The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-10
MISTREATED HIS WIFE
FIRST EVIDENCE AGAINST ALONZO
ROCKER, THE UxORCIDE.
Rocker Home, Tells Of the Hus-
bands Conduct.

The Criminal Court was packed yesterday
morning when the first witness was called
In the Rocker case. Five witnesses We're
examined yesterday. all being introduced by
the State for the purpose of showing the
relations between the murderer and his
wife, and to substantiate the States the
DRY that Rocker was sane prior to and at
the time he committed the deed. Rocker
sat alone during the proceedings yesterday.
His cousin. a well-dressed. middle-aged
woman, was near him part of the time.
but he paid no attention to her. 1t is
noticeable fact that Rockers friends and
his attorneys refrain from speaking to him
while court is in session. During the time
spent in the selection of jury Rocker
had nothing to say.
Mrs. Fannie Mcpherson, a professional
nurse, the first witness called by the
State She met Maggie Rocker for the
first time during the worlds fair.
in 1898. They both lived in the
Smith Block, at Ohio and Delaware streets.
She saw Mrs. Rocker frequently. and oc-
casionally saw Rocker about his wife's
room. She did not remember having seen
him there at night. She said that Mrs.
Rocker did not dress well, and she often
saw her carry provisions to her room. She
did not recall having seen Rocker bring
any provisions to the block. The witness
told about a quarrel in which the Rockers
engaged while she lived in the Smith Block.
This occurred during the holidays of 1898.
She heard the sound of breaking glass one
Sunday night, and looked out Of her win
dow. She saw Mrs. Rocker standing at the
window with her face bleeding, and heard
her cay: Now. look at my face" She saw
Rocker leaving the room. The night be-
fore this assault the witness saw Rocker
talking to a policeman in front OF the
block On cross-examination the witness
admitted having seen a man named James
Robinson in Mrs. Rockers room. Robin
son took his breakfast at Mrs. Rockers for
a time. Mrs. Merrill, an aged woman, who
was janitress of the Smith Block at the
time referred to, testified to having heard
the sound of breaking glass testified to by
evening. She heard Rocker and his wife
talking in their room, and then came the
crash of glass. She thought somebody was
being killed. As the glass crashed Mrs
Rocker cried, "Oh, don't do that This
evidence was brought out over the protest
of the defense.
The States chief witness was James T.
Robinson, who had known Alonzo Rocker
since 1892. He boarded with the Rockers
in the Smith Block at time when Rocker
was. out of employment. Mrs. Rocker did
washing and worked for families as SER
want. Witness always paid his board to
Mrs. Rocker, and he thought she provided
most of the provisions. Mrs. Rooker was
"haggard' and hungry looking" witness
and Rocker quilted the block about the
same time. Rocker got work in the car
shops and roomed on West w, washington M gioI
On this occasion Rocker appeared to De
angry because his wife did not bring the
and i" Kin 'i hers" IWitness" returned to Mrs
Rocker and related what had occurred. AS
he came down stairs from her room he met
nHnd h0t
trouble would follow, and went to the police
station and asked that an officer be sent TO
the Smith Block. When he. returned ne
found Rocker, who asked where his wife
was When the policeman came he searched
Rocker, but found no weapons on him.
few days later the witness, acting on inior-
nation given him by little Arthur Rocker,
went to Mrs. Rockers room. He found her
badly bruised over the head, shoulders and
neck, and her eye. was. cut he surmlsed
that Rocker had choked the woman, from
the marks on her neck Witness once
talked to Rocker as a friend, and the ac-
cused expressed desire TO make 1T up
with his wife" They finally came together
and moved into the Empire Block. Witness
loaned them furniture for their rooms.
Robinson's examination in chief did not
end until noon, and nearly all afternoon
was devoted to cross-examination.. witness
said that he had been introduced TO Mrs;
Rocker on the street in 1892 by man
named Tom Grant. Witness and Grant
roomed together and Mrs. Rocker did their
washing. One Rocker came to wi5 with
clothes Mrs. Rocker had been in his room
twice before. Witness admitted that he
had called on Mrs. Rocker when her hus-
band was not present. once when she tel
after her needs.
1t was the theory of the. defense that the
witness had invaded the household of the
Rockers and that he was more attentive
to the wife than he should have been. This
fact, they attempted to show, aroused
Rockers jealousy and broke off the friend
ship between him and Robinson. On this
particular line of evidence Prosecutor Wilt
sic scored point.
MURDER" asked the prosecutor Of the wit
ness
YES" replied Robinson. Il spoke to
him Yesterday"
What was said?'
81 met Rocker coming out of the court |
room with the sheriff. He said. Hello,
John ' B. Smith. another '.roomer'' in the
Smith Block, testified to having seen trou-
BILE between the Rockers. He corroborated
the statements of other witnesses concern
ing the assault in 1893. He. too. heard a
crash of glass, saw Rocker run out into the
hall and heard Mrs. Rocker cry Murder"
ored saw Rocker the Sunday before the
murder. He was complaining because his
wife would not live with him and seemed
Rocker remarked that if his wife was going
to live with him. "she had better be quick
about it, Rocker told witness about find
lHE his WIG dt a ustICc, dIlu Sdlu Ee OlleISu
her so to go home with him. Witness said
Mrs. Rocker had told him that she would
not live with her husband, because he beat
her. Rocker came to witnesses shoe shop on
the morning of the murder and tod him
that he had laid OFF, to so and see his
wife and find out what she was going TO 10
The witness, on cross-examination, said
that Rocker once told him that he had
heard of his wife going TO KisseIs garden
and that he found her there at dance
Rocker felt that Mrs. PEGS was to blame
for the way his wife was acting. Witness
Rocker having told him that he
would furnish house for his wife If she
would live with him.
Mrs. Emma PEGS. the only living witness
OF the Rhode Island-street tragedy besides
Rocker, will be put on the stand to-day
The prosecution expects TO complete all its
evidence by Saturday noon.