her house on the evening
of the robbing. To her best belief
defendant was not one of them. The
daughter of the last witness failed to
identify defendant as one of the men
who ate supper at her mothers house
John Dean, farmer testified to
having been at the blacksmith shop of
Jas. Potts, on November 20, 1881,
when two men came up in a wagon to
have something done to the vehicle.
When they went away Potts, who
seemed very much excited, said those
are two men for whom [ shOd horses
before the Winston robbery. Wit
ness had good look at the men, and
the defendant was positively not one
of them. Jonas Potts visited indie
pendence when Frank James was in
Jail, on his return witness asked: Did
you see Frank James. Yes, it was the
tirst time in my life Marvin Duncan
a farmer testified that Potts had said
to him that he recognized the picture
of Jesse James after he was killed as
that of the man whose horse he had
shod. G. A. Chapman also testified
with a view to impeach Dick Liddell's
testimony. Defense was offered in
the evIdence-recOrd of Liddell's horse
stealing IN Vernon county. After re
cess the presence of Dave Poole, an old
guerilla, now wealthy stOckman of
Texas, Allen Palmer of Texas, Frank
James brother-in-law and several 9th
er ranchmen gave rise to the belief
that an attempt will be made to prove
an alibi in that state.
Joseph B. Chills, Kansas City, tes-
Il1LCIt CIlctG Ill COINCtSdUIOI1 dDOuG SIX
months ago. Dick Liddell told him
that Frank James was not in the
last three train robberies.
Thos w. Mimms, cousin of the de-
PENDANT, testified that he was
at Mrs. Samuels' house twice in
June, 1881, about the first and last of
the month, saw Jesse James, Clarence
Hite, Wood Hite and Dick Liddel;
they knew nothing of him; there is a
strong resemblance between defend
ant and Wood Hite VIM. McHalsie
testified that he lived near Kearney;
testified that the four men mentioned
above were at his house in the sum-
mer Of 1881; defendant was not there.
The Indiana Bank Failure.
INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 31.-Receiver
Ritter, of the Indiana Banking com
pany, made statement of the condi-
ton of the bank to the court to-day.
tho IL Io'1,+1o-, Il I. o.