The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-03-23
rs NEARING AN END.
sToNEWALL De FRANCE SOON TO
KNOW HIS FATE.

ment For the People--state Canvassers
Ousted.
KALAMAZOO, March 21.-Mrs. De
France was on the stand again Tuesday
morning, and entered into a general
denial of Britt's evidence. She said
Britt had called at her house several
times and proposed plan to get her
husband out of the Detroit Jail. Britt
and his brother were to take papers to
the Jail which they were to say needed
the prisoners signature. When De
France was in the office, she said Britt's
scheme was to have men there who
would rush the prisoner out of the
Office and get him away. Witness said
she slammed the door in BIRTHS face,
utterly regulating. This simple
scheme Of escape caused the court
loungers to smile.
De France was then recalled. He said
he knew Britt's writing, and admitted
that gentleman wrote the power of at
torney. He declared the Calvin con-
tracts were written by the witness. He
said the memorandum in courtpurport-
ing to be notes on the Calvin contracts,
is in Britt's writing, but were to indi-
cate questions Britt was to ask defend
ant on the stand.
Attorney Knappen then took the
stand. He called with travelling man
at the Jail Sunday to see De France. 1t
was merely social visit. Powell De
France was there. He appeared angry,
but the prisoner was pleasant.
This closed the evidence. Counsel
agreed to take but six hours in argu-
ments on both sides. Attorney Frost
opened the argument for the prosecu-
ton.
Colonel E. NJ Irish followed with a
logical and fair presentation of the case
for the defense. His plea was argu-
mentative and covered the testimony
quite infinitely.
A. j. Sawyer then spoke for nearly
two hours. He set up his claim that
the people must prove beyond shadow
of doubt five things: That the body of
the draft was forged; that the signature
of the bank cashier, Abe Lull, was a
forgery; that S. b. Hammond's sigma
ture was forgery; that it was uttered
with intent to defraud, and that S. j.
De France was Louis Forrest who ut
tered it.
KALAMAZOO, March 15.-AmeliaR Rose
now of Warren. Mich. was the first
witness examined Wednesday in the
De France trial. She was formerly a
domestic in the De France family until
February, 1898. De France was in the
real estate business, she said, and
travelled a great deal. He also claimed
to have worked for Thayer q Dun
ming. Sometimes he would be gone
for weeks. He had two valises. but she
could not identify the one offered in
evidence. Witness identified baby
coat of flannel as one little Helen De
France used to wear.
The first witness for the defense was
Rev. G. II. Henderson of the Chicago
university. formerly pastor of the
Woodward Avenue Baptist church in
Detroit. He knew the De Frances; De
France had talked to him about joining
the church. He saw them in church
the Sunday before Nov. 81. 1891; that
would be Nov. 90. He remembered the
date because he had written De France
letter Friday, Nov. 81. He saw them
at home the Gath or 25th. DR.. Hender-
son was fine witness. His testimony
could not be shaken.
Thaddeus Calvin of Detroit. manu-
facturer of waterworks supplies, testi-
fed that he lived near De France. He
identified contract offered in evidence
as one he had made with De France.
1t was dated Nov 81, 1891, the day For
rest visited with j. X. Wagner in the
bank here. On Monday, Nov. %, 1891,
De France paid Calvin 500 on the con-
tract. Court then adjourned.
KALAMAZOO, March 16.--The greater
part of the forenoon Thursday in the
De France trial was devoted to the in
frn Ir1n hxrf ha 1afn nf ovid
to show the good reputation of the
respondent before his arrest on the
charge of which he is being tried.
Messrs. w. w. Hannah, James z.
Hanna, James E. Scott, Harry j. Keena
and John j. Meurer, all of Detroit.
swore that the general reputation OF
the respondent was good, and that they
did not believe that he would commit
the crime charged against him.
KALAMAZOO, March 17.-When the
De France trial opened Friday morning
r. l.. Parkin, who formerly kept the
Burdick House news stand, and had
often seen Forrest. John Rice. who had
driven Forrest out to Hammonds, and
others were called and did not identify
De France as the man.
Mrs. Tracy May De France then took
the stand She gave her age as 20 and
her birthplace as La Crosse, Wis. The
family finally moved to Toronto. where
her father kept bird store, He died
in 1886 and they moved to Detroit soon
after. She met De France in 1886 and
thew were married July IL, 1887 Her
mother died in 1890. She bought a
house on Trumbull avenue in 1892. DE
France was then in the life insurance
business, He presently took up real
estate The year they bought the house
they went to Carlsbad for her health.
Coming back from New York in Octo-
(. Der, 1892, she met ''that gentleman"
pointing to j. X. Wagner, on a New
York Central car. Mrs. De France
continued:
while Mr.. De France was in the
smoking car the gentleman smiled on
me several times. When he came back
told him the man was trying to fiirt
with me. My husband went and sat
down with him and after chat came
back"
Stonewall J. De France next took the
lfon1 Il, HE <,u,x, hako1f onI xxvoo ,s,ae-