The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-30
SEEN WITH LEONARD
BOTH IN MANHATTAN HOTEL
SHORTLY BEFORE MURDER.
STATE EVIDENCE coRRoeoRATED
FAVORABLE EVIDENCE GIVEN BY
BELL BOYS AND P0RTERS.
Cross Examination of Defendant in Detail
He Admits the Insurance Policy 4nci-
dent and the Fraker Conversation.

He Admits the Insurance Policy Incl
dent and the Fraker Conversation.
In the Marion Williamson murder
trial in the district court yesterday the
sensational feature was the evidence
of H. K. Martin, a witness for the de-
Tense. He said that at Z o'clock on the
evening of Nov. Il, a few hours before
the murder, he saw Leonard, the muir
dered man, and Williamson. the de-
PENDANT, both going through the Of
fee of the Manhattan hotel towards a
rear door. This door. it seems, leads
into a drinking resort and also leads in
TO the engine room where Williamson
worked, at times. Whether they were
in each others company or not he could
not say, but one of them walked about
twelve feet behind the other and both
were going in the same direction.
From the agitation among the law
yers when this evidence was given,
it became evident that d great deal OF
importance was attached 10 il. 1t VIII
be used by the states attorney in his
arguments TO the jury 10 convince
them that it was a part Of the plan Of
the murder 10 make Mr.. Leonard drunk.
1t will also be used to contradict state
ments of Williamson to the effect that
he was not acquainted with Leonard.
The case has got to that point now
that every development, no matter how
small, is given Importance.
The most favorable evidence given for
the defense was not that Of the defen-
dant himself as some people suppose,
but the evidence of the employees Of the
Carey hotel. The fact Of the matter is
the defendants evidence is in no man
ner favorable except In the manner IN
which il was delivered.
Williamson is a slow talker and never
gets ratified: His mind and tongue are
sluggish and when it suits him he can
use his lack of memory and recOllec-
ton to great advantage. He acts like
an innocent man on the stand and
without doubt he has made a great
many believe that he is innocent of the
murder. He may be, but there is
terrible chain Of circumstantial evil
dence woven around him.
An impartial resume Of the evidence
at this point, when the case is practi-
cally ended, may not be out of place.
The state has proven that Leonard is
dead and the defense has not denied It;
the state has proven and the defense
admits that the murder was committed
..
O'Clock on Sunday night, Nov. II. The
state has proven and the defense adj
mits that on Sunday afternoon, Nov.
II, between 2 and 8 O'Clock, the defen-
dant met his former wife, then wife of
the soon to be murdered man Leonard,
at the Maple street bridge by apOpint-
ment, and that they drove out to the
suburbs and were there reading the in
surance policy on Leonard's life when
Fof ha
state has also proven and the defen-
dant admits that Williamson and his
divorced wife, now the widow of the
murdered man. were seen in company
two or three other times during the
three weeks preceding the murder. The
state has proven and Williamson adj
mits that shortly before the murder,
as testified to by Mrs. McTaggart, Will
hanson went down to Lewis street as
far as Mr.. Miller's barn, and had his
head turned in the direction of Mrs.
Leonard's house. The state slas proven
by strong circumstantial evidence that
there was a heavy man connected with !
the murder or at least with the DISPOSE |
ton of the body after Leonard had been |
murdered. The state has proven be- |
yond question that blood spots were
found on the coat and vest that Will |
hanson wore on the night of the muir
found the day after the murder Will |
Hanson admits that he wore this coat |
and vest on Sunday, Nov. u. There |
was no blood proven to be on the pam |
falcons belonging to the same suit of |
clothing that the coat and vest belong |
ed TO and WilliamSon's evidence shows |
that ne did not wear those pantaloons |
on the day of the murder. There should /
be more than ordinary Importance at /
II. IL
en- that Williamson outlined the plan |
70 have Leonard murdered to an inmate !
of the soldiers Home at Leavenworth /
at about the time Fraker, the noted in |
surance swindler, was apprehende6. |
The witness that SwOre 10 this said that |
the conversation in which this plan was /
outlined took place between them at the /
Soldiers Home in October. There is
a contention over the witnesses testi-
mony as 10 what time in October. The /
defense asserts that the witness said !
il was about the latter part of October
the conversation was held. while the |
words Of the witness himself. in cross
examination. We're that the ConverSa-
ton took place well up in the month |
Of October. Williamson has proven that !
he was At the Soldiers Home only one |
day IN october. and that was on the |
10th. He admits that he had some con-
VerSation on that date with him about
the Fraher case, but that was all The
veraCity Of the witness from The Sol /
GierS' Home VIII be attacked on the |
grounds that Mr.. Williamson was not /
at the Soldiers Home at any time after
October 10. and consequently he could |
not have had conversation with Jor-
dan either in the latter part Of October
or on any date well up in the month.
The state Viii defend Jorian's story on /
the theory that il was consistent with /