Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-07-06
JESTER IS RESTING.
BROUGHT TO MEXICO AND LODG.
I'D IN Jan BY SHERIFF
n. n. NELSON.
TIE SHERIFF Did SOME SCHEMIHG.
The Prisoner is Aged and DeCrepit,
But His Voice is Clear--Hs
Talks to the Ledger-He
Sticks to 1t That He
Ia hot the Man
Wanted.
TIE SHERIFF Did SOME SCHEMIHG.

Sheriff N. N. Nelson returned. from
Oklahoma Monday morning at three
o'clock. BE brought Alexander Jes-
ter with MIN. He had ITO steal him"
The story Of Mr. Nelson's efforts to
secure possession OF Jester would I'LL
q book. He arrived In Guthrie, Ok,
on Saturday, June "a. As there was
some fault In the requisition papers
he was compelled to ROMAN in uuth-
RE three days to have the papers
Strengthened. When be finally got to
Shawnee the habsas corpus proceed
ines were opened and the q o set
for trial on June 8, before Probate
Judge Jennings, father Of the noted
train robber who lie serving q 2O-year
sentence.
Sheriff Nelson, satisfied that Judge
Jennings had no jurisdiction, set to
work to have the proceedings dis
missed. In company with Prosecut-
ing Attorney l.. @. Pittman he went
before District Judge Burroughs in
Oklahoma City and It was that gen.
tlemen's opinion that the probate
Judge had no jurisdiction in the case.
To decide this the case was to come
up at 10 O'Clock Monday morning.
1t is said that had Sheriff Nelson's
point been carried in this matter that
habeas corpus proceedings would
have been brought before the United
States Judge.
On Saturday night, Sheriff William
T~rousdale, supposedly upon the adj
vice Of the prosecuting attorney OF
Pottawotomie county and the dis
trict Judge, decided to surrender Jes-
ter to Sheriff Nelson. He did 90 and
accompanied the sheriff and his pris-
oner to Oklahoma City.
Great secrecy was necessary in
bringing the prisoner here, as there
10 a certain Iawless class In the ter
rItory which did not want the Mis-
souri, officer to get his man. The two
sheriifs, a deputy sheriff and the pris-
oner left Tecumssh st 1 O'Clock Sat
urday night and drove i've miles to
Shawnee, where they took a special
train to Oklahoma City. From there
the trip was made over the Santa Fe
to Kansas City and then to this city
over the Wabash. Deputy Sheriff
Howard Smith came with Sheriff
Nelson.
Mr.. Nelson said that morning that
the more intelligent people Of Okla
homa desired that Justice be done In
the trial and that they thought Jes-
ter should be brought to Mexico for
this purpose.
Mr.. Nelson said that the report
that Governor Barnes advised him to
bring the prisoner to Mexico upon the
consideration that the habeas corpus
should be tried here ID without foun-
dalton. Sheriff Nelson says that the
Governor had nothing to do with his
securing the prisoner.
Gov. Barnes received the following
telegram from Chicago on June 30:
"Gov. O. Nj. Barnes, Guthrie, Okla:
Is IL possible the ends Of justice can
be defeated Ia Pottawatomie county,
Ny Identification OF Jester was COM
plete. He was also identified by MIR.
Finks, a resident OF the county, who
was 10 Paris, NO., at the time Jester
was Indicted. l can scarcely believe
there is any way by which a fugitive
from Justice, indicted for murder in
the first degree, cannot be extradited
from your territory upon the requisi-
ton OF the Governor Of Missouri on
you, and your issuing q warrant for
such removal I fear Jester will be
taken from jail by his friends, and
that after twenty eight years, justice
will be defeated unless you a sug-
gest some way by which Jester can
be removed to Missouri promptly. /
understand Probate Judge Jennings
has postponed the hearing OF the
habeas corpus case until July 5. Il
there anything l oar do or you can
suggest that viii enable the ends OF
Justice TO be fairly met by the extra
dltion OF this villainous murderer
from your territory to Audrain coun-
ty, Mo-, where he should be tried and
81. W. GATES"
Gov. Barnes replied 10 this that he
thought justice would be done to both
the aged prisoner and Gates, and sug-
gested that he could send counsel to
Tecumssh at Gates expense to advise
procedure.
Unless Jester applies for bond be
will be held for trial In the Septem-
Der term Of court, as he has never
pleaded to the original indictment and
his first appearance before the court
win be when he comes up to plead
guilty or not guilty.
The old man may apply for ball, but
az he was indicted for murder In
the FIRST degree It is not likely that
he will beadmitted to II.
A telegram from Wichita says;
"Feeling lie high against the aged pris-
oner's sister, Mrs. Street, ct Shawnet
and the authorities are afraid Of the
movements Of the prisoners friends.f
Sheriff Nelson says that this report
is untrue; in fact, he says that he hei
never seen snch q garbled up thing
In his life. He claim that the Wich'
ita reporters and correspondents az
the cause Of most OF the delay AMI
trouble.
when Mr.. Nelson and his prisoner