The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-12-26
SIMPLY AN ACQUITTAL.
Weast Gets Three Years, and is
Satisfied, but Justice is Not.
CLOSING HOURS OF THE TRIAL.
THE DEFENDANTS CASE.


her to the convent at Streator. | believe
that the letters | found to be in the hand
writing OF rhos. b. Parks. CroSs.Et. Miss
Glundrn has been at my house since Jan
uary last Am not certain rs to the exact
time Emma lleimer was there at my house
after got back from Europe, may be n
week. am 81 years old. Started keeping
saloon in 90 Was married then. Was
separated from my first wife in June, "a.
Her name was Anna Brown. Was in the
saloon business in Chatsworth. Afterwards
in Warseka. Got married the second time
at Bennington in March or April of 70.
Kept saloon in FL Paso Moved from there
to Benson and worked there for my brother
John, Tended saloon for my brother Joe
at Benson. Went to Streator in 70. My
drother Joe and ran a saloon there until
July II. Then started in the saloon bust
ness for myself. My wife often helped me
to tend ba' occasionally. We had piano
there. Mrs Weast played on it part of the
time There was a lady from Chicago there
who sang with Mrs. Weast when the boys
came in for drinks. might have asked the
boys to play cards with my wife. There
were two buildings and we cut an archway
between them. One room was tor billiards
and the other was for pool. There was a
small room for cards. | will not swear that
my wife played in these rooms with gentle
men. My wife has not drank with my GUS
toners in these rooms. | have not asked
men to 90 out buggy riding with my wife. |
have not seen my wife waltz near the bar
and exhibit herself. (Iiere the prosecuting
attorney asked the witness if he had not
often bet that his wife could kick higher
than any one in the saloon. Here the wit
ness jumped up, his face flushed, and he
made n move as though to 60 towards Molo
nv Quiet was soon restored, the court
staling that he would not permit any such
uuestions-that there might be occasion for
new criminal proceedings if the matter was
not stopped. The court here sustained a
number of objections made by Weast's coun-
sci, one of the questions objected to being
whether or not he had drawn revolver on
General Hutf) | have not threatened to
kill Parks. "a circular containing some Of
the most vile and beastly references and in
ferences was here handed to the witness
and he was asked if he did not throw them
around while keeping saloon, to which he
replied that he did not know. He would not
deny nor assert anything concerning it)
Have had very little schooling. (Some Of
Bull s penmanship was shown prisoner and
he said he that he could not read it. Some
of the letters puporting to have passed be
tween Parks and his wife were shown him
and he said that he had read them quite of
ten) Met Parks first at Benson in 81 about
the property. Prior to my going to Europe
am not positive that Parks was at my house
He was ut my place Of business three times
Adolph Miller travelled with me in Europe a
little. He hid not return with me. Hannah
johnson returned with me. | met her in
Bremen. She did not leave my house be-
cause my wife would not let her stay in the
house. She came to Chicago with me after
landed | got "A passage ticket for her at
JOS Wilson's. My wife wanted her to come
back and work for us. She said that she
wanted to see friends IN Minonk. My sister
Barbara then arranged it so that she could
work for her in California. | did not have
her board let Mrs. Williams. did not state
to Mrs Williams that her name was Gray
and that intended to make her my wife
1t was one year before went to Europe that
| bought the ticket for Hannah johnson.
She sent it back to me from Europe shortly
after she received it. bought the ticket
she came back on at StonehOuse, England
She paid her way from New York to Chicago
She had 500 with her. Met her at the Ge
pot in Chicago aud ut the Joliet depot when
she came there from New York. She did
not stay at the same hotel | did She had
written that she was going to Minonk to see
her friends there. Don't know whether she
wrote to Mrs. Weast or myself. There was
nothing in the letter asking me to meet her
there When we got to Joliet and on The
way to Minonk spoke to her several times
on the way down. Don't know whether /
spoke to her after Parks got on the train.
After we got to Mnonk she and | went up
town to where she wanted to stop. Her age
is about 10. Returned home next day, Oct
8. My wife and did not have a fight when
| got home. She was Just going up town
when got there. | asked her if Parks was
there night before last She said no, that
he had been there three or four hours in the
morning After got the Parks letters
read part of them My recollection is that
stayed at home that night, Oct. 8. and she
did not. | understood from her that on
Thursday evening she had telegraphed Tom
Parks. She said TO me some time in the
evening that she had telegraphed to Parks
at Benson and that he would come and make
it lively for me for saying that he had been
writing to her. She did not ask me what
were in the letters found The dispatch
wrote to Parks Friday morning told Parks
to come up. Did this by request OF my at
torneys to get the property changed. |
wanted him for no other purpose than to
sign the deeds Took Murdoch with me to
do the talking Was not drunk. Have not
drank anything for six or seven years to
amount to anything. Got the dispatch from
Parks Thurday morning that he could not
come. Did not tell my wife that | was GO
ing to Benson. Dom know how she found
out that | was at the depot. Friday, Oct.
81 Had not shown the letters (Parks)
got that morning to either Murdoch or Wal
ter haeves. knew their contents to a GER
tain extent. Did not tell any one about them
at that time. Don't know whether | told
any one about them before the shooting
Here a recess of FIVE minutes was taken
The witness on resuming described the stu
alton Of the parties in the room, where the
shooting took place. Don't remember shoot
ing Parks. Had struggle. Don't remem
Der following up Parks and shooting the
second time. Don't know what was said
at the time the consultation YVES
had in the room Coull not tell what time