The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-31
THE TAYLORS' TALE.
They Give Their Story of the
Meeks Murder.
Testimony Much the Same as at
Former Trial.
COURT HOUSE TANNED.
nnin1OY Dr,ouosIo NIL 49, IT,
COURT HOUSE TANNED.
Opinion Prevails That the De-
tense is Weak.

CARRoLLToN, Mo-, July 31.-The big
day of the Taylor trial has passed and
the end is in view. The defendants,
George and William Taylor, were on
the stand yesterday, and gave to a
limited extent the story of the Meeks
murder. The crowd at the court house
turned into jam at noon, when the
people rushed over the deputy sheriff
in their eagerness to secure seats in
the court room.
James Taylor, the father of the Tay-
lor brothers, is a large, heavy-set man,
Sc years of age, with coal black hair
and heavy beard all over his face,
and healthy-looking, but knows very
little about the case, at least very lit
tie that he will tell. His testimony
did not differ from that given on the
former trial, and had very little effect
one way or the other on the jury, as
he told very little about the case.
Will Gibson, brother-n-law of
George Taylor, testified that he heard
George Taylor come home the night of
the murder about o'clock. This was
the first time he has told this on the
witness stand. Mrs. Matte VanWye
added her testimony to the effect that
Bill Taylor was in Browning the
night of the murder at 10 o'clock She
told the same story that her daughter
told, but later the state proved by
two witnesses that Mrs. VanWye and
her daughter were over a block away
from William Tay1or's bank at the
time they state they saw William Tay-
1Or, or at 10 o'clock the night of the
murder. B. II. Schiller and Edward
Pulliam swofe that from 8:2O to 1890
they were talking with Mrs. VanWye
and her daughter, over a block away
from the bank.
George Taylor's evidence was very
much like it was on the former trial.
He was made to give a very explicit
account of the finding of Gus MeeEs in
the straw stack. Every other witness
has testified to the fact that Meeks'
face was covered with two feet of
straw and about six inches of chaff
George Taylor said: II drove up to
the stack and kicked away the straw
and saw Meelzs' face" He found the
spot without uble-others had
trouble. William Taylor in his testi-
mODy took occasion to give what he
said was an agreement he made with
Jerry South about their capture, the
reward to be divided between South
| and the Taylors. He little thought
that South was on his way from Ar
kansas with witnesses who are fully
| cOnversant with the facts It is ex-
I pected that South will be here to-day.
William Taylor described his dealings
with Gus Meeks and acknowledged
I writing the letter to Gus Meeks on the
10th of May, 1894, on a letter head of
the bank of Browning, SAYING: BE
ready at 10 o'clock. Everything right -
But he explained it by saying it was
an answer to a letter from Gus Meeks
| which he was unable to produce.
The testimony for the defense is
nearly the same as at the former trial,
with the following exceptions: The
two little girts, J osie and Katie Bailey,
/ saw George going home at clock.
/ Will Gibson heard him coming, and
/ Albert Taylor met him at his house al
9 o'clock. Mrs. Van Wye saw Bill
Taylor at his bank at 10 o'clock. A
remarkable feature of the case is thai
Mrs. Bill Taylor was not put on the
stand, although at the former trial she
testified that Bill Taylor was at home
with her the night the Meeks family
were murdered. The state was pre-
pared to prove by competent witnesses
that that was not so, as Mrs. Taylor
had admitted to several parties that he
was not at home that night
The defense closed their case at {
o'clock and the state at once began tc
answer every proposition laid down by
the defense. Mathew Martin, who
/ lives between the Bailey farm anC
George Taylor's, stated that he was OF
the porch of his house from 7:3O to L
and George Taylor did not pass hi
house; also that it was very unusua
for the Bailey family to milk at
o'clock.
AS the famous case draws near to ;
close the general opinion here is tina
the defense has not made a strong
showing. The testimony most favora
BILE to the prisoners was given by rela
tives.
1t is thought that the case will go tx
the jury by Friday evening.
BASE RAII SCOPES