The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-01
UNLIKELY TALE.
COulter's Conviction Or Acquit-
tai Hangs On One Point,
Could Two Bullets Have Been
Fired InstantaneOusly2
Medical Experts Cast Ridicule
on That Plea.
THE EVIDENCEIMPLIES
That Coulter Shot IlIston First
in the Temple
And Silenced His Groans With
Another Shot.
BULLETS DO STICK
But No Possibility That Both
Were Fired
From Same Standpoint-Coul-
ter's Story a Flimsy Lie.

The second day of the trial for murder
of David r. Coulter did not attract the
immense jam of people to the court
house that was there yesterday. There
were fewer who wished to risk their lives
in the rickety old death trap of a court
house.
However, the seats in the court room
were filled and many ladies were again
present.
While the audience is smaller the in
terest seems to become more intense as
Che trial progresses. Important wit
nesses gave their testimony today.
The great crowd which attended yes
terday afternoon and was mostly exclud-
| ed, hung about outside the court house.
| Whenever. Coulter is taken to or from
| the court room there is throng waiting
in front of the court house to see him.
| L. l. Alexander, who was one of those
who found the body, was called at 3 o..
| N. Yesterday He told the same story
| given by Schone and Hixon.
| Q-Describe these wounds.
A-The lower bullet seemed to go
straight il. The other went in from the
front and L. .lged backwards.
Q-Were YOU present when these holes
were probed?
| A eS. III Lu0 temple HOl0 LA6 pEOD0
went in straight. In the other it had to
| be sloped.
NJ. T. Watson, who keeps store
eleven miles southeast of town, was next
called He gave unimportant testimony
and was followed by John Miller and
William Reeder.
Their evidence was mostly corrobora-
tive of stories already told.
James Bentley, colored, is employed
| bv r r Swat WIN lives Da2r WHORE tn q
body was found.
Q-Did you see the Illston team one
day last October?
Ayes
Q-Who was driving it?
A-This boy there, David Coulter.
Odd you know him?
A-No.
Q-WEat day was that?
A-The same day Ell Illston was
killed.
Q-Where did you see him?
Al passed him at the cross roads
where he turned north, hundred yards
from where the body was found.
Q-Where was he when you first saw
him?
A-Coming down the hill about 80
yards east of where the body was found.
1t seemed to me he had just started up,
at least he had hardly settled himself in
the seat when 1 saw him. He had the
"horrideSt look on his face.
Q-What?
Ale looked desperate.
Q-How did he drive after passing
you?
Ale drove along leisurely as far as
l could see him.
Bentley undoubtedly saw Coulter the
moment after the deed was committed.
The next witness was the boy, Sturgis
Bechtol. one of the most important wit
nesses for the state.
0-Where do you live?
Alive and one half miles southeas
of town
last?
A-At home.
Q--Are you acquainted with this de-
fendant?
Al saw him on that day sitting on
his overcoat by the hedge on the ives
side of tine road.
Q-What, if anything, did he have
with him?
"A rifle.
Q-Did you shoot with it?
A-Yes, once, and he shot twice. He
had long cartridge in the rife, but he
took it out and said l could shoot
short. He said he wanted to keep the
oniv two longs he had to kill rabbits.
Q-What did he then do?
A boy with a wagon came along.
He asked me if 1 knew the boy. I said
had seen him pass several times. He
said the boy was going his way and he
would ride with him. He had told me
he was going out to old man. Grice's
place to get work.
Q-How did he get into the wagon?
Ale threw his rifle and overcoat onto
the sand and climbed in the back end
and walked over the sand to the seat.
Q-What did 1llston do?
Ale merely glanced at him for an
instant and they looked ahead again.
Odd they speak to each otherf
A-No.
Odd you think Illston was afraidf
Al couldn't tell.
Q-Had Coulter said anything to you
about trading guns?
A-Yes. l told him had 80 rifle and
he told me to go up to the house and get
il. I told him my mother wouldn't let
me have it. He said to go up and slip it
out.
Bechtol's home is one mile west and a