The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-01
THE GOOD MRS. GOODlN
A PROMISE TO PROVE HER CHARAC-
TER GOOD AS JUDGE M'CRAY's.
Opening Statement of Defense-Dr.
HaskinsOn on the Stand-AdjOurn-
ment Till Monday.


An adjournment was taken in the Goodin-
Kline acid-throwing case at 4:3O o'clock
yesterday until Monday. The case has been
on trial for week. The state closed its
case at $3.50 o'clock, and John S. Duncan
attorney for Mrs. Maud Goodir, the woman
accused of conspiracy to injure DR.. Aimee
Haskinson, made a short opening state
defense expected to show, and asserted that
much of the testimony given by Mrs. Kline,
the states chief Witness, would be dis
proved. Several times during Mr. Duncan's
statement the states attorneys ''called him
down. on the ground that he was making
an argument. Mr.. Duncan at the opening,
asserted that the innocence of his client
would be conclusively shown.
'We will show by testimony" he said,
that Mrs. Goodin is not the kind of a per-
son that would be party to the commits
sion of this crime. Her past life has been
such as to give the lie to any charge of this
kind. We will bring people here who have
known her for the last four years, who will
tell you under the solemnity of an oath
what they know of her quiet, peaceable life
She will prove as good a character as any
juror in this box-as good as that of any
counsel in this case. Yes as good as his
Honor can prove She comes into this case
clothed with a presumption of innocence,
and believe this jury would rather find her
to be law-abiding than the kind
of a. woman that Mrs. Kline has
described herself as being. 1t is
not pretended that my client was pres
ent when this deed was done, but they seek
to show by circumstantial evidence that she
aided and abetted Mrs. Kline in that act
They seek to show that the defendant had
a motive for committing this crime. They
tell you that she was infatuated with a
man by the name of Van Malta, who has
been on the stand, and 1 can't help calling
the jury's attention to his profile
I'VE object to this kind of talk before the
jury declared Mr.. Wiltsie, jumping to his
feet and directing the courts attention to
Mr.. Duncan's remarks.
May it please the court remarked Mr..
Duncan, with a suave smile. II expect to
adopt this mans looks as part of our evil
dence." Continuing, he said: '"They seek to
show that my client was in love with this
man James Van Natta-that she was the
love-maker and was pursuing him with
protestations of affection while he was all
the time repelling her, although believe
at her own request and took her out riding,
she paying for the horse. 1t is claimed that
he repused her and that she was jealous of
him and DR.. Haskinson, and for that reason
she was party to that acid-throwing We
will show that at one time she did enter
tain an affection for that man. He moved
into the block in 1884, and the evidence will
show that, instead of her besieging him
with attentions, he was doing it himself
We will prove that he took her riding on
several occasions when she did not pay for
the vehicle. He lived in that block for sew
eral years, and knew that, as custodian of
the building, her position was one of trust
and profit. Here was woman with home
and who wasn't afraid to work The evil
dence will show that ne got himself en-
gagged to her in 1896. We will prove that
on an occasion after their engagement was
settled he came into her room under the in
huehce of liquor, and that was enough for
her. She had already had one drunken hus-
band, and she did not care at her age to
start out with a man who used liquor. So
she broke the engagement. The evidence
will further show that while he was taking
her out riding and buying flowers for her
he borrowed 5000 of her money and he has
it yet.
SHE NEVER HAD FRANCES.
ut is true that once or twice they had
words, but not about DIR. Haskinson. Their
quarrels were not prompted by jealousy of
DR.. Haskinson, and her name did not APP
pear in connection with these talks between
my client and Van Malta. The engagement
was broken in January 1897 more than a
year before this crime was committed. My
client cared nothing more for this man.
Well show that there never was mar
riage between this man and woman, and
We VIII prove that the acid bottle found
by the police in the Empire block had been
there for years. 1t will be shown that
there is nothing in this crazy, absurd and
improbable story related by Mrs. Kline
about the frances in the Empire block
Mrs. Goodin is not a Spiritualist. She never
was in trance, and don't know what in the
from her live families who will tell you
there is not one word of truth in these al
relationship that existed between Mrs.
Goodn and Van Malta, and will show that
she is not the kind that could take Lulu
Kline, with her nerve, and make a puppet
of her."
Mr.. Duncan further asserted that he
would show UP the faJsity of the story
about the New YOrk-Street plot to lead DR.
Haskinson to her death. He said 1t would
be shown that on that night Mrs. Goodin
was not out of her room in the Empire
block, and that the wig shawl and hat al
legged to have been worn by Mrs. Goodin
were procured by Mrs Kline for the pur-
pose, Of going in disguise after her "hus-
band"
In conclusion, Mr. Duncan said: ut is not
incumbent on us to prove that Mrs. Kline
had any motive for doing this deed. because
the question here is whether my client had
anything to do with it. 1 don't know what
motive prompted the Kline woman to do it.
All l am trying to do is tn convince you
jurors that my client is innocent. That
woman told an untruth when she told you
she was not jealous of her lover We will
show you that she was She had received
Information that this man was going with
another woman, and she believed the
woman lived on New York street. God
only knows what evidence might have in
fluenced her in the commission of this Of
Tense. We propose to show what the
woman in her jealous frame of mind be-
lieved. Whether she was mistaken or not
does not cut any figure in our case. We are
not defending Mrs. Kline. / am stating to
you in all sincerity what we expect to
prove"
DIR. HAsKINSON ON THE STAND.
DR.. Aimee Haskinson, the victim in the
case on trial. was on the witness stand yes
terday morning and exhibited her arm to
the jurors to show where the acid thrown
by Mrs Kline had the most painful effect
The dark red scars were plainly visible
when the young woman barred her arm. She
testified that her neck and chest were also
burned and that she had suffered greatly
from the nervous shock incident to the as
sault. The witness said she came to this
city from Pennsylvania in 1895 and in 1896
she met Van Malta in a private boarding
house. He kept a livery stable, and when