The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-26

4
J Walters was there man FAMED futile and
! a Mr.. Hide; that Walters told him his
| home was in FIT. Madison, Iowa. The
! witness was shown the side and front
views OF the cadaver introduced in evil
! dence by the defense, and recognized
| the side view, but stated that there was
not SO much resemblance in the front
| view.
Mrs. Martin Metsker, wife of the last
witness, was then sworn, and testified
that F. A. Walters stayed at their place
about six weeks; that he was in poor
health while there; that he afterwards
went to Lawrence; that he had good
teeth. On being shown the photo ex-
| hibits of the cadaver, witness recognized
the side view, but did not recognize the
front view SO plainly as that of F A.
Walters. The witness also testified that
| Walters had dark hair and rOmon
nose.
ME- Adam futile then took the stand.
Mr.. futile stated that he resided in
! Douglas county, Kansas, not great dis
lance from the Metsker farm; that in
August, 1878, he was working for Mr..
Martin Metsker, and met while there,
young man called F. A. Walters; that
Mr.. Walters had good teeth. This wit
ness also recognized a side view of the
cadaver as bearing a very strong like
ness to the face of F. A. Walters, but
did not ses as much resem blance in the
front view.
Mr. F. HiIe then testified, that he re-
sided in Douglas county, iE the Metsker
neig borhood; that in 1878 he worked
for MIR. Metsker in September, and that
the same time a young man whom he
knaw as F. A. Walters, also worked for
Mr.. Metsker; that the young man told
| him he came from FIT NJ addison, Iowa;
that he again SAW Walters in October or
! November, 1878. This witness on being
shown the defendants photo exhibits of
/ the dead body, Immediately recognized
the side view as likeness of Walters,
! and also stated that there was a resem-
blance to Walters in the other, though
not SO strong.
Mr.. Henry Weber, of Douglas county,
testified that in 1889 he resided at
Aladan, Kansas. Douglas county, and was
postmaster at that place; that a young
! man named F. A. Walters used to come
| for and mail his letters at his office; that
Walters lived at Fort Madison, Iowa;
witness identified both the photographs of
the cadaver as being pictures of Walters,
but thought the front view the better of
the two Witness also stated that Wal
tiers had large, good teeth.
| Mrs. Gilmore, of Topeka, took the
stand and testified that in 1878 she re-
sided in Lawrence, with her father, who
kept a hotel there; that a Mr.. F. A.
Walters came to their hotel twice, once
/ III tu6 spring, duQ AR III kU0 1dII "a Vic
year; that while he was there he was
under the doctors care; that after leav-
ing there the first time he went into the
| country somewhere; that Walters had
large, good teeth; witness considered
that the photographs of the corpse bore
a strong resemblance to Mr.. Walters.
Mr.. Isham, of the counsel for the de-
! Tense, made an argument before the
court. claiming they had right to intro
duce the John H. Brown confession in
evidence.
This is the confession wherein Brown
claims that there was scheme on foot TO
defraud the insurance companies, and
that another man had been murdered
and his body endeavored to be passed off
on the companies as that of Hillmon.
Plaintiffs counsel objected to the in
PRODUCTION of this testimony, and the
court sustained the objection.
Mr. c. r. Walters, of Rich Hill, Mis-
souri,, then took the stand and testified
that he was born in FIT. Madison, Iowa;
that he had brother named Frederick
Adolph Walters; that his brother went
into Kansas in 1873. and that he received
! letters from him at different points in
| Kansas. during that year, and the early
part of 1879; that he thinks the last one
received was from Wichita, but is not
positive about the point from which it
was written; that in this last letter his
Irother had spoken of going out further
west with a Mr.. Hillmon; that
after March 1879 he had never
received any more letters from his
brother, or heard from him. On being
shown The photographs of the dead body,
the witness stated that they were those
of his brother, Frederick Adolph Wal
ters The witness further stated that
his brother was about 20 years of age
when he left home; that he had large
perfect teeth, and that of his knowledge
his brother had no filings in his teeth;
that he had been bitten by dog when
child about five years of age; that he had
a large mole on the spine near the
shoulder blade; that he had been trou bled
some with corns on his feet. The witness
testified cross examination as to his
own movements from Ft Madison to
Warreusburg, and Holden, Missouri,
and St. Louis. from the time he had left
! home.
Mrs. Elizabeth Riefenach, sister of
Frederick Adolph Walters, testified that
she and her fathers family lived in FIT
| Madison, Iowa; that her brother Fred
erick Adolph left home in the spring of
1878, going first to Missouri, and then to
Kansas, and that she received mum Der
of letters from him during that year and
also during the early part of 1879; that
she had received letters from Paola,
Aladan, Topeka, Emporia, Lawrence
| and Wichita; that the letter from
Wichita was the last received
from him, and was dated at Wichita,
March or g. 1879, and received by her
on the third or fourth of the same month;
| that this letter ran as follows: "Wichita
Kas., March or 8, 1879. Dear sister and
ALL drop you few lines in my usual
style to let you know 1 am well, and 60
ing west with a man named Hillmon to
herd sheep in Colorado and parts I'M
known. There is no news, as you are not
acquainted here. Give compliments to
J all iuquiring friends. With love to all.
| Your trnther Ernd A Waltara ,, This