Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-07-20
.SAH JESTER LONG AGO
DIR. FRED MOSS, OF PARIS, WAS
A VISITOR TO THE MEXICO
JAZZ THIS MORNING.
JESTER CHANGED BUT LITTLE.
DR.. Moss Identities the Old Man as
the Jester Who Was Prisoner
at Paris Statement Of Judge
Thomas B. Bashaw.

DIR. Fred Moss, Of Paris, to-day
identified the man now in jail under
tbs name OF Alexander Jester as the
came man who was arrested and
placed in jail In Paris 30 years ago.
Or. Moss says he was 10 years old
at that time and that be has vivid
brain picture Of Jester as he was
seated ON rack outside Of the Paris
jail and while he was waiting for the
doors to be opened. He says that
Jester has changed but little, except
ing that be looks older.
Deputy Sheriffs Martin Clark and
j. p. Masterson and Attorney J. r.
Reynolds came to Mexico with DR..
Moss. They said that their visit was
of no especial Importance. They
think that there will be an effort to
take Jester to Monroe county for
trial, but It will be futile.
JUDGE THos. P. BAsHAw's STORY.
The 81. Louis Republic says that
Judge Thomas p. Bashaw, OF that city,
expects to be called on to defend
Alexander Jester, when his trial for
the murder of bis travelling compan-
ion, Gilbert w. Gates, comes up in
this city.
Judge Bashaw was once resident
of Mexico. He came from Paris, Mo-,
here and afterward located In st.
Louis, whore he is still practicing law.
Tina Republic says Bsshaw defended
Jester at his preliminary hearing be-
fore Justice OF the Peace James Speed,
in Paris, Mo-, and was appointed by
Circuit Judge John T. Redd TO defend
Jester on the trial which was pending
when he escaped from jail at Mexico,
Mo.
No one at present at Mexico remem-
members the details Of TESTERS escape
from jail. Judge Bashaw related them
to . Republic reporter yesterday;
"The jail at Mexico was an exact
reproduction OF the one at Paris, Mo, )"
he says. "They were built by the
same plans. Jeste= c>capied cell In
which q window opened into the outer
sir about Ave feet from the ground.
The bars In this window had not been
let into the Stone stiIl and merely met
it, the junction being concealed by
cement. Jester, with q caseknife,
which had been brought him with his
meals, scraped the cement from
around the iron bar. Then he pulled
the bar inward, wormed through the
opening thus left, dropped to the
ground and walked away.
PLANNED THE DEFENSE.
81 had TESTERS defense all planned
when he escaped, and ! feel certain
that with fair jury Jester would have
been acquitted. The States case was
weak. 1t had nothing except circum-
stantial evidence. 1t could not pro-
duce the body of Gates and could not
prove that he was dead. It could not
even prove that crime had been
committed, much less that it had been
committed by Jester.
THE CHANGE OF VENUE.
at was I who obtained the change
of venue for Jester. proved that the
Paris Mercury, then edited by Bean &
Mason, had printed matter tending to
influence the people OF the district
against Jester. put Mr.. Bean on the
stand and made him bring bis circula-
tion accounts with him. In that way,
proved that the Mercury had a cir
culation Of 2,SOO In the county and that
the matter 1t had printed was all ad-
verse to the defendant. As result
of this the Judge granted the change
OF venue to Audrain County and Jes-
ter was transferred to the jail at Mex
leo. He escaped from there soon
after.
SAW JESTER ONCE AFTER.
"I never heard from Jester after he
escaped. am not sure that the man
now under arrest ct Mexico is Jester.
I have my opinion, buE won't ex-
press II now. Jester never wrote to
me, and l am glad he did not, because
to have done 90 would have been dam
gerous.
"About three years ago was trav-
cling in Texas, when I saw, seated in
q wagon at a small station, man l
felt certain was Jester. / knew him
well, and / felt certain it was he. He
looked at me, too, In . way that felt
sure he recognized me. I didn't speak
to him, however. It wasn't my busI-
ness to catch Jester"
THE STORY TOLD By JESTER.
Judge Bashaw said; "The story as
Jester told 1t to me then was that he
and Gates were travelling over the
country in two two-horse wagons, ex-
hibiting buffalo calf, charging an ad-
mission fee Of 10 cents. They camped
oue night Ianuarv q. 1871. near Mid