The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-10

was the fact that her head had
been nearly cleft in twain. Mr.. Tillot-
| son seemed trying to show that Mrs.
| Matson might have died of heart dis
ease.
Today's Session of the Trial.
A great deal of important testimony
was taken today in the trial of Frank
Matson. The tri4I had another large
| audience today, and about 20 ladies sat
inside the attorneys rail and listened to
the evidence.
Mr.. and Mrs. Tony Smith are present
| to testify and were sworn with the de-
| fendant's witnesses last evening. The
| state produced 25 witnesses, and 20 took
| the oath for the defense.
Ex-Sheriff David Burdge and Elk Chief
of Police John NJ. Wilkerson are help
| ing County Attorney Stafford. They tc-
day occupy chairs near the state prosecu-.
| tors.
The attorneys for the defense did not
know that the regular jury had presented
Mr.. Stafford with a cane until the Novels
jury had been empanneled and sworn.
AS seven of the regulars were empan-
| neled the defending attorneys were
rather angry about the matter.
William Robertson, the young colored
man who guarded the Matson house after
the discovery of the murder, was the first
witness called by the county attorney to-
day.
Q-Where do you live?
A-On the northeast corner of Monroe
and Fifteenth streets, across the street
from Mrs. Matson's.
Q-How long had you known Mrs
Matson?
A-Fifteen years.
Q-Had she always lived in the same
place during that time?
Ayes.
Q-I will ask you to state where Frank
Novels lived.
An one of Mrs. Matson's houses.
Q-Who did Mrs. Matson's business for
her, collecting her rents, etc.?
Al don't know, 1 think she did.
Q-I will ask you to state if you ever
saw this shawl before. (holding up the
blood stained plaid shawl found wrapped
around the murdered woman's head
At was Mrs. Matson's shawl. She
wore it about the yard. She used TO
wear it over her head in a three cornered
shape.
Odd YOU take charge of the house
on the night of December 20, 1Se4f
Ayes. l nailed up the windows and
locked the doors. l then patrolled the
place with the key in my pocket until 6
o'clock next morning, when l went home
and got breakfast and came back. No
one was in the house until the coroner's
jury came.
Odd they tonch the pile of bedding
| which had covered the body?
A-No one touched it until "Doc"
Ward did. He picked up the shawl and
l heard something drop. l said, "What
the devil is that?" and he picked it up
and showed it to me.
Q-What was it?
A slung shot,
Q-Have you ever seen this before?
At is the slung shot Doc Ward
| found. He then called A. W. Hopkins
and D. Wilkerson and showed it to
them.
The slung shot is a small piece of iron
six inches long, with an irregular eye in
one end through which clothes line is
passed. On the rope is piece of red
and white calico to protect the hand.
OIL will ask you to state if you took
any one down to Frank Novels house?
A-Friday morning (the day after the
discovery l took Constable Jim Harlan
there. He asked Novels when he had
last seen Mrs. Matson, and he said,
Thursday, two weeks ago." dec g. He
said she was at his home and collected
the rent and gone home about 5:30. Har-
Ian asked him for his receipt and his
wife got one, but it was the wrong date,
and they couldn't find the right one.
! Novels said il was kind of bad that Mrs.
| Matson was killed.
son house that day (Friday)f
| Ayes.
| Q-What time?
| Al don't remember.
On cross examination by Mr.. Tillotson
Robertson said there was a scuttle of
coal sitting on the body when he saw it
Odd you see any blood beside
where the body lay?
A-On the handle OF an ak sitting near
the body, on the butt end of another
standing near the ontside kitchen door,
some drops on the kichen floor
Q-Had Mrs. Matson worn this shawl
ever since you knew herr
Ayes. Us years)
Q-Where was A. w. Hopkins when
| "Doc" Ward came?
Ale was reading letters from Mat
| son.
Q-You were all talking about the
difficulties between Mr.. and Mrs. Matson,
as ii matter of fact, trying to connect him
with this affair?
| Al don't know. / think we'd have
done right if we had.
Robertson was upon the stand an hour
aud thirty minutes and was followed by
ex-COroner F. w. Bailey.
Odd you remove the wraps from the
head?
Al did. They were matted
down to the head by the clotted blood
anu borrowed the oepresolons IN the
head. When 1 pulled them out pieces of
| bone and brains came with them. They
were also cut, as if the blows had been
struck after the clothes were wrapped
| about the head.
Q-When you removed the wraps from
the body did you lift them up?
A-Not particularly; l pushed them
aside.
Odd you examine the wounds
closely?
Al did The skull was crushed in in