The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-05

the State Made Stronger in Regard to
the Friendship Between Mrs. Leonard
and Her Former Busband-Attorneys
for Defense Not Harmonious in Their
Methods-Chief of Policies Evidence.
The Durrant trial at San Francisco
or the Holmes trial at Philadelphia
rould not have been watched with
greater degree of interest or curiosity
than was the preliminary hearing in
the case of the state against Marion
Williamson, his former wife Irena Will
hanson Leonard and their son Norville
Williamson, yesterday.
According to the announcement the
hearing was 10 have commenced at 9
o'clock, but Justice Jones and the at
torney for Mrs. Leonard were inter
ested in a case in the district court
which kept them there until after 10
O'Clock.
As early as o'clock the Appellate
cOurt room was crowded. The steam
had Just been turned on but the room
being a large one and hard TO heat the
place was like an ice box until nearly
b:30
If the room had been as cold as the
bleak hills Of Greenland that crowd
would have stayed there to hear the
trial. They gathered around the radi-
ators and Rugged them for dear life
until the chilly atmosphere was warm
ed up.
The assemblage consisted of about
one-fourth women and three-fourths
men. There We're women there who
seemed TO be a hundred years old and
men equally as ancient. One old man
who wasn't a, day short Of ninety lean
ed over the railing all day long with
his eyes glued on the court and wit
nesses. Inside the railing there was
a row Of ladies and this old mans
head seemed TO be sandwiched in be-
tween the shoulders Of two good look
ing women although he stood on the
outside of the railing himself. He
had long gray beard and as the testi-
mOny became exciting he swung those
whiskers TO the right and left to the
great annoyance or at least embarrass-
ment Of the ladies. He swung that
beard once too often for IT got mixed
up in the hooks and eyes of a lady's
cape, and. doubtless, when she went
home last night her husband ques-
toned her about a tuft of grey hairs
which she unconsciously took home on
the shoulder of her cape. He was the
queerest and most excited little old
man Sone could wish to see and his
little old pink eyes ought to be fixed
on the good book Of prophecy rather
than on the actors in a criminal trag-
edy
There was a little old woman back in
the audience that must have been his
mate in life.
There wasn't tooth in her head and
hadn't been for twenty years and yet
she was intensely interested in a muir
der trial. She was eternally quarrel
ling with those in her neighborhood
for crowding her and she frequently
signifed, by a squeak, her disapprovaI
of a squeezing that she might have en-
joyed immensely about the time of the
war of 1872
Every seat in the court room was oc-
cupied and the aisles were crowded
10 suffocation, the jam extending
quarter of the width of the room from
either side. This gave rise o a Wig
orous down in front" demand from
the seats. Constable Tom Voss was
ordered to drive back the jam by the
court but Tom was too mild hammered
for such a herculean task and after
small effort gave it up.
Justice Jones promptly left the bench
when the consta ble's efforts failed and
went to the north gate where, by a
tragic sweep of the hand, such as he
uses in his hypnotic entertainments, he
staggered the crowd backwards toward
the wall. This magic influence was
brought to bear on the crowd at the
South gate with equally good results
~,
Two minutes after that there was
tremendous rubbernecking at the door
and the word was quietly sent around
that the prisoners were coming. Near
" every one in the assemblage arose in
their seats to see what they looked like
Irena Williamson Leonard was the
first one observed. She was the only
one noticed for a few minutes. She
was dressed in dark clothing and wore
a jaunty hat high up on her head that
was ornamented with a few feathers
that waved over ii and TO some extent
indicated by their movements her feel
ings during the trial. The least twitch
of the muscles is responded to by fea-
theirs worn on a hat like those were
and women who go into court and
want to hide their feelings should not
wear them.
She was sickly pale as she walked
across the court room before the spec
tators and when she finally took her
seat every pulsation of her heart was
telegraphed to observers in the audi
ence by the feathers on her hat which
trembled very violently No matter
what the crime of a woman may be he
cannot help having a trace of sympa-
thy for her on such an occasion.
rTNl,.,rA l. oil n
that a woman who does wrong or be-
comes notorious in the path that leads
the crooked way. is pretty. This has
been said of Irena Williamson
Leonard by sensationalists. The state
ment is absolutel grour less. Mrs.
Leonard Is not up to the average wo-
man in beauty. on the contrary she is
homely. She has neither good looks,
education nor refinement
Williamson was brought into court
with his wife and their son also. II
was a sad sight 10 see them and sad
der still 10 think of a whole family in
the tolls OF the law with no future be
fore them but one OF gloom. There is
no sympathy for them however. for
they do not deserve sympathy from
what is known as to the crime
Williamson when first brought in
seemed 10 be Indifferent, but as the eX-
animation progressed il was plain that
he proceedings had their effect on him
John d Davis. county attorney is
representing the state :. 3. Amidon is
representing Mrs. Leonard and Ncr-
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