The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-06-15
TRIAL PROGRESSING
PROSECUTION IN THE ELLIS CASE
PRACTICALLY ENDED.

OF Guilty.
MASON. June 13.-The case of the
prosecution in the Ellis trial is sub
stantially closed. Some documentary
evidence will be introduced this morn
ing and then Mr.. Barkworth will
make the opening statement for
the defense. Henry Ward, the sick
juror, was in his place when court
convened Tuesday morning. Mrs.
Bowen was recalled by the defense and
questioned with a view of impeaching
the testimony of w. II. S. Wood. She
insisted that. Notwithstanding what the
prosecuting attorney asserts, she did
not have the slightest recollection of
any of the damaging things Wood
swore that Ellis said and did in the
state auditors Office in her presence.
A letter from Miss Harty TO her early
in May was offered by the defense, in
which the former said she even couldn't
remember any of the things Wood says
she must have heard about Ellis when
she, like Mrs. Bowen, was clerk in
the auditors Office.
The redirect examination of Mrs.
Bowen by Mr.. Montgomery was in the
nature of cross-examination, and it
was so sharp that occasionally the at
torney generals lawyers interjected re-
marks to aid her in making her testi-
mony clearer. She rAiterated that che
told Prosecutor Gardner, went he went
knew, that she had no remem brance Of
anything duplicating the attorney gen.
eral in the fraud of 1891.
Mrs. Bowen was on the stand over
two hours, and she replied, in answer
to a question by the defendants coun-
sci, that she was not trying to defend
the attorney general.
Governor Rich was called by the
prosecution. because his name was on
the Indictment and the defense wanted
him called.
The only questions asked him was
about his having requested the at
torney general last January to in
vestigate complaint that there was
something loose in the prosecution for
double murder in Houghton county,
and how the attorney general did in
vestigate.
In the afternoon Mrs. Helen M.
Fisher, who was stenographer to Daniel
e. Soper when secretary Of state, testi-
fed that during the canvass that Ellis
was constantly coming in the room and
apparently was well informed of the
condition of the returns at all times.
The defense was unfortunate in the
cross examination in bringing out the
fact that she heard portion of the
conversation between the ex-secretary
Of state and Wood, in which the former
asserted in substance that Ellis tam
pered with the returns. This was cor
roborative of Woods testimony last
week and was wholly unexpected by
the prosecution as we'll as defense.
Mrs. Bowen and Miss Harty were
both on the stand again, but their posi-
ton of failing to remember was ad-
hered to. The evident purpose .of the
prosecution in their questioning was to
their testimony. Witness Wood was
again on the stand, but he proved quite
as disappointing to the defense as last
week. County Clerk Cowdrey of Graf
lot county testified that the returns
from that county were made on sheet
of paper in the absence Of regular
blanks and that no inquiry had been
made with reference to them after being
sent to Lansing.
MASON, June SIN the Ellis trial
Thursday. w. H. S. Wood, ex-clerk Of
the board of 81 auditors was on the
stand and testified that Mr.. Ellis came
to his Office two or three days after the
election and asked him to erase a part
of the word three on the first and
second lines of the Gogebic returns and
make it read thirteen, so that the returns
would then read thirteen hundred" and
.'fifty-eight' votes all told, and 'nine-
teen hundred and nineteen" for the
amendment. Before making the
changes Mr.. Wood remarked: well,
Ellis, if you say it is all right I'll do
it." He says Ellis assured him there
was nothing irregular in the transac-
ton. Under cross. examination by the
defense an attempt to shake his direct
testimony utterly failed.
MASON. June O. When court
opened Friday the cross-examination of
Mr.. Wood was resumed, but nothing
new developed.
Samuel S. Cooper, of Riley g. Cooper,
the Bessemer lawyers, went upon the
stand. He said Ellis wanted to retain
the firm of Riley & Cooper to help him
etraighten out the returns, and handed
him q retainer of $50. Then Ellis spoke
Of how it looked as if somebody had
| changed the returns somewhere, and
how he wanted the thing fixed without
any publicity. Finally Ellis said:
"What ! am retaining you and Mr..
Riley for is to stay away from the
courthouse so things can be fixed here
to make the county clerks records
agree with the returns on the amend
ment at Lansing"
Before that Ellis had stated that
| OF course, don't want you to do any
thing that is not right" but when he
| told him what he did want. the witness
returned the $50, saying his firm did
not care to engage in that case. Ellis
insisted that he keep the $50 anyhow.
In the afternoon Frank A. Healy,
present postmaster at Ironwood, was
put on the stand by the prosecution.
| He testified that instead of Witness
Wood changing the returns, as he testi.
fed, he changed them all in the Office
of Attorney General Ellis, at Lansing,
but under the latter's direction. This
was sure prize to the prosecution as 1t
was fiat Impeachment of Woods testi-
mony, but was adverse to the defense
as it connected Ellis with the fraud al
badly az the testimony OF Wood.
MASON, June 1.-THE first week OF
| the Ellis trial ended at 3 o'clock Satur
day afternoon. The prosecution has
eight more witnesses to call, among
I them Governor Rich and G.. r, Baxter,