The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-22
HE WASN'T GUILTY
JAKE TALBOT VlNDICATES THE
HONOR OF HIS HOME.

Ee SwiPed a Rival for His Wife's Affections
Horizontally Across the Head and Left
q Mark for Life For This Ofense He
was Charged With Assault With Intent
TO Murder aud a Jury said That He was
Not GuiIty-Mrs. TaIbott's Aunt Takes
the stand in Favor OF the DefeDse-She
Talks Plain.
There was another family row in the
district court yesterday.
The coatending parties in this partic-
ular case were descendants of the land
which the Dutch and English are fight
ing over near the Cape of Good Hope.
1t was no more nor less than a Fifth
Avenue scandal which has been the
talk OF colored sewing circles IN that
particular part of the Peerless Prin-
cess during the last nine months.
The prominence OF the parties con-
cerned brought out an immense audi
ence Of colOred people who craned their
neckS all day long and adjusted their
ears TO the air currents TO catch every
word of what was said by the attorneys
the court and the witnesses. To be
brief the event was the trial OF the case
of the Sovereign State of Kansas VS..
a Sovereign citizen OF the Fourth ward.
Jake Talbot was on trial for his lib
erty and the pursuit Of his happiness
on the charge of assaulting and intend
ing TO kill William Vance. Jake Tai
bott was the exact color of chewing to-
baccO while William Vance was a shade
of seven mile tunnel. Mr.. Vance had
his hair cut short so as to demonstrate
10 the jury how near he came TO kick
ing the bucket. On the northwest side
of his head when ne is facing east there
was a long cash that might have been
made by baseball bat and If Mr.. Vance's
life was anywhere in the region OF that
part OF his Uranium his name would
have been William no more, but Dennis.
One suitry day about the ides of last
September Jake Talbot returned TO his
castle in the northeast part of town.
after a fierce and terrible days struggle
to acquire a little lucre TO buy the corn
meal and molasses with. His door was
shut against him and there was no wife
on the front "stoop" TO greet him with
the kiss of welcome. Jake suspected
something. He investigated. He
heard something and carefully lifting a
window he crawled IN with stealthy
step and in a short time William Vance
was fairly deluged in his own gore.
Blood spurted on the wall, the bed
clothing was smeared with it and Mrs.
/ Talbot screamed.
The doctors came and saved WILL
Jams life, Pretty soon the officers
came and put Jake Talbot under ar
rest. Mrs. Vance swore that Talbot
was as innocent of the suspected wrong
perpetrated as the new born babe and
1t looked like Jake Talbot was in the
soup.
For the trial Jake obtained the serv-
ices of Amidon & Comfy, the former
conducting the defense.
Everything was lovely for the state
until the Horton family went on the
stand. William Horton, a colored gen
tleman of mastodonic frame swore that
he was at the house shortly before Tai
bolt and that the place looked as II
there was something wrong with II.
William gave some details Of the sus-
picions he suspected and while there
was nothing positive about his evidence
yet IL tended TO show strange doings
on the part of William Vance and Mrs.
/ Talbot.
Nellie Horton went on the stand and
swore positively and snappishly that
Mrs. Talbot told her the day after the
bloody ARRAY that she and Vance We're
criminally intimate. John Davis tried
hard to break down her evidence, but
Nellie was positive from her scarlet
hat to the soles OF her tan shoes that
Mrs. Talbot made a confession OF guilt
TO her.
Now watch her Macedonian stride"
said William Flavins Green as Mrs.
Horton elbowed her way up through
the crowd like the moving mountain
one reads about in the fables. Com
pared with the proportions Of Mrs. Hor-
ton, Fritz Schnitzler is but a mere mid
get. She came in sideways through
the gate in the railing and all the Jurors
had to pull down their feet and turn
their knees aside as she passed. Ev-
erybody watched the witness chair but
the man who bought the furniture OK
the court house knew his business and
evidently knew the limit of human
growth when he bought that chair. The
first thing Mrs. Horton did, before
question was asked of her, was 10 pub
licly and emphatically announce that
she was going to tell the truth and
wanted To tell II her own way. She
proceeded 10 say that Mrs. Talbot was
her niece and brought disgrace on the
whole genealogical tree. John Davis
wanted her confined 10 questions and
the court overruled him. II was not
necessary for the court 70 interfere at
all for Mrs. Horton had overruled Mr..
Davis long before by proceeding 20
enumerate the dark stains Mrs. Talbot
had put on the family crest The old
lady was burning with Indignation and
when the court tried 10 stop her he re-
allied for the first time how hard IL
would be TO stop the flow OF the Johns
town food. Mrs. Horton said she
nursed Mrs Talbot down in Texas and
still continued to tell all about her from
that time forward. Now and then she
wiped away a tear the better TO enable
her 10 fash the fire OF her eyes on John
Davis who, she seemed 20 think, was an
enemy Of Heaven and earth for prose
cutting her uephew-fn-law for defend
ing the honor OF his home. Mrs. Hor-
ton had pretty much her own way while
telling her story and what she said was
lurid with righteous Indignation. When
her evidence was all in she shot few
glances al John Davis that flashed Ike
forkes lightning from a dark cloud and
swung her way back into the audience.
In a short time the jury found a vsr-
dict OF not guilty after Judge Dale had
given them some very strong instruct
ions in favor OF the defendant