The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-16

Not Come Up TO Advance Notices
nnd is Considered Vulnerable by
Commonwealth.
Among the reasons Van Horns at.
torneys will advance for a new trial
at the hearing tomorrow morning is
that they have discovered new evil
dence corroborative of the condemned
mems statement that he and Mrs. Wes-
tott met in the cellar by appointment
IN the night Of the killing, all Of which
it is held will at least raise reason
able doubt as to the killing having been
malicious.
This new testimony is to be given
by a 12-year-od girl. Sadie Cairns,
who at the time of the murder, was
living on the corner across from the
Wcscott home. 1t was announced last
y eek that the girl would testify to the
effect that she was playing about the
Wescott house about Il o'clock on the
hight IN question; that size saw a man
go into Wcscotts cellar; that she ran
to notify Mrs. Wescott. that when she
told Mrs w scott there was man in
her cellar. Mrs Wescott told her to go
any man who might get into her cell
lar; that a short time later Mrs. Wes-
colt went into the cellar with a plate
OF food, and after twenty minutes or
so, came out and went back into the
hol Sc.
All this. if it was as stated might
go a good ways in securing new trial
hut unfortunately for the condemned
man, the story turns out to be rath-
er weak one, when thoroughly sifted.
An order was granted to take the
girls deDositions for use at the hear
ing. and yesterday afternoon she was
summoned to Judge Archbalds cham
Der to tell her story. Judge Archibald
called in Judge Edwards to sit with
him during the hearing. Mr.. Thaye"
represented the defendant. and Mr.
Thomas appeared for the common
wealth.
SHE Is a SCHOOL GIRL.
The little girl came in with her
school books undsr her arm and was
accompanied by three of her school
mates, who ranged themselves against
the wall and looked with open-mouthed
wonderment at the proceedings, in
which their friend was playing such
an important role.
She is a smart child, and a very
knowing kind of one for her years.
Her answers indicated that she had
thought the matter over carefully, to
say the least and at no time did she
show the least embarrassm mt. She
was perfectly at ease and seemed to
appreciate and enjoy the prominence
given her in the right Of her friends
In answer to Mr.. Thayer's questions
| she stated that she was in the habit
of playing with Mrs. Wescott's little
daughter and spent most of her time
about the Wescott corner. on the
evening Of the killing, at about C
! o'clock, she was playing with some
others about the site of the new Nay
Aug Engine house. She saw a man
go through Kresge's back yard into
| Wescotts yard and then into Wes-
colts cellar. She hurried to the Wes-
| colt house to tell what she had seen.
| Mrs. Wescott, her mother Mrs Rey-
nolds, of Jermyn, and one of the board
ers were sitting on the porch. She
| told them that man had Just gone
| into the cellar by the back way Either
| Mrs Wescott or the old lady, she
!
! her business that she could attend to
| anyone who might get into her cellar
She resumed her play, but kept an
| eye on the cellarwav, and about half
an hour later saw Mrs. WescOtt, with
! something concealed under her apron,
go into the cellar and come out again
shortly afterwards. The man who
wen: into the cellar was the same man
| IN
little Wescott girl one day at Zeidler's
bakery and who the Wescott girl said,
was one of her mothers boarders.
WAY SHE FIXED THE NIGHT.
She wasn't sure that 1t was on the
evening of the tragedy that she saw
the man go into the cellar She be-
lieve1 it was that night. however, for
it was on Friday, and she remembered
having SLEPT at her cousins on Wyo-
mina avenue the night she saw the man
go INTO the cellar. and when she came
down town the next day heard that
| Mrs. Wescott was dead.
she described how she met the Wes-
cotr girl in Blocks store on Wyoming
avenue, on her way down from her
cousins, and that she inadvertently
broke the news Of the tragedy to the
| WesCOtt girl.
On cross-eXaminatiOn by Mr. Thomas
she reiterated that she was not sure
whether it was Mrs. Wescott or the
old lady who told her to go about her
business, when she brought word of the
man going into the cellar She was
quite satisfied IN her own mind how
ever, that It was on the night of the
murder, because of the incidents of the
next day, as related above
In answer to further questions by
Mr.. Thomas and the two judges, she
said, among other things, that the
erection of the Nay Aug Engine house
had been begun at the time she saw
the man go into the cellar. that there
was no fence between the Kresge and
WescOtt houses and thac she came
back from her cousins about O'Clock
on the Friday night in question TO get
some things at her home, but she did
not see any crowd about the Wescott
house.
The commonwealth will show at the
hearing tomorrow that the Nay Aus
Engine house was about completed
when the Wescott tragedy occurred
that Mrs. Reynolds, the mother Of Mrs
Wescolt, returned to her home in Jer.
myn two weeks before the night Of the
murder and a number of other thing.
to prove that the little girl is mis-.
taken.
, TUNED nnnH nVuonrHr