Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-05-13
The HANDLE MURDER TRIAL.
THIS CELEBRATED CASE COMES JP
TOR TRIAL TODAY At wRENCE.
clinton osbon. the slayer Of Populist
Charles iiambi. for B.traying His
Daughter, viii Make u strong
IIgh, FOR Ills Acquittal.

Topeka, Kas.. May i2.-(Special) AT 3
o'clock on Monday morning, in the district
court OF Douglas county. sitting at Law
renee. the celebrated Hambie murder case
will be called for trial. The case went to
Douglas county on change Of venue from
Jackson county. where the crime was COM
mitt"d. Clinton Osbon. the accused. an
nounces himself ready for trial ana the
state is also ready and willing, so there
viii be no postponement. The prosecution
Will be conducted by County Attorney
crane. OF jackson county; County Attorney
Mitchell. of Douglas county; Captain j. Il.
Waters, of Topeka, ana Keller Il Noble. OF
Holton The defense has retained j. Il.
Burton. Of Abilene. ana Eugene Hagan. OF
Topeka.
The prominence Of Charles Hambe the
murdered man. and the sensational details
whi-h accompanied the crime. have made
this case Of absorbing interest. Charles
HANDLE was a lawyer at Holton and
prominent politician in tn" populist party.
H. was Regarded AS cQnGressional timber
by the leaders OF his political faith ana had
y. HNel ana ms party pfo.pt red. his am
bitlon might have shot AT the stars.
ON the 18th OF June. 1924 HANDLE was
ShQt down on on" of the principal streets Of
Hulton by Clinton Dsbon. The weapon
used was a doubled -barreled shotgun. loaded
with leaden sluEs and the charge ptnetrat-
ed the heart of the murdered man Osbon
immediately surrendered himself to the
sheriff of jackson county ana was lodged
learned that the friends OF Hambe were
forming a mob, with the purpose of lynch
the Topeka jail. where he was held until
after the preliminary examination. which
bound him over fer trial on the charge of
murder In the first degree. Later he was
taken TO the Lawrence jail, where he has
since been confined
The cause which led UP to the killing was
the alleged seduction of Osbon's daughter
10y Handle ana his subsequent refusal to
marry her Miss Estella Osbon was stem
1IlVVt .1.
fairly attractive. At the preliminary exam
nation certain facts We're apparently es-
Hamble passionately. He went with her
good deal ana she says he promised to
marry her; In course Of time, Miss oshon
complained TO her mother that Hambe
had wronged her. The mother told her
husband and he sought advice from the
law firm OF Rafter ~ Robinson at IIolton.
this drove the father well nigh mad. For
the two following days. while Hamhle was
Osbon walked the streets and acted like
a man bereft Of his senses. on the evening
OF the day when HANDLE returned from
Toneka he was going home to his supper,
In company with his brother both being
mounted on bicycles. Osbon met the two
in the street. halted them with his shotgun
and demanded that Charles Hambe should
marry his daughter. iIamble replied that
he would not do II and the next instant he
Miss Osbon was arrested on the charge Of
completely. II being alleged that the muir
der or HANDLE mad been planned by the
Oshon family. She was lodged in the coun-
ty jail at Topeka without bail, but in a few
weeks the supreme court released her on
a writ Of habeas corpus, and she has since
been cared for in Topeka by the Social
Purity League. which became interested in
her behalf. She is well educated and intel
ligent and for several years was teacher
in the Holton public schools. She left to-
night to remain at the side Of her father
during his trial The prosecution set up in
the preliminary and Will endeavor TO prove
at the trial that Miss Osbon was not a
girl of good character. They produced at
least one Holton man who swore that he
had been on terms Of undue intimacy with
her, and several others who testified to
immoral instances She was accompanied
to Lawrence by Mrs. Van Cleavc and Mrs
File, of the Topeka Purity League. who
will remain with her during the trial.
OsbOn Is n harneSsmaker by trade and
has lived in Holton for ten years, before
which he was resident of WaterVille.
j. r. Burton attorney for Osbon. also
left Topeka for Lawrence to-day TO be on
hand in court at the calling OF the case
He Is confident that he will clear his client
on the ground Of emotional insanity which
simply means that no American jury will
convict man for the murder of the de-
strOyer OF his daughters honor. The YER
dict therefore, Will hinge most Importantly
upon the character which is established for
I'-fglla *