Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-21
Turns Up to Testify in the Trial of
Eddie Myers, Who is Accused of
the Murder of His Aunt.
THE LOST PARTNER AGAIN FOUND.
Quite an Array of People Who Say They
Saw the Defendant From IL to
O'Clock on the Day That
MISS DOUGLASS WAS ASSASSINATED.
Another Important Day in the Various Courts of
Allegheny County.

Interest in the Myers DOUGLASS murder
trial increases day by day. Yesterday was
the fourth day of the trial, and it proved
the most important one so far. The court
room was fairly packed with spectators,
among them quite a number of ladies, who
drop in to get look at the good-looking
young prisoner who is on trial for his lie.
The leading event of Yesterdays session
which, By the way, was entirely taken up
by the defense-was the production Of a
witness the Commonwealth had certified it
could not find. This witness was 7. F. Van
Kirk, who was Myers partner in the real
estate business at the time of Miss Douglass
death. When Vanhirk answered his name
and appeared before the court, a look of as
tonishment swept over the faces OF the attor-
news for the Commonwealth. Judge White
dropped his pen and seemed to share in the
astonishment, while a smile played about
the face of Attorney Robb, who is conduct
ing the defense. The prisoner also smiled
and seemed TO brighten up somewhat.
THE ALIBI TESTIMONY
Webster Mains was the first witness yes
terday. He saw Myers on the 18th of Nav,
at 1920 o'clock driving in toward McKees-
poIt in a two-horse wagon. f. P. Faidley
MYERS driving toward McKeesport at 12:45
Squire Jacob Everett, OF the Third ward, Nc
heesport, saw Myers with a two-horse wagon
in front of Kay's feed store on Fifth avenue
about l o'clock. August Werner.
contractor. saw Myers talking to Mr.. Kay in
front of the feed store at precisely LOG o'clock.
J. W. Walker, wholesale grocer saw Myers
driving toward home in the neighborhood of
o'clock. EX-J ustice of the Peace Spauler tes-
titled that he had gone over the same route in
two-horse wagon, supposed to have been
driven by Myers on the day of the murder, and
il took 30 minutes to 90 to the Douglass house,
and "A minutes to return. Samuel Nee cor
rObordted the former witness. James 2.
COrsIn. liveryman, drove over the route the
day after the murder, and was satisfied that
the round trip could not be made in less than
two hours.
At the afternoon session Squire Jacob
Everett, f. f. Feldley William II. Sims Rev.
A. l. \ oung. of the U. p Church; J. n. Hart
man and J. B McCaCley all testified to having
known both Miss Douglass and Myers; they had
seen them together frequently, and never saw
anything but the kindest of feeling displayed
hy both. They also testified to Myers good
character.
Albert Kuhn stated that the revolver he bor-
rowed from Mr. Nanhirk was sent back by Mr..
Corley. +. /. Corley testified that he gave the
revolver to John Jies, and J ohm Jies testified
That he gave the revolver back to Mr.. Van
Kirk.
MEMORY OF MYERS PARTNER.
T. +. Nankirk was the next witness. and as
he approached to be sworn there was consider
able astonishment. Mr.. VanKirk stated that
for he past three weeks he has been employed |
as manifest clerk at the Homestead Office of
the Pittsburg and Lake Erie Railroad. He |
was at the Douglass house on the night of Nav |
10 and had with him revolver that belonged |
to Gilbert H. Walker. On the way out he dis |
played the revolver to some young men who |
were along wi b him. Abnut IL o'clock he |
gave the revolver 70 Albert Kuhn. who wanted |
IL TO protect himself with the way back to |
MCkeespOrt. That was the only revolver the |
witness had. Ii of 32-calber. The |
revolver was originally purchased by Mr.. |
Walker from Myers, before the lst of January.
The witness did not get it from Myers on the |
day that Miss Douglass was found dead.
On CrOSs-PXaminatIOn Mr.. NanKirk stated |
that he was associated with Myers in the real
estate business for three months. There were
several people at the Douglass house on the
night lie was there; among them was Frank
Packer. 1t was near IL o'clock when Kuhn
started away with the revolver The witness
on reaching the house placed the revolver on
the mantelplece, and at the suggestion Of one
Of the boys, took il and placed il in a drawer of
the stand. H remembered Packers picking up
an empty cartridge shell and putting it in his
pocket. The witness did not see a large revol-
yer in the house. He remembered Myers
having a 3S-caliheT pistol, about three or four
months before the death of Miss Douglass.
Myers always carried a revolver, sometimes
81 caliber and sometimes a 3S caliber. The
witness did not have any revolver in the room
in the presence of Mr. Packer, and did not
take cartridge out Of pistol and try in the
chamber the shell found on the floor and say it
was IS calberS. If he compared the shell at
all it was with another cartridge, but the wit
ness was not sure that lie made any compari-
sons. There were five or SIX people in the
room at the time Packer exhibited the SHE'LL
hut The witness could not remember who they
were.
WHERE THE SHELL WAS FOUND.
Albert Kuhn was present in the room when
the shell %as found by Packer in the middle of
the room, under the carpet. The witness hadn't
yetgotten the revolver from Mr.. Vankirk. He
cav the revolver on the mantelpiece and re-
marked that it might fall, and Mr.. Vankirk
Laced it in the drawer.
I. /. Cooley and benjamin Cooley corrobor-
ated the above.
DIR. NaullIrk. of West Newton. testified that
lie was the father of I. T. Vankirk. He did not
know Constable Dart, nJr that officer nor any
bue else ever came to his house searching for
his son. The witness knew where his son was
and there never had been any attempt to con-
Coroner Mcdowell testified that on the day
after Miss Douglass was found dead he was at
The house, and just outside the door found a
shell of a 3S-caliber cartridge. He
did not show this shell to either the
District Attorney or County Detective
ana didn't remember saying anything to
them about it, The shell was the same kind
that had been found In the house, and looked
as though it had been lying in the yard for
some time.
Detective P. ]. Murphy was present when
Coroner Mcdowell found the cartridge. The
shell did not look like old one, but was like
the one found in the room.
Mrs. Jennie Schreckengost's testimony
Caused something Of a sensation. She stated
mat she occupied three rooms in house in
Mckeesport, and the fourth room was occu-
pied by Mr.. Glendenning, from whom she
rented. In June last Nellie Jones stopped a
week in the house, and during a conversation
Nellie Jones told the witness that she did not
know what she would swear to in the case
hntil she came to town. The witness stated
that she never in any way tried to get Nellie
ZONES to swear anything. She did tell Miss
Jones that if she came to town and told a lie
they would put her in jail, and told her to tell
Nle truth.
NELLIE JONES SUSPICIOUS.
On cross-examination the witness stated that
It was in June when she had the conversation
with Nellie Jones, and Miss Jones stated that
the pretty nearly knew who did the shooting
but was not certain whether it was Ed Myers
or his father. She said that sometimes she
thought 1t was another man than Myers
Mr.. Robb here offered in evidence the testi-
mony OF Nellie Jones. taken before the coroner
wherein she stated that she did not know
whether il was Myers who did the shooting
Edward Witusch. a real estate dealer, testi-
fed that the transaction between Myers and a