Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-07-20

die Grove, Mo. The next morning
they started from there along the
Glasgow or old State road, to Paris,
no. About four miles east Of Middle
Grove roaderuns north from the
State road to Madison, railroad sta
tiou on the NJ, K. & 7. Railroad. At
that road, Jester told me. be and
Gates separated. Gates sold ali his
belongings to Jestar and took the
Madison road with the Intention of
going home to bis folks. Jester then
continued TO drive east on the state
road toward Paris. Instead, however,
of taking the Paris soad, be turned Of
at right angles on neighboring road
which led to Reese's Creek. The
prosecution claimed that Jester killed
Gates q short distance east OF the
Madison road, where they asserted
that blood-stains were found in the
snow later, and turned on toward
Reese's Creek In order to throw the
body into the creek. Jester asserts
that he lost his way, and took the
road to Reese'e Creek BY mistake.
This Is q very likely thing, as there
was q heavy fall OF snow on the
ground. The State road was fenced
on both sides up to where the neigh
borhood road runs into 1t, and after
that it angled across the prairie un-
fenced, while the neighborhood road
was fenced on both sides. Jester, not
knowing the country, naturally sup
posed that the fenced road was the
main road, especially as the other
road had been very little travelled that
day and presented a practically un-
broken surface OF snow.
After leaving the main road, Jester
made a long circuit, again crossing
the creek and running into the Paris
road about eight miles east OF where
he left It,"
JEsTER's REPUTATION.
HAGERsrowE, IND, July 1S.--J. @.
Hoffman and 3. @. Weiss, attorneys
from Chicago, are here in the interest
of President Gates Of the American
Steel and Wire 90. Their object is to
discover evidence concerning the rep
utation OF Alex. Jester during the
years he resided in this county prior
to the alleged murder of Gilbert Gates
in 1871. They say Jester had very
fiery temper, and that be was feared
and Stunned by his neighbors. Many
witnesses viii be taken from here to
testify at TESTERS trial.
JUDGE BAsHAw AT THE JAIL.
Judge Thos. P. Bashaw, Of st. Louis
a former attorney for Alexander Jes.
ter, was in Mexico Friday and called
at the county jail, where Jester is con-
fined.
When seen at P. H. Cullen's office
afterward Judge Bashaw was In q
jolly mood, but he persistently turned
the conversation from the Jester case.
He was anxious to know whether the
reporter was born when he left here
about 30 years ago.
~ presume Judge that you are hero
to lock into the lester case2n said the
reporter.
'sYou are presumptious," laughing
ly said Judge Bashaw, ~ am here to
sell my tobacco When asked how
many acres he had for sale the Judge
said that he did not known, as it was
last years. crop.
"Dldy you come up here to see Alex
ander Jester?n
81 suppose, that had Jester been
arrested, l would have come for that
purpose.n
"will you enter tho defense inf the
case2u
81 have not been asked to. ] stop
ped over while on my way to O oentra-
liza; I will leave for there at O'Clock
tonight
SAYS HE CAN IDENTIFY JESTER.
Sheriff III. N. Nelson to-day Feceiv-
ed the following letter, dated at Lane,
Kansas;
"Slr: / see by the papers that you
have some trouble In Identifying Jes-
ter. am very wen acquaisted with
Jester and his family. l met him at
Wichita, Kansas, from the time he
fret settled there. ] was one of the
guards over Jester at the trial al
Wichita In III and helped old man
Gates on the case. / would know
Jester anywhere. l have hunted buff
falo with him at his house many times;
knew him very well. II l can be of
any service to you can be found at
Lane, Franklin County, Kansas
"When I was at Wichita / was in
the trading post with the Indians and
saw the testers from 'e7 to III; about
once week.
[sIaNED] "a. 7. BENNING."
ooNv1cT's STORY DOUBTED.