The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-30
OUT ON A $4,000 BOND
JOHN o. MOORE, CHARGED WITH
WIFE MURDER, RELEASED.
Derk De Rufter's Charges-Who Hires
Spaans - Mandatory Proceedings
Against the County Auditor.


wife, was released from the custody of the
sheriff yesterday afternoon on a $4,000 bond
furnished by his sister, Miss Hannah Moore,
and his brothers, Richard, Joseph and
Thomas H. Moore. The sureties are we'll
TODD people and the State had no hesitancy
in taking the bond after special Judge Keal-
ing had decided that bail would be accepted.
The proceedings looking to the release of
Moore on bond closed yesterday afternoon
with the somewhat sensational evidence of
Derk De Ruiter, who was called by the
State to testify. De Ruiter is the brother
in-law of John o. Moore.
The incidents referred to by Dc Ruiter in
his testimony are alleged to have taken
place in May and June Of 1896, and while the
divorce suit of Mrs. De Ruiter was pend
ing. 1t appears that in the De Ruiter family
troubles, Moore stood by his brother-in-law,
while Mrs. Moore took the part of her sister,
Mrs De Ruiter.
"At that time,' said the Witness Moore
urged me to employ detective to ferret
his wife as she was a witness in the case
against me. 1t seemed to be his opinion
that there would be no trouble OF convicting
her if 1 would put detective on her track.
During one Of these talks he cited the al
legged fact of her having been in the habit
or meeting travelling men at a prominent
downtown hotel. She had admitted that to
him and it had resulted in a quarrel at
their home''
The witness went on to say that about this
time Moore told him he suspected the rela-
lions of his wife with man of this city
and declared he would wreak an awful VEN
geance on both of them if they did not cease
their conduct. The witness said Moore
also told him that a relative had seen Mrs.
Moore go into Jacob Crone's saloon. The
witness said Moore seemed to suspect his
wife and Crone, and declared with a threat
that he did not propose to endure it any
further
w. N. Harding, counsel for Moore, asked
De Ruiter if he had employed Henry Spaan
to assist in prosecuting Moore. The wit
ness replied that he had not He admitted,
however, that he had had one or two inter-
views about the case with Mr. Spaan. The
attorney was then called to the witness
stand to speak for himself. He said he
was not employed by De Ruiter. Prescott
ing Attorney Wiltsie says that Mr.. Spaan is
not being paid by the State.
Preston Trusler's testimony before the
grand jury was read On the afternoon of
the murder he said he was with De Ruiter
down town shortly before 2 o'clock. He re-
called a conversation he once had with
Moore when the latter charged that his
wife was guilty of intidelity, and asked
Trusler to interview some people in refer
ence to Mrs. Moore's conduct. Moore said
to him then that nobody knew what he
put up with from that woman Trusler did
not recall that Moore had made any threats.
He did not think he did. He said Moore
once told him of a scuffle he had with his
wife during quarrel Moore was standing
at her bedside and picked up a lamp from
the table. In the scufle this lamp was
broken, and the pieces of glass cut Mrs.
Moore'S hands. Robert King, colored man,
who was employed as a foreman by De
Ruiter while the divorce suit was pending,
said on the witness stand that ne frequently
saw Moore those. days. The colored man
heard Moore talking about his wife to De
Ruiter He heard Moore, say his wife was
not doing right or something like that. This
II met him three weeks later" continued
the witness, ''at Virginia avenue and Wash
anything about his wife. He said he had
not lived with her for three weeks-that she
was not doing right. Said he was not going
to live with her any more He spoke about
Jake Crone particularly; and said D
her, if she don't stop will kill her. or
something of that kind
The StenOgrap her read the testimony of
Jacob Crone as taken before the grand jury.
Crone testified that he had known Mrs;
moore lot twenty years.. Tie SAID JIldI dDOuI
five weeks before she was murdered she
came 10 him in company with a Mrs. Kaber
and brought a package which she informed
some jewelry. Mrs. Moore asked him to
put the package in his safe. The day after
the murder Mrs. Haber took the package
away. Crone said that Mrs. Moore would
come to his saloon for oysters for her sister,
Mrs. De Ruiter4 He explained that his oyst-
dnay ound in n and for this
reason Mrs. Moore came there for them.
The evidence of Taylor O'Bannon, saloon
keeper on South Meridian street, was also
read. He remembered that on the after
noon Of the tragedy Moore came into the
saloon shortly before o'clock. He recalled
the time, because it was the habit to set a
free lunch at o'clock and the lunch was
being fixed up as Moore came in. Albert
Reisner testified that he met John Moore
the afternoon of the murder in Court street.
near Delaware, between 1 and 2 O'Clock.
Constable Glessner recalled having met
Moore on Delaware street opposite the
courthouse that afternoon at 2:35 o'clock.
| Henry Hartman, barkeeper for Philip Zapf,
was confident Moore was in his place eX-
actly at 2:35 o'clock
The case was submitted to the court with
| but little argument Attorney Harding
| read section of the statute bearing on the
for the State. He believed there was no
| question of a motive for the crime if there
was any truth in the reported threats on the
| part of Moore account of his jealousy
| The attorney thought the State had FUR
| nished the motive and he believed the pre-
! sumption of guilt was strong. The acting
! judge, with brief comments, stated he had
made up his mind to admit the prisoner tc
| bail.
| Both the State and the defense will be
| represented at Chickamauga where the dep
! ositions of one or more members or Bat.
! terry A ire to be taken at once. 1t is claimed
| there is at least one member of the battery
! who will be able to show where Moore was
| at the time his wife was slain
| --~-
CONFLICT OF POWERS.
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