The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-01
UNLIKELY TALE.
IConeIuded from First Page.l

Tense to talk about stuck bullets. He
gave the same testimony as the others.
II the attorneys for the defense had
had some expert as Jesse Elliott make
special experiments to find whether the
bullets would spread. they would have
found out what they wanted. 1t is we'll
known that ''22' bullets often stick, and
that one can be shot out by another cart
ridge. What becomes of the bullets
after they leave the gun is not so well
known.
The sixth witness was called just be-
fore noon adjournment. He was George
johnson, large Valley Falls youth, who
had shot the rife with which Illston was
killed. 1t took him about a minute to
tell about the gun sticking" bullet
one time, and the court adjourned
Only three more witnesses besides
Coulter gave their testimony after the
noon adjournment
At 2:O5 the defendant, David Coulter,
took the stand amid hush of expec-
fancy in the room. he was cool and
spoke with firm, but low voice.
1s 9-"h'F' were you Sunday October
Al left Burlingame Sunday morn
ing on my way home. That night ]
stayed in the Wakarusa depot and Mon
day came on to Topeka l went to my
grandfather's home in ParkdaIe, found
AC ndO mOVSOa duO 5bdI toQ Jul 5OQbn W
find work.
Odd you meet anyone?
Ayes, met the Bechtol boy at the
place they called Garlinghouse's We
talked and he shot the gun three times.
Then this other boy came along and
said "Hello" He said Hello" and asked
if was going his way and got in.
Odd you talk any?
Ave talked about the rife and he
kept wanting to shoot it, He shot once
and l saw he was a pretty good shot and
1 got out and shot, too.
Q-Who got out of the wagon first?
Ale did. He shot at the "a" in
PearIine on the telegraph pole. Then
shot twice and he shot again at a fence
post
Q-What then?
Al was going to shoot again at the
telephone pole. He was 10 or IL feet
from me. He called to me l might shoot
the peddler and 1 turned to shoot at
post, turned my right ankle and the gun
went off.
Q-What then?
A-The boy fell on his left side and
back. l saw he was shot, and threw
down the gun and ran to him. The blood
was running out on both sides of his left
ear and he was frothing at the mouth. l
tried to make him easy as possible. |
started TO run to house about half
mile away duO Ll0u L HAUL
better leave him and came back.
l wiped the froth and water away from
his mouth and put the handkerchief in
his mouth to keep the water from run
ming out and forgot to take it out.
He then told of carrying the body into
the field.
Q-What time did this occur?
A-This accident
Q-Yes.
A bout half past three
He then told of his wild drive to To-
peka. He said if he had seer a
policeman he would have given
himself up. Not finding one, or
his relatives in Parkdale, he drove
to his grandfather's west of Valley
Falls
Odd you ever have any idea of
stealing this team?
A-No, sir. never l simply took it to
get out of the country.
Odd you tell the truth about this
affair?
A-Not at first Finally I told Chief
Wilkersou and Mr. Burdge that thew
had the man who did the crime, and l
might as we'll own up.
Q-What do you mean by that?
A-Well, l had the wagon. and so on.
OIL mean tina. word crime"
A-Well, l suppose they called it a
crime. I've always thought they called
it a crime whether person did anything
wilfully or not.
County Attorney Stafford began cross
examination at 2:45.
$3.50 p. m.-The case will not be given
tn fhe iurV until Monday.