The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-07-28
JESTER'S DEFENSE
His Attorneys Hold Conference
and Discuss the Case

ST. Io4.s. Mo. July g7-P. H. Cuihu OF
Mexico. No who VIII defend Alexander
Jester was n the city yesterday look
ing ater a suH iu the federal court lie
held consultation wtth judge y. r. Ba-
shaw of The city relative 70 defeuse
of the old man now In jail at Mexico and
10 is altogether likely that tho Judge will
ald in the defense lie was one of the at
torneys who defended Jester when he
was arralgned Ga Monroe county early
IN the seventies for tho murder of Gil
Der, Gates.
"It ga rather strange" sad Judge Ba
shaw go consider the number OF wit
nczses who are yvt LIVING. There "a su'
luon-r suanpe feature Of the casa and
Uat s that none 0f the original .eeti-
mouy uf the preliminary hearing seems
90 be in existence 4 was a young lapyer
at The time and took coplous notes of The
testimony as did also Jester himself, tho
Justice OF the peace before whom rto
hcarng was held and tho Circuit A,ti
uey Alexander SO far as 7 have learned
all OF this has been lost. I felt certain
thai ] had prcserved my notes but We
ut boen able to nud them
d DO not know what tbo prosecution
has discovered since the preliminary
hearing. but al that time there was not
enough testimony T. convict he1amo
very much interested in the case and e.
member the nature of at the testimony
quite well Judge owen 4 Rouse Of New
AlcXco was IA law partner OF mine at
tha time ANA j was appointed TO assist
him Ia the defense OF Jester
Jester had no money lie had but 20
oouts on MIA person when ho was arrest
Cd an owned a half interest ia a little
nome ln Shawnee valued at about $3.50
lt 10 said chat ho placed a mortgage on
his interest ga this soon after he was
arrested and when no employed a coun-
sci to resist the attempt OF sheriff Mel
son OF Moxico 60 bring him back TO MiB-
souri, II soems ho draws a tl2 month
disability pension from the government,
and this constitutes the total OF Ia
worldly assets He has three or four mar
ried children but It a not known II they
ore willing or able 10 help him.
AT the preliminary hearing tho state
,Won'y-thrce witnesses and seven of
arc known w be dead. Others
not testify at the hearing before the jas
tice OF the Peace but were probably
called beflre the @. and Jury and a., no
| longer Ina tha land 90 the living br,nga
the total OF dead Witnesses Tor the state
up TO twelve Tue others. Il seeirs can
be found Many Others have been d's-
covered a ~ stated whose test.mO ~ v u
be- 1f value and all toge her it is expect
lea that 200 persona VIII be sImmoned a.
tosiy
Tint both sidcs are preparing for a dea
] lyrats struggle admits OF no DOUBT aud
,5, raouth TO come the country viii be
seli CLed for ney testimony. lt 8 held by
/ tne prosecution that the defense wii not
attempt TO question the Identity of tnc
man under arrest but VIII make u1o
most out OF the inability OF the state to
produce the dead body OF Gilbert Gates
| OF Gnd Witnesses who saw u. Undoubt-
| cdiy great dead OF new testimony Is
Icing gathered up and neither side Is in
be ,east disposed 70 acqualnt the other
| Hith VIII. & has discovered.
The lawyers regard t as a remarkable
fact tbat So many persons arc turning
up who Lnt " something connected either
directly or indirectly witch the case
Many OF these witnesses live IN othei
states and some OF them a long way frou
Missouri. Added 70 everything eiss '.ne
cranks have been released from the {
cages and they are harrassing the law
yors with their views. Fortunately f0l
Jester. he Is IA jail and mo sheriff ~n
not permit the eranks % see him con'
scquenty the latter are In such poslt
n that they are compelled TO fall bach
"a The unprotected lawy They hav'
ala soris OK theories about the e1ss al.
b most any Of which ought 10 bo 3Jnsider
ga sufficient 10 admit them 70 an insaai
: asylum.