The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-22
SHE WILL BE TRIED
IRENE WILLIAMSON LEONARD WILL
HAVE A HEARING TODAY.

Nothing Can he Worse Than Close Com
firement and Suspense in the Sedgwick
County JafI-Says She is Only Guilty OF
Keeping Her Mouth Shut and Not Civ
Are GIad the Trial is Near.
Today the trial of Mrs. williamson
Leonard viii be commenced in the dis
trio court for the murder of Henry h
Leonard on Sunday night. Nov. II.
A no time in the history Of SedgWlck
county has there been called to trial a
cas- which will be frought with more
Importance than TO arrive al a true YER
die in this case and also the one
against Marion and Orville Williamson.
aid doubtless when the evidence IS all
il, and submitted 10 the jury, there VIII
De many who will have reason to change
heir opinions from what is held by them
at this time.
Doubtless the evidence introduced will
be far reaching, and viii bring many
things to light which have heretofore re-
manned hidden from the public. The
state, through the prosecuting attorney,
MFR. Davis, has left no stone unturned
and this morning when he announces
made himself thoroughly acquainted
with every detail in the case.
The Eagle has come in possession of
certain evidence of a startling nature,
which Will be introduced, but realizing
that the accused should only be tried be
fore a jury Of twelve men, and not by
the public and through newspaper col
umns, viii be cOntented with giving the
evidence to the public after it is first re-
70 h.
tons of the court.
During the trial the court house will
doubtless be crowded by persons anX-
iouS TO catch each word that drops, and
II will not be trial of the opposing at
torneys but of the issues in the case.
A reporter for the Eagle yesterday
visited the defendants in the county jail.
They ali showed the effects of their close
confinement and when asked if they
We're ready for trial, without a moments
hesitation they responded that they were
not only ready but glad that the time
had arrived, as there was no place on
earth they thought that could be worse
than to be shut up in the little oblOng
cells of the rotary without a chance to
exercise themselves in the least. Will
Hanson, when he seen the reporter, said:
Hello I am glad to see you. What's
the news on the outside? What are they
will be ready for the old woman's case
in the morning."
The reporter told him that it was gen.
orally believed that her case would be
called in the morning, and asked him if
he was ready.
Il should say so. I don't believe
there is a place on earth that becomes
so tiresome as the close confinement in
this rotary. Before / was put in here
mo man in yx-orld could N, Ia ma no
lieve that it would grow so wearisome
asst has. Why look a the little end Of
this cage. It's too narrow for me to sit
down in with comfort, and the front end
Us too small for a person to stretch him
self. Tod shut up here is simply horri-
bic and / doubt whether l can walk
when l get out. 1t seems to me that
common humanity ought TO give us the
privilege of getting out in the corridor
once in a while. There would be no
danger of US escaping. But it seems to
be the rule under both administrations
TO keep US in close confinement
''Well, Marion, what do you think of
your case? Do you think you will still
come out clear?" asked the reporter.
''Well, that is a mooted question. I
know thatI ought to come out clear, and
if nothing is told but the strict truth 1
will come clear, but there is no telling
what they VIII trump up against a man.
Tie simplest acts of life when viewed
under the gaXe of suspicion often looks
hideOus.
''While I have been in here 1 have
thought a great deal, and don't you
know that some of the most innocent
acts of my life can see how they could
be made to appear as the acts Of a GRIM
inal.
"You can't CINE the advantage the
state has over a prisoner. They are
foot loose and every day they run across
persons who have vivid imaginationS
and they will come TO the prosecuting
attorney with whole story made up
from some trivial act which Of itself
amounts TO nothing.
'Of course l am innocent, but you can
see the disadvantage l am at. There
IS the old woman who put up the whole
job and butCbered ii and left her marks
all the way through, and when she
found she was caught she tried to lay
the whole thing on me, and sometimes
/ get quite blue, but if the whole truth
and nothing but the truth is brought
TOUT j viii come scott free. l don't fear
the truth. but / do lot of circumstan-
tial stuff which Of itself amounted to
nothing, but when viewed upon the
ground that You are guilty until you
prove yourself clear, it is a different
thing
Notwithstanding all this I am glad
the time has come for trial, and l only
wish il was my trial tomorrow. I wish
they would let me be present during the
old woman's trial. l would like TO hear
her tell her story.
Il viii take the witness stand at my
trial and tell everything, but before that
time l viii not say anything as TO my
line of defense"
OrVille Williamson has d pale look up
on him very fast. He did not desire TO
say anything with reference TO his case
at all with the exception that when the
proper time came he would tell the
whole truth and nothing but the truth,
and let the result be what may
Mrs WilliamSOn-LeOnard was found
in her cell surrounded by her sister and
brcther-in-law, Mr.. and Mrs. G. d.
Barnes The confinement has told plain
ly on the woman and she appeared 70 be
in a rather diScouTa ged mood. When
she heheld the reporter she said;
''Oh, You newspapers have Sot me in
10 4 teri bic scrape. and although l have
done nothing at all, l will doubtless new
er have another day Of freedom. On, il
is terrible, and il is all brought about
by the newspapers. 1 am afraid of you
newspaper men, You put such terrible
things in the papers,
To Wn2t particular thing do you re-
Ter, ana IN what paper did you read II
asked the reporter.
i didn't rad ii at all. 1 don't read.