Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-07-18
STILLWELL MURDER MYSTERY
Dispositions Being Taken in the DR.
Hearne Libel Suit.

: OF depoSitiOnS IN the case of DIR J. ~
| Hearne VS.. M. III. DE Young, proprie
tor OF b San Francisco Chronicle. anf
James Blunt, San Diego ~correspon,
dent to that paper, asking for 800, oOt
; damages, claimed to have been sus.
tanned by the publication of a tele.
gram from San Diego intimating thai
Dr.Hearne was implicated in the muir.
der OF Amos j. Stillwell, the first hus.
band OF Mrs. Hearne, began in the
office of Hon. George A. Mahan, de-
fendant's attorney, at 10 O'Clock to-
day. The only witness examined to-
day was VIM. a. Munger, ex-Mayor,
and a member of the Hannibal Lime
Company. Mr.. Munger was sum
moned by the defense. DIR. Hearne
tive of the Chronicle, have been the
only persons present excepting the
attorneys, typewriter and reporters.
Munger testified that DIR. Hearne
and Mr.. and Mrs. A. J. Stillwell at
tended a card party at his residence
on the night of the murder, and that
the three took their departure n lit
tie before midnight in company. John
E. Stillwell, a nephew of the murder
ed man came to the witness house
about daybreak the following norm
ing and informed him of the murder.
The bedstead had been taken down
when he arrived at theStillwell house.
He testified that DR.. Hearne had told
him that he (HearneJ accompanied
the Stillwells as far as the corner of
Fifth and Broadway on their way
home, and, leaving them there, went
to his office. He said that the names
of Dr.J.C. Hearne and Fannie G.. Still
well, now Mrs. J. G. Hearne, had been
connected with the murder by intima-
ton in newspaper articles and by gem
erai repute among the people of Han
nibal. The marriage of DIR. j. G..
Hearne and Mrs. Fannie c. StiIlwelI,
the widow, took place in less than a
year after the murder.
In cross-eXamination, the witness
said that only the names of DIR. Hearne
and Mrs. Stillwell had been connected
with the murder by inference in the
newspaper articles, and that he had
never seen the name of r. II. Still
well, o of the deceased, connected
with the murder in that way. He said
that DR.. Hearne and Mrs. Hearne were
Immediately suspected of being con
nected with the murder, and that r.
H. Stillwell had been suspected of OBJ
structing the investigation, and that
many persons who suspect DR.. Hearne
and wife assign the following reasons
for this belief: Supposed attention
received by Mrs. Stillwell from DIR.
Hearne previous toni. Stillwell's death
that had become public talk; the
: peculiar actions of Mrs. StilwsH fol
lowing the murder; her receiving of
personal attention from DR.. Hearne
Immediately after the murder; a pre-
mature marriage, and apparently
tempestuous family difficulties. az
never heard criticisms rejecting on
DIR. Hearne previous to Mr.. Stillwell's
death, but soon after his death their
relations became more or less general
talk, which, connected with other cir
cumstances, have been the grounds on
which suspicion has been based. At
the time of the murder Mrs. Stillweil
showed what was regarded as more
love and interest in the children than
her murdered husband lying in the
bed. There were no indications, so
far as | have ever known, of any eff
fort on her part to find the murderer
of Mr.. Stillwell.
In reply to a question, the witness
said that the undue care for her child
rem on the part of Mrs. Stillwell which
he referred to consisted in calling the
servants from another room, taking
and helping to take the children into
the other room, having the door lock-
ed between herself and the servants,
and passing out through the room
without showing solicitude as to
whether her husband was merely
stunned or killed. She did not know
his condition Until a neighbor return
ed with her from across the street.
The witness thought that the natural
Woman would have seen whether her
husband was dead or only hurt, as the
murderer, according to her testimony,
had left the room, and neither she nor
her children were in any danger. The
witness said that he had never heard
that the widow, as one of the heirs,
authorized or requested r. II. Still
well, as administrator of the estate, to
offer the $4,000 reward which was re-
Gently withdrawn.
He said that he was not on friendly
terms with DR.. Hearne, because of
some facts that came to the witness
knowledge of his actions that the wit
ness thought were unworthy of a man
that he would call his friend. He said,
in conclusion, that the motive ener-
ally ascribed to Dick Stillwell for the
attempted suppression of an investi-
SdtiOil Vi tu6 muEucT Oh ceTbdlu llueS
was his desire to protect the good
name of his sister and brothers.
A plat of the StillweIl premises was
offered in evidence, marked "Exhibit
A"
Adjournment was taken at 5 p. m.
until 9 O'Clock tomorrow morning.
HANNIBAL, Mo-, July 1.-THE work
of taking dispositions in the case of
DIR. J. c. Hearne VS.. the San Francis
co Chronicle was resumed this morn
ing, and there were several sensation
al episodes. Charles Clayton, a wit
ness, and DR.. Hearne would doubtless
have had a personal encounter but
Tor the interference of the Notary
Public and the attorneys.
Jacob Korner and W.T.League, who
were the first persons at the scene of
the murder, recounted the particulars
as they knew them.
Il. I'll. Stillwell, son of Amos J. Still
well, the murdered man furnished the
sensation of the day. He was on the
stand tor some time, and in closing
said:
II saw DIR. Hearne and Mrs. Fannie
/ q. Stillwall frao,arI, ~