St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-13
THE WAVERLY MURDER.
Billings Takes the Stand and
Tells His Story.

Special 10 the GLOBE.
WAVERLY. To-, April 12.-The ninth
day of the Billings trial has been con-
tinued in the examination of the de-
PENDANT. Billings was brought on to
the stand last evening, and in view of
the fact that he would be brought on
again to-day, the crowd in the court
room has been suffOcating. Many la
dies were present, though as the testi-
mOny Off his rambling story could be so
called became more and more shock
ing to refined feelings, they dropped
out in little knots, and once in ludi-
crous hurry as Billings began to tell
the particulars of the act which he
and Kingsley while he was peeping
through the shutters at them. The
direct examination which begun last
evening terminated at IL to-day, and
the accused was turned over to the not
very tender mercieS of the counsel for
the state in conducting the crOSS-eXaul-
nation, and who made a very successful
attempt to destroy the marvellous supply
of information which the defendant is
perfectly willing to impart. Billings
has endeavored, in popular parlance, to
be ''Smart," and in nearly every in
stance evaGed and miscOnstrued the
questions propOunded to him, until on
repeated occasions the court had to
urge him to give responsive answers.
The evidence is a rehash of his testi-
mOny before the cOronor'S jury and com
hitting magistrate, with several addi-
tiOns and corrections and revisionS as
we'll, to harmonic with some of the wit
neSses examined by the defense yeSter-
day. While Billings has changed and
remOdeled some of the statements given
Immediately after the tragedy,
HIS MEMORY HAS IMPROVED
in many respects, but his statements
to-day were weak and as ambiguous as
ever as to the preparations of the notes,
mortgages and other instruments of ex-
tortion which he had drawn up for
Kingsley to sign. He denied of ever
threatened to kill Kingsley, testified to
by G. w. Brown, Emily Shane, E. w.
RisdOn and DIR. Boyer. He identified
the revolver found beside Kingsley as
belonging to deceased, and took appar-
ent delight in reiterating the statement
that he had seen ii in Kingsley's posses
sion many times while he occupied a
portion of Kingsley'S office, and in many
other instances the witness demeaned
himself in manner which convinced
the court that he was prevaricating, and
that his statements i'll some instances
were utterly unworthy of belief. Bill
ings. as a lawyer, is thoroughly ac-
quainted with all the techni-
calities of cross eXamina-
ton, and he was keen and
shrewd in his answers to the inter
rOgatOrieS of the counsel for the state,
who at the adjournment of court had
not yet fairly begun their cross-exami-
nation. This lOngwinded story of
Billings was born in the imagination of
the author when Kingsley first came up
for Office and whose election he bitterly
opposed. Billings assumed hatred of
Kingsley suddenly vanished after the
latter's election, and he at once worked
himself into the confidence of Kingsley
simply to further his purpose of ruin
ing Kingsley's character, as has already
been proven, and in case they fail to
convict him for murder they have
clear case of blackmail in reserve.