The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-04-04
THE DEFENSE.
Evidence Introduced in the Taylor Trial to Establish an Alibi-The Defendants
 

trial. It is discussed on the streets, in the hotels, everywhere. At the open- ing of court yesterday, the state rested, and the defense disclosed their line of evidence, which is principally an alibi. Mrs. Gibson testified that George Tay- Tor, her son-in-law, came home at o'clock on the night of May 10, when the murder was committed, and that he remanied at home all night, and left there on the morning of the murder at z o'clock.
 Mrs. George Taylor testified that George came home at o'clock the night of May 10, and slept all night with her; that they got up at o'clock the next morning, and that George left about that morning.
 J. c. Taylor, the father of the &C., cused, and two younger brothers said they examined the wagon the dead bodies had been hauled in the night before, and that there were no blood stains, as had been proven by the state. Mr. Taylor was asked to explain how the wagon had become burned after the discovery of the murder, and said his grandchildren used it for a playhouse, and some straw in it might have been set on fire with matches.
 The next witness for the defense was Mrs. Johnson, from Milan, who at tempted to impeach the testimony of Mrs. Martha J. Meeks, the mother of the murdered man.
 Miss Van Wye, of Browning, whose testimony the state will try to impeach by rebuttal evidence. swore that she saw w. P. Taylor closing up the house at 10 o'clock the night of May 10, at which time they were seen going toward Milan after the Meel1s family. Mrs. Cooper, of Milan, testified that she was not positive as to who came after her son the night before, but thought it was the old Taylors.
 Mrs. Caroline Taylor, the white haired mother of the two men on trial for their lives, said she had five sons. William was the eldest and George next. On the evening of May 10 George Taylor, her son, come to her house, K mile distant, and borrowed his fathers team and lumber wagon to go to Browning the next morning. Jim
 Harris, Georges hired man, returned the wagon. Later, when she heard
 her sons had been accused of murder, she examined the wagon for blood stains and saw none.
 THE DEFENDANTS TESTIFY.
 CARRoLLToN, Mo-, April In the murder trial Saturday several wit
 nesses were put on the stand to prove an alibi for the Taylor brothers, after
 which William P. Taylor took the
 May 10 George went to Browning and
 had supper at his house and left for
 home at dusk. He had his
 fathers team and wagon. Half an
 hour later he went to his bank and did
 some writing and returned and went
 to bed at 10 o'clock. The next morn. ing at o'clock, while he was at the
 bank, George rode up on horseback.
 He said dead man had been found in a straw stack on his place and he had come to town for an officer. He said
 he thought the dead man was Gus Meeks Witness talked the matter
 over with George and advised him to not get an officer or have anything to
 do with it. II told him was satisfied the man had been killed and put in the straw stack so he would be accused of it." said William. Asked why he thought his brother would be accused of the crime, William said an attempt had been made to involve him in cat tie stealing case with Gus Meeks, and he knew if the body of Meeks was found on his brothers farm his enc mics would accuse him of doing the murder.
 George and l talked the matter over fully" said William, and we con- T cluded it would be wisest to leave the country at once. We apprehended il would not be safe for us to remain after the body was found, because we knew our enemies, who were many and bitter, would stir up an excite ment ,, against us. then got my horse and George and I drove to the timber where father was at work. We left the horses with him and then left on foot"
 George Taylor was next put on the stand. He talked in low, even tone and at no time showed the slightest az itation. He said he was 30 years old and had two children. On the afternoon of the murder he left home in his fath' CTS wagon at 3 o'clock, drove tc J Browning with the wagon, ate supper with his brother William and re. turned at o'clock. The next morning he arose before sunrise, curried the horses, had breakfast, harnessed the team and sent Harris, the hired man, with it to where his father was work ing in the timber, split some wood and hauled some water and then went 2 to narrowing in the forty-acre corr 2 field. He had narrowed a few round. , when a little boy said that g I little girl had come to his house with t blood and straw in her hair and said l her pa and ma and two little sister: ! had been killed and were in the straw |. stack. 'I drove the harrow around by - the straw stack and looked" said Tay- v Tor. "I went up on top of the stack and saw what looked like loose straw . thrown up. ] pulled the straw away