The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-06
ALIBI FOR MRS. GOODIN
DEFENSE THINKS 1T HAS ESTAB-
LSED A FAIR ONE FOR MAY 13.
SOn-in-Law StrOuse Says He Saw Mrs.
Kline with the White
wig.

Attorney John S. Duncan is making a
strong effort to prove an alibi for Mrs. Maud
Goodin, who is on trial in the Criminal
Court charged with being the chief con-
spirator in the plot to injure DR.. Aimee
Haskinson with acid. The, testimony yester-
day all tended to dispute the evidence of
Mrs. Lulu Kline, who threw the acid, and
at the hour of adjournment yesterday even
ing the attorneys for the accused woman
were of the opinion that they had had
very good day.
Mrs. Bessie Strouse yesterday related some
incidents in the love affairs of Mrs. Goodin
and Liveryman James Van Malta. The wit
ness is the daughter of Mrs. Goodin. She
is a good looking young woman of about
twenty-eight. She was formerly employed
in the dry goods store of Robson Lawrie.
She said she had seen her mother start out
buggy riding with Van Malta on numerous
occasions, and once he took her sleigh rid
ing. They went to the theater several times
together. Mrs. Goodin was i'll for several
weeks in 1897 and Van Malta came to her
room every day and sometimes two or three
times day Once he brought her large
bouquet. He made her a present in 1896 of
watch chain. The witness said she adj
mired it because it was so dainty" Mr..
which the witness identified as the one given
to her mother. Mrs. Strouse said Van Malta
told her he gave her mother the chain be-
cause she was a good girl" Mrs. Geodin
overheard his remark to her daughter and
grew very coy and gently chided Van Malta
for referring to her as girl" Van Malta
replied. We'll, you are my girl anyway"
ION one OCCASION continued the witness,
Van Malta asked me how l would like to
have a stepfather. / told him it would de-
pend on who it was. He replied, How would
you like me- / was so much surprised at
this that l hardly knew what to say. My
mother and Van Malta were engaged at one
time and the engagement was broken off
by my mother because she saw Van Malta
under the influence of liquor. A short time
later he moved from the block. / never went
to his livery stable to get him to come and
see my mother and we never followed him
in a buggy. / first met Mrs. Kline the first
time she lived in the block. She did the
washing and ironing for us. | never heard
my mother speak Of Van Malta and DIR.
Haskinson prior to May 20. when the acid
was thrown. l never saw my mother in a
trance" Mwa&
The witness denied that she gave her
mother a pistol and told her to shoot DIR.
Haskinson. She said that Mrs. Kline lived
in the Empire block with a man named
Wilson and that Mrs. Kline went under this
name. The witness said she had understood
Mrs. Kline was jealous of Wilson. The wit
ness was asked if she heard Mrs. Kline say
that her husband going to see some
woman on New York street" The states
attorneys objected TO the question being
answered. They claimed the question was
not material and threw no light on the case.
1t was insisted that the defense would not
attempt to connect the name of DR.. Haskin-
son with Mrs. Klines lover, and besides
there had been no evidence to show that
DR.. Haskinson ever lived on New York
street. She lived at the corner OF PennSyl-
vania and New York streets.
WITH HER MOTHER THAT DAY.
Mr.. Duncan questioned the witness closely
as to where her mother was on the after
noon of May 49, This was done to discredit
the testimony of Mrs. Kline who had re-
lated a very sensational story of the doings
of herself and Mrs. Goodin on that after
noon. This was the day, according to the
testimony of Mrs. Kline, when she and Mrs.
Goodin went room hunting on West New
York street In the afternoon, it was
claimed. they found a room and that even
ing they took possession of it. Mrs. Kline
stated that Mrs. Goodin then wanted her
to go after DIR. Haskinson, it being the plan
to attack the doctor when she arrived. Mrs
Strouse in her testimony said she recalled
the afternoon of May 10 particularly be-
Pythias parade. She remembered distinctly
that on that afternoon she was out riding
with her mother. They rode about the
streets a good part of the afternoon watch
ing the crowds. The witness was also with
her mother that evening.
On cross-eXaminatiOn the witness admit
ted that she had been married three times.
She was first married in Veedersburg, Ind,
in April, 1885, She lived with her first hus-
band a few months, she ,, said; l., He died IN
suicide, did he not?'' asked Mr.. Wiltsie
The witness replied that he did not:
Were you with him in Chicago?
Were you present at the funeral?"
Il was not"
Harry H. Johnson. to whom she was mar
ried in this city in December. 1891. She
li i with Johnson anou. Two years th ana ana
on Bellefontaine street. The witness was
asked about her first ACQUAINTANCE with
Robert Strouse, her third husband. She
denied that Strouse took her out in car
riage while she was the wife of Johnson.
MRS. KLINE HAD THE WIG.
Robert Strouse. son-in-law of Mrs. Goodin,
was on the witness stand yesterday morn
ing and part of the afternoon. He was
very certain about some things that took
place on the afternoon of May IL. He re-
membered the X. of P. parade and testified
that he saw his wife and mother-in-law at
different times that afternoon. He recalled
the evening of May Is when he went to the
Empire block, where his mother-in-law was
CUSTODIAN. Inat evening ne saw Mrs. Kline
in her room with a white wig (Mrs. Kline
had testified that Mrs. Goodin wore white
wig the evening of May 13 in the New York
| street house.) The witness said he asked
Mrs. Kline if she was going on the stage
and she replied that she was not going on
the stage but was going after Charlie"
Witness took it that she meant she was go
| ing after the man who he supposed was her
husband.
On ross-examination the witness denied
| that he took his wife out carriage riding be-
| fore she procured a divorce from Johnson.
| The prosecutor attempted to show by the
| witness that he was an expert with cards.
| Strouse replied that he knew how to play
poker" but he did not consider himself an
expert
DR.. Haskinson, the victim in the acid
throwing case, does not attend the trial.
For two or three days before her testimony
was taken she came to the courthouse each
day, but always sat in the judges private
room waiting to be called. Since her APP
pearance on the witness stand one day last
week she has not been near the courtroom.
Sues Railroad and Physician.
Two damage suits were brought in the
Superior Court yesterday by John c. Nc
Neil, whose little son was injured on Oct.
6, 1896, at the Fountain-street crossing of the