Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-03
YESTERDAYS TESTIMONY.
Defense Opens It's Case-witness Vim
ton Contradicted-Mrs. Stew
arts DepOsition.

T. H. McNeill, stenographer to the coro-
ner of this county, was the first witness
called by the defense yesterday in the God
dard murder trial. He was handed trans
cript of the entire evidence given before the
coroner's jury at the inquest over the body
of Frederick ]. Jackson and testified that
it was a correct transcript.
Attorney J. C. Swift. the next witness.
told that he passed the Woodland hotel the
night jackson was killed. He was walking
south on woodland avenue toward the
hotel and slight hill in the avenue placed
him almost on level with the room in
which the tragedy occurred and allowed
him to see the interior Of the room. which
was brilliantly lighted. He noticed two
men in the room apparently in animated
conversation. One man was sitting, the
other standing. They were gesticulating.
When Swift reached the corner he heard
two shots fired In the room. He was then
at a point where he could not see into the
room. He paid no special attention to the
shooting but caught car and went down.
town.
w. d. Grant was living at the Woodland
hotel the night of the shooting He testi-
fled that he heard the two shots that killed
jackson. He was in bed in room on the
floor above He put on his trousers and
slippers and ran down. he found Woolt;
Goddard and DIR. Hetherinston at the .Ia mead
of the stairway, but Einton was not there.
In a few moments Vinton came up the
stairway.
testimony contradlstea fatty Iyr the the
state who told that Ninton was the nrSt
man up the stairway and the first to reach
the jackson rooms at the END OF the nan
after the shooting was done.
itors office of the Kansas City, Fort sc9tt
next witness. He said that the night Of
the shooting he was in Vintons room
smoking and talking. Just 1 ,;, as Sohns9n 10. ia,n
the hall two shots were tired. Johnson
asked Finton:
Vinton made some reply and rushed out
OF his room. They could see into the hotel
office from the stair landing and saw Wool
into the hotel office and Vinton. Smith and
| Woolf ran up the stairway to the second
| floor where the shooting was done.
Louis Rosenfeldt. Il musician in the Or
chestra at the Grand opera house, said he
! had known Jackson four years and saw
| him nearly every day. He had seen Jack
| with n torehlight fixing the machinery.
jackson used to go to the Grand opera
house nearly every week to see the play
and Rosenfeldt had seen him drive a horse
| and buggy through the streets.
Mrs. Stewards Deposition.
The deposition of Mrs. Frank Stewart, of
Ohio. was read to the jury. Mrs. Stewart
| lived at the Woodland hotel at the time Of
| the shooting. Her rooms adjoined those of
! the Jackson family. She said she heard
| the wrangle between DR.. Goddard and
jackson early In the evening and during
| that quarrel Marie Jackson, his daughter,
| rar into Mrs. Stewards room with the pis-
tol she said she had taken from her father.
and asked her to take care of 1t.
Tho deposition of Mrs. Stella Tripp. of
Ohio. sister OF Mrs. Stewart. was read
next, She was in Mrs. stewart's room the
night OF the shooting. Her testimony cor
| rcborated Mrs. Stewards. ,'-
Frank Stewards deposition was read too
Il differed little from that of his wife and
Mrs. Trip.
George Matthews was another witness re-
| Garding the good eyesight of Mr. Jackson
He said that Jackson used to keep the ma
-chinery Of the laundry in order up to the