Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-04
DEFENSE OF SCOTT JACKSON
Murder Trial Likely to Consume All of An
other Week.
RUMoR OF A GREAT SURPRISE FOR TODAY
Cincinnati Woman to Testify that
Pearl Died at Her House
Evidence in Rcbuttnl
to Come.

Evidence tn Rcbuttnl
To Come.
NEWPORT Ky, May S.-There is a pos
9ibility, If not a prospect, that the trial OF
Scott jackson will consume all of the coming
week. II the defense gets its testimony
all in by Tuesday night or Wednesday after
noon 1t will do we'll. After the defense will
come number OF witnesses brought by tho
prosecution for rebuttal. This will certainly
consume one and a half or two days. No
one can tell how much time the arguments
will consume. The court is disposed to ex-
pedie matters as much as is consistent with
fair showing to both sides Of the case.
How much time the jury will consume is
not known, though 1t is generally believed
1t will be short. During the past week the
defense has revealed its purpose Of attacking
the testimony Of at least two witnesses, If
not three. Allen johnson, the colored porter
at Dave Wallingfords saloon, has been at
tackled already as to his veracty, with no
great success. But the defense is evidently
not through with him. AS to George jack
son, the colored cab driver, there is re-
serve of personal testimony and depositions
tending to break down his character. Sew
oral days ago the defense, when VIII Wood
was the stand, laid the foundation for
the introduction Of at least four depositlonS
from reputable citizens in Greencastle Ind,
tending to show that he, as well as Scott
jackson, had intimate relations with Pearl
Bryan. In Woods case, however, the depo-
sitions are Of the nature Of boasts he made
In the presence of these deponents. one
manifest hope of the defense is to establish
a Of non-jurisdiction by showing, II pos
sible, that the murder was committed in
Cincinnati by OVERRIDING some treatment with
,1,o 1, bod
was afterward taken to Kentucky to avoid
recognition. This will be difficult in the face
of eminent expert testimony that as the body
was emptied of blood and free from cot,
together with the condition of the skin
around the cuts and the absence Of spots
on the surface of the body, that the murder
must have been committed at the spot where
the body was found. Failing this, in case
the jury should agree, the evident intention is
to carry the case on error to the court of
appeals. Ali through the trial the defense
has taken multitude of exceptions. Judge
Helm however has been cautious and
thoughtful in making his decisions.
RUMoR OF A SURPRISE.
There is rumor, which has been afoat
since yesterday, that the defense intends to
spring a surprise on Monday, by bringing a
woman from Cincinnati, who will swear that
the girl died at her house in Cine nnati.
This, however, is still in the. shape of a.
rumor, not fully verified. The introduction
of such testimony would complcate the case
and subject the witness to terrific cross
examination. 1t would also expose the wit
ness to liability to be severely dealt with
by the law-perhaps to the extent of becom-'
ing an accomplce.
In witnesses for rebuttal the prosecution
will depend upon men in c nc nnati, who
have employed George Fl. Jackson for sew
eral years to overturn the evidence in depo-
sitions from Springfield people where he has
lived only few months, by testifying to MS
excellent character over this long period.
George Jackson has been attacked by col
ored men in Cincinnati, deposing that he was
in the city on the night of FIR day, January
81, before the murder, from IL O'Clock at
night till a. m. That would contradict
and overthrow his testimony to driving
the cab with the prisoners and their victim
TO the scene of the crime on that night.
These deponents have sworn that the Cald-
well Guards, a colored company, did not
drill on that night, but that they did drli
sworn that the night he went out was the
night on which he drilled the guards OF
which he is captain. The prosecution VIII
bring in large number Of members of the
Caldwell Guards, personally or by deposi-
tions. to prove that they did drill on the
night of January 81. In this matter the
attorneys for the commonwealth are confident
that they can contrad ct the dispositions or
the defense on this point by the testimony
of overwhelming numbers of that company.
This trial is likely to be protracted some-
what by debates on admissibiliy of testi-
mony, difficulties in regard to which thicken
as II progresses. However, as already
stated the court as the case progresses
more slowly, grows more exacting as. to the
useless waste of time in debating points and
objecting to evidence on the ground of in
competency.
In the conflict between attorneys yester-
day, in which Colonel Crawford announced
his determination to hold Colonel Nelson
personally responsible for remarks which
Colonel Crawford regarded as personally Of
fensve, and for which Crawford was fined
$25 by the court, Crawford paid the fine, and
the matter has become part OF the court
record. Otherwise II Is believed that the
fine for contempt would have been remtted
on Monday morning. Friends of both par
ties have been interesting themselves to
bring about a reconciliation. 1t is believed
that a rest over Sunday will allow sufficient
cooling time for these efforts to be success
full and to bring about a mutual UNDER
standing before court begins on Monday
morning.
Should this fail, 1t is not likely collision
will occur until after the conclusion OF the
trial. In case there is no further irritation
between the attorneys in the meantime this
extending of the time for cooling off will
probably bring both men TO an amicable un-
derstandiDP,