The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-05-08

anu ne SalQ 10 XIII JO0n henSIeE.
He then tuck the gun and shot my
husband on the bed in the front
room, while he was asleep. MIR.
kensler when shot was lying on his
left side. The children slept in the
room adjoining. WAS undressing
when he came in. He had the gun
since October 10Th. 1t was As
calibre carbine. That is it (points
10 gum. l said that I'd be blamed
for this before he shot. He said
he didn't care. Told me he was
going to put the body in the ditch,
and to turn the water out. He and
1 then turned off the water and
when We got back from the head
gate, he and l buried the body un-
der the ditch. Also buried my hus-
bands clothes. Took the body out
in the canvas sheeting. The bed
ding was awfully Blood" We
burned up the sheets, pillow slip
and parts of the bedding. Ipasted
paper over the bullet hole in the
wall at the back of the bed head
on Sunday morning. The bullet
was dug out and thrown into the
fire. He gave me back the gun,
and | put it where it was usually
kept. In the morning Freel hitched
the team and | drove them little
way off the ranch and turned them
loose. The wagon tongue loosened
about a quarter Of mile from the
ranch. l then jumped out and
went back home. At the time /
drove the team l was stocking foot
ed. Jumped out when the team
began to run. Freel told me to
tell people John had gone to the
Ferry. He then started out to re-
port the disappearance, and left me
some cartridges. AT the time of
the burial. Myrtle was ut the ditch.
He was behind the hog-pen and
told me to take her to the house.
Don't think she could have seen
him. Freel and l stayed on the
ranch until We were arrested, Oh
the 25th of October. had letters
from him and wrote to him after
our arrest.
In giving some portions Of her
testimony Mrs. Kensler become VIC
lently agitated and was scarcely
able to proceed.
The cross examination is the
most interesting feature of the case.
MYRTLE KENsLER TEsTIFIEs.
Am y years old. am the daughter of
the late John Kensier and Mrs. Josie
Kensler. On October II lived on papa's
place, on King Hill creek. Mamma,
brother Alfred, years old, and Alfred
Freel, the hired man, all lived there. On
the evening Of Oct. II, last, papa and
Freel came home from Glenn's Ferry To-
gether. They put up the team and went
to supper. He and papa sat down to eat.
Miss Nichols, my teacher, and aunt Belle
were there little before papa and Freei
came. They had some bottles with them
when they came. After supper they
danced and sung, inside and outside the
house. aud were doing so when went to
bed. Late in the night l was awakened
by the report OF a gun, and got up. |
smelled powder smoke in the front room.
saw nobody. The light was out. went
out on the porch. stood anu called for
mamma, and she came from the haystack.
saw her two or three steps from the pig
pen and across the ditch. She said,
What's the mattera" I got off the porch,
went over to the ditch and crossed it GU
foot board. She SAID, 500 into the
bedroom and lie down." and she went
back with me. | did not see Freel then.
went back to my bedroom. Heard
mamma and some one else talking in the
front room Could not understand what
they said. Went asleep in few minutes.
On the 18th got up about 2 O'Clock.
Mamma and Freel were there. She and
Freel, at breakfast, talked and wondered
why papa went away. Freel said he'd
go to the Ferry and look for him. Did
not know where the team was. noticed
the bedhead next day and saw the board
was changed. saw no third man.
Seth Garfield testified that in talk
with Freel the last Of September he said,
I'll he the owner of that ranch and the
woman, too, in six months she loves
me-" A little after, he said, "FOr Gods
sake, don't tell John; he'd kill me-" He
was awful drunk and started afoot toward
the ranch with two bottles of whisky.
The prosecution closed its case
at 4 O'Clock Wednesday afternoon
and the defense opened. Only five
witnesses were examined, their tes-
timony being of little in favor Of
the defendant.
Lawyer E. NJ. Wolfe then made
few brief and eloquent remarks for
the misunderstanding Freel to be
the unfortunate victim of circum-
stances. Ignorant, illiterate and
not up to the standard Of ordinary
brightness, Freel was the innocent
scapegoat of shrewd, smart. we'll
educated but Maynard, cratic wo-
man, Mrs. Kensler-the past asso-
ciate, since her marriage, of "a
horse thief, a black negro, and a
gambler" Mr.. Wolfe concluded
his argument in the forenoon and
was followed by Attorney Vic Bier
bower for the defense, and N. NJ.
Ruick for the prosecution.
District Attorney Rogers at Z 80
addressed the jury on the merits Of
the case. He made very able