The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-07
THE NEFF TRIAL

The Men trial IN the 0lStrlo6 court yes
terday attracted an unusually large sudi- |
ence. every seat in the court room being !
filled.
The case is being holly contested on |
both sides. Willard Boone, assisted by !
Judge McCandiess. is prosecuting, while |
the defense Is represented BY OBryan u
Gordon.
The principal testimony adduced yester-
day was the evidence of the complaining
witnes, Lucinda Graham. and Robert A.
Nef, the defendant.
The plaintiff testified that on the night
Of the 18th OF June the defendant took her
TO police headquarters and assaulted her
there. She is but Is years old. according
to the testimony of her mother. although
she looks at least two years Older than
that.
Neif testified that On the night in ques-
ton he was night clerk at police head
quarters, and was On duty at about l2:4O
O'Clock, when Il message came In Tor po-
liceman to come 20 Roots barn. He went
out Oh the street to find man, but as he
could find none, be went himself. When
he arrived there he met Mrs. Graham,
who told him that her daughter was at
the house Of one Titteriugtou contrary to
her wishes aud that she wanted him to go
there and make her come home. He said
he had 10 business to go into private
house cn such mission. but volunteered
to accompany Mrs. Graham there. When
they arrived there they ascertsined that
Lucinda WAS not there, and, thinking she
| might have returned home. they went TO
Mrs. Graham's house and found her Sit
ting on the porch. She would not remain
at her mothers house and on promise that
she would go to the house at which she
was working, he. Neff, agreed to accom-
pany her there This was satisfactory all
| round, but when they arrived at the
house where the girl worked she would
not so ia, saying that it would not look
well for her to go 10 there at that hour OF
the night. Finding that she wonlG neither
stay at home nor go to where she worked,
| Neff said that there was no other alterna-
! tive left but for her to go tie police station
where she could remain till morning aud
then 20 to where she worked. When they
arrived at the city building she
would not 90 in because there WAS another
| man in the office, and NeH's patience being
worn out. as he said. he left hef. When
| Mr.. Davis, who was at headquarters, lett
| ON his arrival he then went out and brought
| her in and gave her the lounge IN the
chiefs private office to sleep on, and that is
| the last he saw OF her until broad daylight,
| when he told her it was time to go home.
| He positively denied making an assault on
| her and minated that the whole thing
was job put up on him. He seemed TO be
very bitter against the police commits
| siopers and stated that, although they
promised him III investigation at 3 o'clock
next day, they never granted it to him.
County Attorney Boone tried hard 70
batter down the evidence OF Netf, buShe
couldn't do it. and he repeated his first
story under rigid cross-eXamlnation with
extraordinary accuracy
After his examination was over Chlef or
Police Cone was put on the stand to testify
as to some points III the defend
ants evidence where it differed
from the story Neff told him after
hs had charged him with the offsnse. SEN
ator O'Bryau cross examined Mr.. Cone
and asked him if he was not taking an ac-
tive interest in the prosecution OF Neff.
The chief denied that he was. The senator
then asked him if he did not seek to give
Neff's trouble publicity immediately after
it occurred, aud this hs also denied
OBryan then asked him ii it wasn't fact
that ne telsphoned to the EAGLE Office to
send reporter to the police station, and
that he would give him the whole story
about the Netf matter. This the chief also
denied. O'Bryan then asked him II he
did not voluntarily give the EAGLE re-
porter the whole story, and to this the
chief said, 81 did because | wanted il sc-
curate." C'Bryan then asked him whether
he didn't 20 to the Beacon Office aud make
kick there because that paper showed an
inclination to take Neff's part. To
this the chief replied that he did not.
Didn't you go there and make any
complaint" asked O'Bryan. Il did," re-
piled the chief. II went there to enter
my objections against statements the
paper was making that were false" This
ended the testimony of Chief Cone.
George Bixby. the night clerk of the A
d. r.. atarm service, testified that he was
with Neff from O'Clock that night TILL
after daylight, which time covered the
period that it was alleged the crime was
| committed.
Farmer Doolittle testified that he had
. known Neff for twenty-five years aud that
his reputation is good.
Two other witnesses will be put on the
stand by the state Monday when the court
conyenes. They are police Commissioners
Brown and Dixon. 1t is expected that
some sensational evidence will be brought
out when these gentlemen are examined
Tins far both sides are claiming Il VIC
tory.
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