The morning call., 1894-08-05
NOBODY WANTED LESHER.
The Wretch Not Even Allowed to
Confess His Villainy.

Confess Ills Villainy.
WOODLAND, Aug. A contest of gen.
erosity took place in Judge Fishers court
early this morning. Witness Lesher's
confession had worried the prosecution
terribly, and Carroll Cook made a deter
mined effort to shoulder the genial penitent
on the defense. General Hart, equally
generous, disclaimed all desire to have
Lesher en- his hands. A good deal of ora
tory was INDUCED in. but the defense
clearly had the best OF the situation.
The confession was the sole topic In
Woodland to-day. When court opened at
O'Clock, the room was already packed by
a crowd expectant of essential develop
ments. Carroll Cook started the ball roll
ing. He made an explanatory statement
about as follows: ''Since the adjournment
of court yesterday certain rumors reached
my ears concerning so-called confession
of witness held by order of the court.
This morning at the hotel | was sent for
by W. Lesher. He informed me that while
he had been in jail here he had been
placed in the same cell with some of the
defendants, and while there some of the
defendants and their relatives compelled
him 10 sign a confession falsely accusing
Judge Armstrong of having offered him
$500 for bis testimony. Lesher stated
that he wrote it at the instigation
of certain defendants here, and that they
also forced him to say that his testimony
was false. He claims that his testimony
was true. except that he got mixed up in
dates"
Mr.. Cook reviewed the circumstances of
r har ~ vr,if bAra 81
of him by the prosecution.
''At the request OF General Hart" he
went on, by order of this court he has
been kept in jail without warrant. and he
states to me that he was overpo wered by
the defendants and compelled to make a
statement. Although his testimony has
been stricken out. we are perfectly willing
to withdraw all objections and have him
examined as to any statements he NAV
have made in jail. The only way to get
him into court would be for some one TO
swear out warrant for perjury. We are
perfectly willing. however. that the course
of things be set aside and Lesher called
and examined.
I'VE emphatically and absolutely DENY
that any offer was made to Lesher either
by Judge Armstrong or any other member
Of the prosecution. but insist that his
statement made last night was forced from
him by influences and the desperate eff
forts of men in desperate straits"
Reese Clark said he knew something of
the circumstances of the. case. lie said
Lesher had told him that Hatch and
Hatch's father were in the cell with him
and compelled him to write that state
ment. and that he dsavowed it before
signing it to the Sheriff OF this county.
Clark stated that three times he had re-
ceived notes from q certain defendant sug-
gesting what questions to ask witnesses
on the stand.
Attorney Gaddis answered that from his
clients be understood that Lesher had
never been In their company. He was
con fined downstairs and they were con-
fined upstairs. When they did see Lesher
it was at his personal request. He depre
Gated the bOlstering up of the case with
such testimony as that of Lesher.
General Hart arrived about that time
and remarked that IL the damaging fact
had been stated by Lesher originally in
the Jail after becoming acquainted with
the defendants it might have made the
charge plausible that he had been infiu
enced. But" cried the attorney. "he
made this statement on the witness stand
as a witness for the prosecution, and now.
after they have Withdrawn him for fear of
cross-examiDation, they wish to throw the
responsibility of him on the defendants.
Where did the original idea of $500. come
from? He was not known by the defend
ants when he made his origin al statement.
Does it come with good grace from the
prosecution to charge his faults on
this defense? We will have no use
for him. We despise him as a
wretch. Let the prosecution have THAR
witness. The taint of this witness must
accompany this prosecution. We do not
want him. We won't have him. He is
their production. He is their witness.
We will not permit the prosecution to
throw him upon us. Let the odium rrst
upon them. He was not coerced by Hatch
when he was on the witnsss-stand. nor
when he stated on the public streets TO J.
b. Thorp. and again to Mr.. Gregory. Mr..
Evans and Mr.. Taylor at different times
that he was to receive $500. Now, having
sworn before your Honor to the facts he
cannot now-whoever offered to him
S5o0-be cannot change the origin of the
TACT. nor can they charge the origin of
himself to any but themselves. Heis with
them to stay. We smell him aud his
stencil affiicts our nostrils, but be will re-
main with the prosecution and his odium
will rest on them. He is the product of
artificial means. He was not born with
much mental deformity. We want 20
know who corrupted him; whether it was
Judge Armstrong or any one else. He
was corrupted, for he confessed it. and
when he made that damaging admission
The prosecution stood aghas. and asked
your Honor to throw him out. and yet they
come here and attempt 10 charge on us the
responsibility of that mans conduct.
have never before seen man take his own