The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-31

| dollar size bottles at drug stores.
s---1=-------------
| The story sent out from Eureka that
Mrs. New made confession at any time
is absolutely false.
Dobbs and Mrs. New were arrested nine
! days after the murder. The arrest was
the result of suspicion caused by the fact
that before the murder Dobbs was often
at the New home, and after the murder
Dobhs went to the New farm almost every
day to help Mrs New with the care of the
stock. The friendship of Dobbs and New
had lasted for years. They were near
neighbors Dobbs was a widower with
two little children. New had no children
but the two little nieces of Mrs. New lived
with them. Dobbs helped New with the
farm work Mrs New in turn would go to
| Dobbs house and sew for the children.
This did not arouse suspicion in the mind
of New. The friendship between the two
men continued. Dobbs even took Mrs
/ New to a circus that showed in Eureka,
and New consented to it.
| The morning after the murder Dobbs
went to the New home and laid out the
body of New for burial Dobbs dug the
grave and was one of the pall-bearers.
When the grave was filled in Dobbs said
to those present:
Ct will round up the grave and sod it.
Joe New was the best friend I had, and
will take care Of his grave and will look
out for Mrs. New
All of these things were produced al the
| trial later as damaging evidence against
Dobbs and Mrs. New. But it must be re-
membered that Mrs. New was not bright
woman. She was dull in mind. Dobbs was
plain, plodding, uneducated farmer.
They knew nothing of the ways of the
courts of law.
A most interesting fact was brought out
at the trial by the evidence of T. R.
! Denchfield, a neighbor of Mrs. New. He
| testified that every night after the muir
/ der until Mrs. New was arrested she stay
/ ed at his home. When people began TO
suspect that Dobbs was the murderer Mr..
Denchfeld told her about it, and in her
simple way she said:
! IF Dobbs wanted to get me he ought to
have run off with me and not killed my
! husband"
Mr. Denchf1eld testified that as soon as
Mrs. New learned that Dobbs was sus-
pected of killing her husband she seemed
| to believe it and lost all respect for Dobbs.
She ordered him to leave her farm and
never set foot on it again.
When Dobhs and Mrs. New were arrest
ed she engaged Attorney Schultz to defend
her. Her simplicity is shown by the fact
that she decided 10 him every dollar and
bit of property she had in the world That
was a farm of 24O acres, clear Of all incum-
brance, worth at least $4,000 and stock,
buildings, implements and other property
worth 5000. making $1,000 in all. Attor-
ney Schultz got absolute and full posses
sion of this property. From the outset
Schultz insisted that neither Mrs. New nor
Dobbs should talk to any one. He watched
his two clients like a hawk. Mrs New
argued that she wanted a separate trial:
she did not want to be tried with Dobbs
and she did not want any of her money to
be used in defending Dobbs. But Attorney
Schultz silenced her and throughout the
trial the two defendants sat in court to-
gether, silent as mummies.
The prosecution was conducted by the
county attorney. L. H. Johnson, assisted
]
ing lawyer in Greenwood county, who was
engaged especially TO assist in the prose-
cution. The case was tried before Judge
Shinn.
After the evidence for the state was all
! in, evidence for defense having been cut
/ out. the jury retired at O'clock Satur-
/ day afternoon, January Q. TO consider a
! verdict and here is another remarkable
/ thing about the case. The jury remained
out from > O'Clock Saturday afternoon
until O'Clock Sunday morning and then
| brought in a verdict of murder in the sec
ond degree, when, If Mrs. New and
Dobbs were guilty at an it w>s OF murder
/ in the first degree. but five Of the Jurors
were for acQuittal. the others were for
/ murder in the first degree, and after ar
/ gDing fifteen hours they reached a com
/ promise under which the judge had the
! right to sentence Mrs. New and DObbs IN
I ten years in the penitentiary. While the
/ jury was out considering a verdict Mrs.
/ New was under guard in one Of the offices
/ in the court house. She was weeping and
+ talking with Mrs. Murphy. who had been
/ her neiEhbor. when she tainted. The re-
! pert spread that she had made a confess
! sion OF her guilt, bar ii was 4 Ease report.
/ Sheriff Knox saws she did not confess.
/ What she did say was:
Mrs. Murphy, 7 would ike 70 talk and
/ tell what know. bat Mr.. Schultz viii not
/ let me say "a word"
I The verdict returned, as copied from
/ the court records here, was:
We the jury. find the defendants
/ guilty of murder in the second degree"
/ When the sentence vas imposed Dobbs
arose and made the statement already
/ given. Attorney Schultz told the court
that his clients were satisfied with the
result OF the trial aad did not wish "a
move for new trial or an appeal.
Later Dobbs tried 10 xiii himself IN his
cell by craving with his teeth al The
veins ;n his wrist. He almost ble5 "a
death aut his felioRr-pEisoners saved f5r,
( Later be broke pewter spoon in two
and tried with the RAGGED edge To cut TIE
artery In his arm. but R-as prevented
again from killing himself
Protesting theiF Innocence always IN
cheir simple, ignorant way, this nan ana