Wichita eagle., 1888-04-22

About o'clock ON the day mentioned,
Lane was seated near the door of his Office
when Lester sent the contents of one
barrel of a double gun into his left side
Lane had not observed the approach of
Lester from the left side, and did not see
him until he had been shot. He begged
Lestern not to fire again, but the latter, who
had meanwhile advanced upon him, shot
him in the side, killing him instantly. The
deed was witnessed by several persons
who were unable to prevent Lester from
carrying out his design, but they hurried
to the spot where Lane was lying and Les
ter was made a prisoner. Lester appeared
to be laboring under great mental strain,
and soon became so weak that he was
obliged to sit down in the chair that
moment or two before had been occupied
by the man whose life he had taken.
The intelligence of the murder spread
far and wide, and great Indignation was
manifested. Lester was taken before
magistrate who committed him to the
county jail the jury of inquest having
rendered the usual verdict. The feeling
against Lester became so strong that
few hours afterwards it was deemed best
to send him to Nashville for safe keeping.
He was given change of quarters and
breathed freer when he realized that he
could not be reached by those who most
strongly condemned his act. He talked at
some length about the killing, and claimed
that the act was justifiable, charging that
Lane had been unduly intimate with his
wife
When the next term of the circuit court
opened at Lebanon, Lester who
had been indicted by the grand jury
for mu der in the first degree, was ar
raigned and pleaded not guilty. Great
interest was felt in the case, and the court
room was densely crowded from the be-
ginning to the end Of the trial, which con-
sumed several days. Counsel for the de-
fendant endeavored TO prove that Lester
was insane at the time the crime was com
mitted, but the plea was of no avail. There
was no evidence whatever to show intimacy
between Lane and Mrs. Lester and the
Jury returned verdict of guilty. Lester
was sentenced to death, and the case was
appealed to the supreme court. 1t was
shown at the trial that Mrs Lester, who
first married Mr.. Gibson. had
obtained pension through the efforts of
Mr.. Lane, and that Lester, who had en-
deavored to secure the money was angry
because of his failure to do so. He had
also threatened several prominent mem,
bers of the Knights of Pythias, who had
protected the right of Mrs. lester in a
policy held by her former husband.
Lester, while on the witness stand, de-
clared that he had seen God in the vicinity
of Lebanon, and that in killing Lane he
had simply obeyed the will OF God.
Lester after his conviction became des-
pondent and ILL., Search was made in his
cell one day and quantity of morphine
found. A few days afterwards an addi-
tional quantity was discovered 1t was
suspected that Lester intended to commit
suicide in the event the Governor declined
to commute his sentence, but the prisoner
solemnly denied such intention. He re-
ceived his sentence without showing any
emotion, and saying he had made his peace
with God he gave his children to a sister
in-law and began to prepare for the doom
that awaited him.