Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-16
KILLIAN'S DEFENSE.
The Prisoners Written Statement
Read to the Jury Yesterday.
THREE MEN WHO WERE AT HIS Il
Defendant Thinks are the Parties Who
Killed Mrs. Rudert.
COURT CULLINGS IN PARAGRAPHS

Alexander Killian's trial before Judge
Magee for the murder of Mrs. Rudert was
continued yesterday, the first witness being
d. w. Borton, hardware dealer, who lden-
titled Killian as the man who had purchased
32-caliber cartridges from him. William
Dunlap identified the satchel as one he had
seen in the defendants boathouse. Captain
E. Y. Breck identified paper submitted as
the confession of Killian, and II was read to
the jury. In substance it said:
About two weeks before the murder the
prisoner saw Peter Griffin and another man
across the river from his boat, and as they
were beckoning for him he went over to
them. He at first thought they were Bel
gium glasSblowers, but soon recognized Griffin
as a man he had seen in the penitentiary.
Griffin said he had escaped by playing crazy and
being sent to DiXmont. kllllan took them to
his boat and afterward loaned them his skif.
They returned next morning for breakfast and
then went away. About two weeks later Griffin
returned and went to John Thomas house
and asked for Frank Clark" Killian
took Griffin home, and about dark
the two men and the prisoners wife went to
ThOmas'shouse. where they left the woman.
They took the skin to bring two men from the
other side of the river. One was negro
Grimm called New Ork Shlne,' ana the OtDer
WAS a German but his name was not men,
toned. The latter, he said, had been shot in
the wrist.
Killian loaned the men his sEiff and has
never seen il since, but about IL o'clock that
night Griffin returned to the boat lie had
left the negro and the German at the railroad,
and hlllian went up to see them. Griffin rat
tied some jewelry in his pocket ana gave Kill
lian watch and bracelet for the use of the
sliff These INillian buried in the hillside, and
about ID minutes later was arrested. After
Griffin gave hillian the jewelry the three men
Started toward PittSDurg. When killian was
arrested he saws he knew it was all up with him
on account of his previous bad reputation,
although he knew nothing of the murder.
Continuing the trial, Jacob King was put on
the stand, and testified that he was present
when hillian was arrested. Mrs Maggie In
mau testified that she had been at Rudert'S
store on the night of the shooting. and she saw
two white men standing outside She identi-
ned picture of Griffin as one OF the men, hut
wasn't sure as to whether the other was Kill
lian. Il. Grant Miller. the COroner'S clerk
testified that Kilian had said to him that he
was innocent Of the charge. Constable FInney
was called, and identified a suit of clothes
which was offered in evidence. James Adams, a
private watChman, OF TarentUm, testified to
having locked hlllIan up. and to the latter
having secured change of clothing from his
wife. Detective Gllkinson identified the
watch ard bracelet rs ones he had dug up at
Tareutum. James Smith was the last witness
heard. He testified that he saw killian and
two other men pass his place on the morning of
the murder carrying two kegs of beer. He
identlned Griffin picture as one of the men.