Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-13
STRONG CASE AGAINST YECER
Several Persons Near By When the Fatal
Blow is Dealt Eggleton,
NO ONE APPARENTLY ACTUALLY SEES i
Ieper on n visit 20 Town the Same
Day Offers to Pay Fine for
"Hitting n Man"-state
Rests ITS Case.

TEKAMAH, Neb., Oct. 12.-(special In
the Yeger murder trial today A. NJ. Brad
shaw, a neighbor living near the scene Of
the tragedy, testified he was in sight of
the men at the time of the quarrel and saw
Yeger coming down the road, saw him stop
his team and unlock the tugs of one Of
the horses and remove the singletree and
heard the men quarreling, both OF them
talking in loud tones, but could not dis
tinguish anything that was said. Brad
shaw was not looking at the men at the
time the blow was struck, but heard the
rattle of the singletree and the sound of
the blow. He looked up Immediately and
saw Eggleton on the ground and Yeger 60
ing toward his wagon. He and his wife
hurried to Eggleton and when they got to
him he was on his knees trying to get
up, which he did almost Immediately, and
went TO plowing again. Bradshaw and his
wife spoke to him, but he did not answer
and they turned and started for home. They
had gone but short distance when they
heard Eggleton fall and they returned to
him. They found him crawling on the
ground, covered with dirt and burrs and
with others who had come up took Eggleton
to his home. The witness said he saw a
man accompany Yeger to his gate and then
turn back to Yeger's house.
G. w. Page testified he had known Eggle-
ton for twelve or fifteen years and knew
him to be quiet, peaceabe man. The
day previous to the commission Of the crime
he had heard a conversation between Yeger
and Best about keeping the road open that
ran through Eggleton's land. They said
they were going to keep it open, as it had
been travelled for thirty years. Page was
with the sheriff the day after the murder
when the singletree was taken from Yeger's
wagon. (Here the witness identified the
singletree which was introduced in evil
dence). The witness said he had never heard
any one say that Eggleton was a quarrel
some man.
Overheard the Quarrel.
Jack Best, the man who is said to be
somew what implicated with Yeger, was called
by the state. He said he lived about forty
rods from Yeger's and on the day of the
murder went with Yeger near where Eggle-
tcu was plowing He heard Yeger say to
Eggleton: Il told you not to plow there
Some words followed between Yeger and
Eggeton, but the latter kept on plowing.
Yeger stopped his team, got out of his
wagon, took off a singletree and went across
lots and met Eggleton at the corner. The
witness said he had by this time stepped
back into the orchard, where he met Mrs.
Yeger coming from the house the run.
He heard Yeger say "get out of here" and
heard the blow struck, but did not see 1t.
He saw Eggleton lying on the ground and
went back to Yeger's house and told the
Page boys. who were working there, that
Yeger had knocked Eggleton down. Wit
ness denied stopping Mrs. Yeger or saying
anything to her.
A neighbor of Eggleton's named Napier
testified he was plowing near by the day
OF the murder and saw Yeger and Best ia
the Eggleton field that day. He only glanced
up occasionally from his work and did not
see the trouble nor hear any of it. He saw
Best and Mrs. Yeger together in the orchard
which overlooked the scene of the tragedy
Charles Goodrich testified he assisted
others to carry Eggleton home. The efforts
of the state to show by this witness what
Eggleton said regarding the trouble were
objected to by the defense and the court
sustained the objection. Goodrich said
Eggleton did not want to be moved; it hurt
him. Some blood was running from his
mouth and nose. The witness did not think
Eggleton realized the serious nature of his
wound.
R. G. Langley told about Yeger coming to
him the afternoon Of the occurrence saying
he wanted to pay a fine for hitting a man.
Langley told him there would have to be a
complaint filed and he must plead guilty.
Yeger went away, but was arrested about
o'clock that night. After recalling some
witnesses to establish Egglston's rights 20
the disputed land by right of adverse pos
session the state rested.