The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-29
LULU KLINE IN COURT
THE STATES STAR WITNESS IN THE
GOODIN CASE TEsTIFIEs.
She Tells of the Plot 20 Injure DIR. All
NEE Haskinson-A LOve-POw-
der Incident.

Mrs. Lulu Kline. the self-confessed acid
thrower and the states chief witness
against Mrs. Maud Goodin, who is on trial
in the Criminal Court as the chief con-
spirator in the plot to injure DR.. Aimee
Haskinson, yesterday told the story of the
crime. She was on the witness stand nearly
all day, and a great crowd listened to her
testimony. Attorney John s. Duncan had
the witness on cross-examination most of
the forenoon. The greater part of this time
was devoted to an investigation OF the
frances it is claimed Mrs. Goodin went
into in her search for information concern
ing Dr. Haskinson and liveryman James
Van Malta. whose attentions to the former
appear to have aroused the jealousy of the
Goodin woman and were, according to the
states theory, responsible for the assault
on the DOCTOR
Mrs. Klines description of Mrs. Goodin
when she held communication with the
spirit world furnished considerable amuse-
ment for the audience, and once or twice
Judge McCray had to threaten to clear the
courtroom If there. was not better order.
The afternoon testimony of the witness was
interrupted by much cross-firing between
the attorneys and appeals to the court as to
whether certain evidence should go in the
record or be eliminated from the case.
The witness testified that for several
weeks before the crime was committed Mrs.
Goodin went into trance" almost every
day. Her control was usually the spirit
of the Indian chief Mohawk. Sometimes
she would converse with the spirit of an
Indian maiden known as Undine, and oc-
casionally she would consult with the spirit
of Van Nattas mother The witness said
that when Mrs. Goodin was having these
spiritualistic talks she would gather up her
skirts and dance about the room after the
style of an Indian. After one of these in
terviews, Mrs. Goodn. according to the
story of the witness. told her that she and
Van Malta had been married in her room in
the Empire block She said she was not
satisfied with the marriage, and wanted to
have the ceremony performed again. The
witness said Mrs. Goodin told her she had
intended having this done by the pastor of
the Second Presbyterian Church. She said
they had expected to go to him at partic-
ular time. and would have gone had Van
Malta not been intoxicated. Mrs. Goodin,
the witness said. talked with the Indian
spirits about Van Malta and DIR. Haskinson.
They called the doctor the medicine
squaw, and said she had taken Jim away
from Maudie." They also declared, the wit
ness SAID, that there was no punishment
too severe for the doctor.
Mrs. Kline. in her direct examination, had
admitted that she had been living with a
can for a time conducted the examination
along this line. There was an objection on
the part of the state to the attorneys
course, and Mr. Wiltsie asserted that Mr.
Duncan was doing it to prejudice the jury
against the witness. During the afternoon
the attorney for the defense declared that
he expected to show that what. Mrs. Kline
did was not for Mrs. Goodin, but was from
motives of her own. Re asked the witness
about the murder of her husband at Bright
wood, and put the direct question to her.
You were suspected of that murder, were
you not?" The states attorneys entered
vigorous objection to this question, and the
court told Mrs. Kline she need not answer.
VAN NATTA AND THE LOVE P1ILTER,
The witness told Attorney Duncan of a
conversation she once had with Mrs. Goodin
in which the latter asserted that DR.. Has
kinson had given Van Malta a love philter
In order to win his affections.
In her direct examination, conducted by
Mr.. Wiltsie, Mrs. Kline related the circum-
stances of the assault on DR.. Haskinson on
the night of May % last, and told of her re-
lations with Mrs. Goodin. She declared
that all she did was under the direction of
the accused woman, who hated DIR. Haskin-
son. The witness said she lived in the En-
plre block at different periods for about five
years. she was living there at the time of
her arrest, and for eight weeks prior to the
commission of the crime there was scarcely
a day that she did not see Mrs Goodin. She
first knew of the latter's jealousy of DIR.
Haskinson when they were standing at the
window one day looking into the street.
Two women drove by, and Mrs. .Goodin re-
marked; There goes that thing"
Mrs. Kline asked: who do you mean?'
why, that so-called doctor. Aimee Has
from Is 'r rsspgsd e nr ske o Van Malta
The witness said that Mrs. Goodin talked
continually about Van Malta and Dr. Has
kinson and wanted her (the witness) to do
SOmafhinp iSf ba fnr'c
face. She advised Mrs. Goodin to punish
the doctor herself. Mrs. Kline asserted that
one morning Mrs. Goodin was handed re-
volver by her daughter, who remarked:
Here's Bob's revolver. Kill the dirty
-. Nothing is too bad to do to her.
The daughter, according to the witness,
also procured a razor. which she brought
to her mother and advised her to slash the
Doctors face with 1t.
pened in the house on West New York
street where Mrs Goodin is alleged to have
evening of May II last. Mrs. Kline told of
the alleged plot to put DIR. Haskinson out of
the way. She said that as Mrs. Wright, the
owner of the house. left the room after they
had taken possession for the night Mrs.
Goodin said to her: IF you smell medicine
during the night you will know that Susie
for my rheumatism" Mrs. Kline was
known as Susie, the daughter, on this occa-
sion. She said that after Mrs. Wright had
tori Tell her your mother is very sick:
bring her here and I will do the rest" The
witness quietly related how she had refused
to do the bidding of the other woman, be-
cause Dr. Haskinson had never harmed
her. and she did not wish to bring trouble
upon the widow and two children who were
in the house. Mrs. Goodir, she said, grew
furious at her refusal, and. tearing off her
bonnet and wig, exclaimed: You coward.
you've got nv secrets and now won't help
me out. I'll kill you if you won't kill her
or help me do iti' The witness said she
placed herself between the furious woman
and the box which they had brought con-
tanning revolver They left the room in
about an hour and went home.
DETAILS OF ANOTHER PLOT.
The witness related another instance when
1t was planned to take DIR. Haskinson's life.
This was on May II. On that night she
was awakened from her sleep by Mrs.
Goodin, who said that she had another
message" She asked the witness to go
with her TO DR.. Haskinsons. They went to
a side window and Mrs. Goodin drew her
revolver. She asked Mrs. Kline to raise the
window so she could shoot DIR. Haskinson.
Mrs. Kline refused. and Mrs. Goodn asked
her to take the revolver and shoot. This
she refused to do. The witness went 20
tell how she was finally induced to throw
acid on Dr. Haskinson and of her subse-
quent arrest and Imprisonment. She said
that after she returned to Mrs. Goodins the