The Penn's Grove record., 1899-06-30
OHHBR
Conscience ImpeIs Her to D%enCu1ce
the Slayer Of Her Betrcthed,
THE DRAMATIC IDENTIFICATION.
The Crime Was Committed Twenty-eight
Years Ago-Murderer Writes to His
Sister For Forgiveness, But She In
forms on Him-Brother of Victim
identifies Him In a Western Jail.

forms on Him-Brother of Victim
identifies Him In a Western Jail.
SHAWNEE, Okla. [Special).-John W.
Gates, OF Chicago, unhesitatIngly ideltin,1
Alexander Jester as the nan who murdered
his brother, Gilbert Gates, twenty-eight
years ago. The Identification took place
In The jail at Teeumseh under most drama
tic circumstances.
Under-SheriT Ward had about fifteen
prisoners sitting together in the corridor
Of the jail when the party entered. With
scarcely a moments hesitation, Mr.. Gates.
after a glance at the prisoners, fixed his
ave on Jester, and, walking up to him, said.
"Mr. Jester, do you not remember mef'
The old man stared at him for a moment,
when he dropped his eyes and replied In an
almost inaudible tone:
"No."
"Do you not remember me transferring
you from the jail at Paris, Mo-, to have tue
papers read to you for the murder OF my
brother?" asked Mr.. Gates.
Jester made no response. His head bent
,urther forward. his face began working
,onyulsively, and then he broke down and
began to weep. In a minute or two he
9rokenly replied he had forgotten.
Don't you think 1t Is time" asked Mr.,
yates, "for YOU to repent for the foul deed
you committed when you took tho life OF
ny brother, then cut a hole in the Ice and
showed his body through it?'
Jester seemed completely overcome, and,
after a moments silence, murmnred in
broken terms: God forgive me! God for
give met
In a few moments he recovered his COM
posture to some extent aud begged Mr..
Gates not to talk any more about his
brothers death.
The identin cation of the murderer OF his
brother rounds out what John w. Gates
has considered his life work. When they
we're young men in Warrensburg, Mo-, and
of little consequence in the world, the
bond between them was very close.
Charles Gilbert Gates was killed by Jester
because of his attentions to the ~lutter's
sister. He was lured into the country and
shot. While Jester was being taken to the
Mexico City jail to avoid lynching he
escaped. During all these years nothing
has been heard from him.
Meanwhile John W. Gates left Missouri
and went to Chicago. He worked as a la
Dorer and then started n small wire mill.
He made money rapidly and is now one OF
The great m~illionaires Of the United States.
He never gave up the search for the muir
ierer OF his brother. He has spent thou.
sands of dollars trying to discover TESTERS
whereabouts.
TESTERS sister has been true to the mem
Dry OF her murdered sweetheart. She still
lives in Warrensburg, a white-haired OLD
woman. Not long ago she received Il let
Ter from her brother saying that he had
been converted and asking her forgive
ness. He said he had lived under the name
ot W. II. Hills ever since the murder, and
his home was in Tecumseh, Oklahoma.
The sister Immediately notified the Te-
,umseh authorities that her brother was
an escaped murderer. They sent word to
John W. Gates. In Chicago, and his law
yers telegraphed him at the Oriental Ho-
tel, Manhattan Beach. He Immediately
left for Guthrie.
Governor Barnes was notified OF the iden-
tiication OF Jester and re honored the
reuuisition for the return Of Jester to Mis-
,ouri for trial. Sheriff Nelson has taken
his prisoner to Missouri. Jester is very
feeble and probably will not live to be
Tried.