The Rock Island Argus., 1885-01-22

The defense placed upon the stand
Ellsworth E. Spickler one of the defend>
ants Witness testified that he had
bought hogs anu cattle for himself and
for Meigs Wait, J. s. Gilmore and II. p.
Stoddard at different times within the
past three years. The hogs in question
he said he bought from his brother. He
was in Rock Island the day before he
sold them and made arrangements with
Louis Y. Eckhart to go to Boston bay to
hunt for wild ducks and other game. He
met ThOs. SCHNEIDER, the butcher, on
Market square and asked the market
price for live hogs and was told they were
selling for 81 per hundred pounds.
After that he attended to some little
business matters, and meeting Preston
Ball, of Taylor Ridge, he asked him to
take sulky out to Taylor Ridge for him.
This Ball consented to do. and it was ar>
ranged for Spickler to go to Milan in the
evening on a street car and meet Ball
there and accompany him home. This he
did, and they left Milan for Taylor Ridge
about o'clock, and arrived at Taylor
Ridge about 10 o'clock. Spickler had left
horse at Taylor Ridge that day, and
came to Rock Island on a Mercer County
train He left Ball at the village and got
his horse. He had arranged with his
brother to deliver the hogs he had bought
from him to his fathers farm on the same
day, ana as he had arranged 10 go to New
Boston bay,s he concluded to sell the
hogs, so he rode to his brothers farm and
aroused him and asked him if lie had
delivered the hogs as agreed upon and
was told that the hogs had been delivered.
He had paid his brother $50 in cash. and
squared up an account with him for the
hogs, making something like so all told.
1t was about II o'clock when he was in
his brothers house. Then he went to
Ben Laflin's place about mile from Tay-
lor Ridge, and awakcd Frank S. Latin
and the latter opened q door and admits
ted him to the house. Frank lighted
lamp which stood upon a stand on which
there was also clock, and as he did so
he remarked it was ten minutes to one
O'Clock The two then sat around and
talked till $50, Frank having in the
meantime agreed to haul Spichler's hogs
TO Rock Island that day. At $50 they
went to the stable and harnessed team
of horses. Latin had no wagon, his fa>
ther having gone to New Boston with the
only wagon they had, and the pair then
concluded to 60 to Spickler's brothers
and borrow wagon This they did, and
drove to Spicklers house, only short
distance, where they loaded the hogs into
the wagon. after driving them into a
stable and running them up a chute made
BIZ a stable door. Latin came on to Rock
Island with the hogs. and Spickler came
in on the train. The hogs were sold to
Aug. Sass for $42j per hundred pounds.
Witness then paid Latin and also paid
several other bills he owed, and Latin
went home. Witness remained in town
all day and that night, and was arrested
early the next morning by Officer Etzcl
and lodged in the city jail The above is
briefly the testimony of Spickler. A map
of Taylor Ridge and vicinity hung on the
window screen back of the Witness
chair and was used by the
defense during the witness's tes-
timony to locate certain points.
Ex- States Attorney Parmenter, who is
assisting States Attorney Entrikin in the
prosecution, put Spickler through a rigid
examination. He examined him closely
as to the exact time that he left this city,
whenhe got to Taylor Ridge, when he got
to his brothers place, when he got to
Lafins, when he arrived at his fathers
house, and the witness showed a remarks
able remembrance of the hours and min
utes of that night, and then the attorney
asked him about the time of the last
previous visit to these places as to the
hours and minutes, but the witness was
unable to state positively as to the time.
The counsel then wanted to know how
the witness came to remember so fully
the time on the night the hogs are alleged
to have been stolen and the witness re
piled that after he was arrested and
charged with the theft he jotted the Incl
dents of the day and night down in bis
memory.
| Mr.. Parmenter asked the witness why
he did not testify before Justice
Cropper at the preliminary trial
Major Bearksley interrupted, addressing
Mr.. Parmenter, and then followed little
tiff"
Mr.. Parmenter-" Major, sit down. you
are only trying to break the force of M
cross examination
Major 8eardsley-"I object to the ques
ton on the grounds -
Mr. Parmenter-"Well. object to tn,
court. You needn't object to me"
| Major Beardsley-''If the court pleas,
="
Mr.. Parmenter-'1f the court please
don't want the major to be interrurtin!
me when I have the floor"
The court-''The court will see tina
the major does not interrupt you. Th,
court will keep the major down.
Major Beardsley-"Your honor, /"
Mr.. Parmenter--'The court doesn'
seem to be keeping the major down"
The COURT Neither do YOU
! Major Beardsley, addressing the shor