Omaha daily bee., 1888-02-24
THE NEWS OF THE BLUFFS.
A New Witness Appears to Tell Of
Mains Killing.
TWO BURGLARS
Worse Rumors About Clocks Matri.
monial Bureau-The SIander Jury
Wants A Majority Vote Taken
Miss Freemans Thanks,
The CO6man Case.


The trial of A. w. Coirman for the
killing of j. X. Main, got fairly under
way yesterday. Much Of the evidence
will be the same in substance as on the
preceding trial, and the case will not
probably be long before the court.
The first witness yesterday was Joe
Blake, of Avoca. He did not see the be-
ginning OF the trouble between Main
and Coffman, IN Tyron's restaurant, but
when he first saw them Main was at
tacking Coffman. He did not see Coff-
man draw the revolver, but saw it in his
hands an,instant after the shooting. 1t
was still smoking.
DR.. McConnaughey was next put upon
the stand to testify in regard to the
post mortem held. There were no
marks upon Main except the bullet
wound in the side OF the face, the ball
going backwards and lodging near the
base Of the brain.
The next witness was a more sensa-
tional one. He was the new witness,
who has been expected, but who has not
testified in the preceding hearings.
He gave his name as Jasper Selsby, and
Portsmouth. He was a farm hand, and
was working here and there as best he
could. He helped stacking in Coffman s
field on the day Of the homicide. He
was in the field in the afternoon when
the trouble arose between Cotfman and
Main. 1t was hot day, and Coffman,
coming to the field, found Main resting
in the shade of the stack. Coffman did
not like this, and got on to the stack
and worked little while himself. He
told Main that he did not want anybody
to steal his money, which seemed
to be another way of denouncing
what he deemed Mains loafing.
Cotfman and Main had some words and
COtfman told HIM he would pay him off
that evening and he could go. He also
told Main that he would give him a
threshing. In the evening. at the res
taurant, Coffman and Main met, and
after Coffman had paid him, Main said
he was ready for that threshing. Cotf-
man called him dirty epithet, and soon
followed it up by blows. Then Cotfman
stepped backwards a few feet and struck
his heel against keg or box and sort OF
half stumbled over, but Immediately
Strengthened himself and Main said that
there was no use of having any further
trouble about the matter. Just then the
witness heard shot, and saw
the revolver in Coffman's hands
and Main lying upon the floor.
The cross examination was very try
ing on the witness. He admitted that
he was from $50 to 200 yards from the
stack all OF the time Main and Cotfman
were having the conversation in the
field. He was busy, too, loading grain
onto wagon. AS to the shooting scene,
he said he was not in the room, but
was standing on the step outside looking
up and down the street, and that at the
time the shot was fired he had his back
toward both men, and could not tell in
what position they stood. He was also
examined as to his history. and the fact
brought out that he was working wher.
ever he CHANGED to get job, and that
part of the time ne slept in sheds OF
out of doors.
The cross-examination was not com
pleted at time of adjournment, and will
be continued this morning.
DR.. r. Rice, No. IL Pearl ST., will
give compound oxygen treatment at 81
| cents each sitting.