The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-13


| man who furnished nice nome for her
| a few days before she murdered him -
\ Mr.. Davis made great hit by waving
the shirt in front OF Mrs Leonard's face
! and completely knocked the pins from
| under Dr. Wendle's evidence A more
| tragical thing could not have been i'm
agined except a good pretense 81 faint
ing by Mrs. Leonard which, il she
I thought of il. would Be great thing at
that time. Mr.. Davis then began rip
| ping the statement OF NJ. Comfy When
Leonard's body was found il was fully
| dressed with a full suit OF clothes and
an overcoat There was not a stain of
blood on the overcoat. vest, coat, trous-
| ers or suspenders. but the collar. nee
| tie and shirt were fairly covered with
\ IL The theory Of the state was that
| Leonard being intoxicated the night OF
| the tragedy went 10 bed with his collar.
shirt and hectic OF and that after being
killed the remainder or the clothes were
| put on and dragged Up the alley. To
| break this down Comfy intimated that
when he and his assaEanI began fight
| ing in the alley that Leonard pulled of
| his overcoat, coat and vest 20 fight more
| freely and hence the blood on his shirt,
etc. Davis knocked this theory with
! some effect by asking why blood stains
! could not be on the suspenders and
| trousers and gain asked how Leonard.
after being killed, could put on his coat,
vest and overcoat. He said that COuly's
! theory could not stand unless he would
say that he also took of his trousers
for the fight and was allowed a few
minutes time after being killed 10 dress
| himself
| With reference TO the question OF SYM
patty he regretted TO think that the
a Il
| Mrs. Leonard of black murder because
her father and her brother and sisters
were respectable people. If such a
| thing could be done he thought that
all a villain had 10 do was TO connect
himself with a good family then indulge
in the crimes of rape. murder and arson
| and then come into court and ask for
an acquittal because his conviction
would be stain on a respectable fam
ily- To be brief Mr.. Davis made the
best argument Of his life and il had its
effect. The jury listened 70 him intent
" and 1t could be easily seen that they
gave weight 10 every word he said
The general impression is that the
/ jury will either hang or return a
verdict Of murder in the second degree.
Marion Villa msOn, the divorced hus-
band Of the defendant, was released
from Jail yesterday and was so interest
ed in the result of the trial that ne wait
ed IN the Eagle Office until after mid
night TO hear THE result If an agree
ment was reached. His actions indi-
Gated that there was no doubt but what
he wanted his former wife 10 come clear
At midnight the jury went 70 bed
without having agreed upon a verdict
II could not be ascertained how they
stood or what their differences were.
The public need not be surprised If there
is no verdict. in which event Mrs. Leon
ards friends think the prosecution Will
be abandoned. The theory that Leon
ard killed himself in bed dressed him
sci after he was dead, dragged his own
corps UP the alley 10 the manhole. tried
10 lift the iron cap but could not sue
coed on account OF loss of blood and
then dropped himself and went 10 the
better land, Is becoming more plausible
This IS a mighty strange case all the
way through. IL is as plain as daylight
that he was killed in that house and
that the motive was to secure the money
on mis- accident policy. Confession aft
er confession has been made that he
was murdered in his bed and vet by
the twisting of the law these confes-
Sions cannot be introduced in evidence.
Not a solitary soul except the Irene
Leonard family, that IS, her former hus-
band, herself and her son have been
suspected. The Imagination OF no ma
or woman could supect a motive for
murder by any other person. The cir
cumstantial evidence IS overwhelming
and yet no conviction can be made. The
strangest thing OF all is that the whole
outfit are poor and uneducated and
have no wealthy friends 10 help them |
The murder was discovered in the |
morning. blood was traced to the house |
and all the evidence was secured within |
twenty-four hours after uhe deed was |
done. If, under these circumstances. |
murder can be committed with impun- |
lily how easily and safely II can be COM
mitted by shrewd people Of wealth. |
Charlie Luling says that the great mis-
take Holmes made in his life was that /
he did not build his castle OF murder on /
the northwest corner of Lewis street /
and Lawrence avenue and have his cas-
eS tried under the laws Of Kansas and |
by Kansas jury. IL is the opinion of
all that there is something wrong.