El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-26
! TESTERS CASE.
Held to the Grand Jury at
Paris, Mo-. for d Murder He
Is Accused of Committing
Three Decades Ago.
Minneapolis Tribune.

D Alexander Jester, accused murdere
OF Gilbert Gates, was held to the gran
!, jury by Judge Moss as q result of hi
, preliminary trial. The jurors met: AT Wi
, chita Monday, and an indictment is ex
f pected to be secured early next week
, The prosecution will then ask that
, special term of the circuit court b.
held in January for the final trial o
the case
This was the third preliminary tria
of the aged prisoner, and each has re-
suited the same way. The first tria
was held before his extradition from
Kansas when arrested 1871. The sec
ond was held before his Indictment fol-
the murder after being brought to this
city few weeks later.
All the evidence taken at the pre-
liminary trial has been typewriter and
each witness has signed his testimony.
so that in case of the death of a witness
before the regular trial the states case
will not be affected.
CASE A REMARKABLE ONE.
The life story of Jester will be set
down in the pages OF criminal history
as remarkable and unique. If the
charge of murder is sustained the
al is lacking for a thrilling romance
love, adventure, mystery, sustained
deception, and finally betrayal The
man now charged with murder, if gull
ty, has been carrying the secret for
&c. years, while he preached and pros
pered, winning the respect and con-
fdence of his fellow townsmen and
making money where others failed.
It is not often that criminal es-
capes capture for SO long a time. 1t
Is not often, either, that one who has
reason to fear detection remains IN his
own country and In the vicinity of the
scene of his crime. Yet Jester has
done these things. It row remains for
the prosecution to prove that he is the
man who took the life of his travelling
mpanion in the Missouri woods for
the sake Of his team, his outfit and his
money.
While in jail here the accused has
heard daily the reports of progress in
the work Of collecting the evidence
against him, aud then, raising his fin
ger toward heaven, he insists that 81
am an innocent man." Without these
unique features in the case, however,
the trial would still attract general at
tion because of the prominence of the
Gates family John w. Gates, as presi-
dent of the American Wire and Steel
company, is widely known in this coun
try, and his father Is remembered by
old settlers as one of the conspicuous
pioneers in Illinois.
DISAPPEARANCE OF GATES.
The story of the murder dates back
to few months prior to Jan. Is, 1871.
1t was on that day that Gilbert Gates
was killed. Some time before his faith
err had equipped him for journey in a
prairie schooner through Missouri,
Kansas and other western states, with
the idea that his poor health might be
improved by a hunting expedition.
Jester was journeyipR over the same
territory, preaching, trading, prospect
ing and making money. Young Gates
family lived at Turner, ILL.,, and from
different points on his trip he sent
them letters relating his adventures
The last letter the family received told
of the acquaintance he had made with
Jester.
A few days later young Gates disappe-
AIRED. The father, following the case to
avenge suspected murder, had Jester
arrested at his farm in Kansas, search
ed him and found in his possession val
uables owned by t. = ~ son.
From this incident the story takes Jes-
ter to prison, W herehe escaped through
tunnel to live in disguise for 30 years
until the betrayal of his whereabouts,
by sister.
FIRST ARREST OF JESTER.
Paris that evening after dusk, each
driving his own team, and the buffalo
calf being tied behind TESTERS
SCHOONER The calf and the cara
vansary will figure prominently in the
trial, because the witnesses recall with
special accuracy the details of the out
fit. Late that night the teams were
path leading into a thick wood along
Allen creek. Next day the two wagons
were seen again on the road to Paris.
but Jester was driving one and leading
the other, aud the buffalo calf was fol-
loving behind.
Since the second capture of Jester
new details have been learned, so that
the evidence which will be arrsyed
against the accused on his formal trial
will be far more convincing, asserts the
prosecution, than it could have been
had be not escaped trial in 1871. Jester
does not deny the accidental meeting
with young Gates near Wichita, Kan,
or their subsequent mpanionship.
Gates had stopped by the roadside to
repair a broken wheel. Jester, sort
of jack-of-all trades, helped him. To-
gether they proceeded on their way.
Witnesses have testified that one of the
distine uishing features of the party
was a buffalo calf, with which they
gave exhibitions to the uninitiated in
Missouri. The two men and the calf
were together at Middle Grove, Mo-,
on the evening Of jan. 25 and that was |
the last time Gates was seen alive.
Jester entered the city and left there !
without exciting suspicion, although |
in the snow-covered trail he left be- !
hind there were blood spots. He cross !!
ed the river at Hannibal, and made .
his way across the state to Indiana, his I
old home. There he sold the team |