The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-23
EVIDENCE OF An ALlBl
Many Witnesses Say Wilcox
Was i'm Tacoma Labor Day.
CuoIHEE's INTERVIEW WITH HIM
He Says Wilcox Threw Suspicion on
king-Case for the state Closed
and Defense Has Innings.

and Defense Has Innings.
The evidence upon which the state ex-
poets 10 send William A. Wilcox 10 the
gailows was ali In at o'clock yesters1a y
afternoon, and Wilcox had chance to
smile for several Witnesses went on the
stand and swore positively that on the
night OF September g. 1855. when Char
iotte Fetting was murdered, they saw him
i1 Tacoms and conversed with him. The
third day OF the trial was not filled with
so many sensational incidents as was the
second day. Wilcox sat between his
counsel and directly behind him was his
sister. He smiled a dozen or more times
during the day. posted his counsel on
questions TO ask certain witnesses, and
once. when Mr.. AbelSon. an amusing
witness was testifying, Wilcox was con-
vuIsed with laughter.
The most important and dana gtng tes-
iinony given against the prisoner in the
closing hours of the prosecution came
from Detective Edward Cudihee, who had
charge OF the case. and who says that
after the first trial he had a converse
ton with wilcox in which the latter con-
fessed that he was in Ballard between
September and September S. 1883 and
that he had purchased the much talked
OF chloFofOrm for James King, after
wards murdered, so that ne could come
To Seattle and do a job" whether or
not the Fetiing murder was the job re-
ferred to Wilcox, according to the Festi-
mony OF Cudihee, did not say, but the
prisoner in the same confession told the
detective that he believed King had
something TO do with that murder. lie
limited that former partner OF King 5
was the possible slayer of old Mrs. Fef-
ting.
Samuel A. Andrews went on the stand
at $50 a. m. and identified the pawn tick
et found on Wilcox at thu time Of his ar
rest as one ne had given the prisoner at
the time the latter pawned with him the
suit of clothes identified as those from
which SaIIinger had removed blood
stains.
Wilcox said King Was Guilty.
Edward Cudlhee was the second wit
ness called by the state at the morning
session. He told of his connection with
the case from the time he visited the
Fetting cabin on the night OF the murder
until the beginning Of the second trial
Cudihee said that some time after the
first trial he went to see Wilcox in the
county jail.
Wilcox" continued Cudihee. said to
me: I consider you a friend Of mine and
I want to talk to you i replied: We'll.
/ don't think You have ever had reason
TO think otherwise OF me- Then VII
cox continued: i have been convicted Of
this crime and l am innocent. It's too
bad that have TO throw away my life
for something ! haven't done l then
said to Wilcox: You know what the evil
Tdence was, wilcox. l am sorry, very
sorry and anything / can do for you /
will do Wilcox then said: Somebody
else committed that crime; 1t wasn't me-
/ answered Wilcox: If you have any
pointers. give them to me and / VIII work
as hard for you as | would for anybody
else Wilcox spoke up and said: King
had something 20 do with it. He's crook
He told me ne lived back in Minnesota
and that he had a partner and they did
lots OF crooked work
Cudihee said he told Wilcox that the
state had witness who saw him get off
the Seattle train at Tacoma between Sep
tember and September S. 1898. and VIII
cox admitted that he had been TO Ballard
looking for work
You should have told that at the first
trial" Cudihee said. and the prisoner, ac-
cording to Cudhee's testimony, replied:
We'll ] was id fool"
Wilcox. Cudihee said. could not tell the
name of the partner King had referred
to: nor could he give him any clue where
by the detective could get trace Of him.
LAS was leaving the jail" testified Cud-
Thee, Wilcox said 10 me: L have told
DIR. Woolery the same as told you. Tn
less he loans me money 10 perfect my ap-
peal | will probably have 10 20 the peni-
Tertiary / want you 10 go to Prosecut-
ing Attorney Miller and ask him TO sign
a petition for my pardon
Cudihee said he answered that Miller
believed him (Wilcox) TO he guilty. but he
would speak 10 Miller nevertheless.
Cross-exa mined by MIR. Winstock. Cud-
Thee denied that ne had told Wilcox 20
have his appeal dismissed and that he
would get Judge Humes. the prosecuting
attorney and other court officials 20 sign
a petition for his pardon, but admitted
that he had asked WILCOX II he had not
treated him fair when on the witness
stand al the first trial. The witness had
not said - Wilcox: Il didn's do you any
harm on the stand. did I p"
isn't & a fact that YOU tried 70 get
Wilcox 20 implicate somebody else. 50
that YOU could secure conviction2''
asked Mr. Winstock.
Most certainly not" answered Cud-
Thee
C'udlhee was on the witness stand when
court adjourned at noon. and az the az
feruoon session testified that when he ar
rested Wilcox he told rim 70 try and
think Of some man. woman or child whom
he had seen or been with on the day or
the night Of September {. 1893. and after
thinking for few minutes the witness
answered that he could not think OF any
body.
he pr.o-aavsffnu