The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-31
TRIAL is ON.
Coulter, the Boy Murderer Comes
Before the Bar
sFor Trial For the Killing of
Edward Illston.
INGENIOUS DEFENSE.
THAT a Bullet Stuck in His
And Another One "Fired 1t
Out"
IN THIS ODD MANNER
He Accounts For Two Bullet
Holes in IllstOn's Head.
A Great Crowd of Spectators
Are Present.
IN THIS ODD MANNER
He Accounts For Two Bullet
Holes in Illston'S Head.
A Great Crowd of Spectators
Are Present.

4 The Coulter murder trial was actively
begun today. The jury was sworn this
morning and part of the evidence for
the state was taken dnring the day.
David R. Coulter. of Valley Falls, the
18-year- old youth who is being tried for
the ruthless killing of II year-old Ed
ward IIlston, sits behind his counsel,
Geo. w. McCammon, of Valley Falls,
and A T. Atchison, of Topeka. Behind
him sits Sheriff Kepley, and special
deputy sheriffs are sprinkled through
the thrOng of people in attendance.
y The accused murderer sits with his
head resting on his left hand most of the
time with mis- elbow on the table near
his attorneys. He is dressed in plain
brown suit with small light checks, new,
but of very cheap grade. He wears
drab flannel shirt and somewhat darker
four in hand tie
2. He seems to take. the trial with more
nervousness and interest than he has
heretofore shown. No outward signs of
nervousness could be noticed today unless
every once in a while that peculiar deep
inhalation of breath which many have
noticed may be so interpreted Tears
stand in his eyes. but they are weak and
sore and this probably accounts for it.
Now and then he leans forward to
WAS being examined he watched the pro-
ceeding with little interest.
Coulter was IS years old October %,
1895. The boy whom he killed on Octo-
tobeE IA was 10 years of age the preeed-
The boy who killed Edward Illston
moved with his family from Topeka to
Valley Falls two years ago. He lived
here for nine years preceding that time
The family moved from one part of town
40 another and lived in many different
places-"all over the town." as he ex-
pressed it this morning.
Coulter's father, grandmother and two
cousins are in the court room, bnt his
mother is not here.
William H. Illston, the father of the
murdered boy, sits beside County Attor-
ney Stafford. He is big, honest, good
na-ured, whole souIed looking farmer
Mrs. Illston is unable to bear the strain
of being present. She has never recov-
cred from the shock she received on the
9th day of October. when she learned
after waiting two weeks for the home
coming of her boy with his load of sand,
that he had been killed on the highway
and his body left to decay.
The IlIston home is eleven miles south
east of Topeka.
The crowd that is in attendance at the
trial is immense and hangs with breath
less interest on the words of witnesses
and every move that is made by those
who are directing this chess game of
life and death. Every available space
in the court room is packed with people
while men stand on benches and in win
dow stills at the edges of the room to get
n glimpse of the accused boy murderer
and see if they cannot hear the movement
of the trial.
great many ladies have been pro-
= vided with chairs inside the attornevs'
al TOhr
raLged the tables and chairs so as to
give the greatest seating capacity possi-
bic Fifteen students of stenographv
have seats at the tables inside the bar.
Bailin Coyne was startled this morn
ing TO find fresh crack in the west side
of the old court house level
with the court room. 1t was
doubtless caused by the great crowd
in attendance yesterday. The crack
is about two inches wide and runs from
the floor to the ceiling of the second
story, and causes some tre pidation among
the occupants of the building. 1t is
feared that the structure is unsafe and
might go down with it's throng of peo-
pie.
The state prosecutors are confident
and aggressive. Only two dismissals
were made by them in their six rights
OF challenge of jurors. The lawyers for
the defense are cautious and consulted
N-AAAO bCAOIo QISullSslng q Juror
unit for their purposes. They accepted
all but the last of their last twelve rights
OF challenge and eleven jurors were ex-
cnsed by them.
A great deal of time was consumed in
getting Jury. The impanelling was
begun at o'clock last evening and con.
tinued to 6. At $50 this morning the
task was again begun.
- great many jurymen were found tn
be unfit to serve because they have he.
come prejudiced against Coulter from
what they have read. The regular nane1
and the special venire of 81 men was ex.
hausted, and Judge Hazen called men to
the box from the crowd in attendance
At 1890 the jury was sworn to trv the
case. 1t consists of w. F. Mouteith, Con
rad Mayer. B. F. Golden, w. 8 Eastman.
Erie Nystrom. G. A. Lamb, j. B. ZinD.
. l. r. kellogg W. b. Hindman, ]. r.
FrSnklin, ]. w. Moore. ]. C. Yohey.
county Attorney Stafford made a brief
state ent of the case for the state. He
endeo with an eloquent plea for cOnvic
tlo1 OF murder in the first degree. and
SAID that when the evidence was all in