The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1899-10-19
TESTERS SISTER TALKS.


Paris, Nc, Oct. .0.--Mrs. CornciIn
Street, whn. .; is alleged. betrayed her
brother. Alexander Jester, last June.
arrived here to-day. She will bo one
Of the principal witnesses used by the
atnte In it, effort 20 convict the old
prisoner OF the murder OF Gilbert
Gates in 1871. a correspondent met
her as she entered the paTior at the
.Doley hotel, and, after introducing
himself remarked:
"Sou are not SO bad looking wom-
an az the pictures IN the daily papers
would make one believe. Mrs. Street. =
No" she answered, "the papers
have published nothing but lies In re-
gard to me, but all the truth will bc
told when | go on the witness stand
Alexander Jester and some ncwspa.
pers have denounced me a. an un-
natural sister iecnnse ! betrayed him.
! did Il because ] thought my life dc
pended on placing him in a position
where he could not harm me. The
world will not judge me 40 hurshly
when the truth Is known.
Away hack In 1871 lived IN In.
diana with my husband and seven chill.
drrn. My hufband was a cooper by
trade, and We were doing well until
Iny half.broiher, Alexander Jester, ne.
turned unexpectedly one day from
Kansas. He WAS alone, but had two
teams and two wagons. One Of the
first things I asked him was why on
earth be wanted 10 use two wagons
and teams while travelling alone. lie
laughed. aud said he bought one of
them at n bargain out In Missouri, aud
brought II on to- Indiana, where he
knew he could sell Il at big profit.
Hut he did not sell II. lie put Mt us
10 60 back tn Kansas with him, aud
talked 10 giowlngly of the great Gd-
,nniuges Of that country that we final.
~ consented to go back with him. a
few days later we loaded out goods
into the very wagon that was after.
ward Identified ns the property of
Gilbert Gates. and started west.
Testers Esrnp~.
THE very day after we reached his
place, near Wichita, he was arrested.
The wagon and team my family had
used was unidentified as the property of
Gilbert Gates, and various articles of
clothing my brother had in his pos
session proved 10 be the property of
the boy with whom he had Travelled
from Fora Scott, kas., 10 Middle
Grove, MOI lie was taken back to
Missouri shortly after his arrest, and
my husband moved TO Knnsas City in
August, 1871.
after my hali-brother was indicted
for the murder of young Gates IN the
fall OF 1871 he escaped from Jail. /
never saw or heard Of him again until
two years ago. thought he WIS dead.
but one day / received a letter from
bin, telling me that he was living at
Shawnee, Okla. lie told me that he
was u changed man and had been n
model citizen since his escape from
jail In 1871. lie also said that hc had
been a minister Of the Gospel for rs
years and gave me 20 understand That
lte was In good circumstances. lie
wanted me to come and live with him.
Several letters followed, IN which he
urged me to share his home with him,
and assured me that hc was then "a
good citizen.
AT last he visited me AT Kansas
City, and agreed 10 go to Oklahoma
and keep house for him. When | got
there I found that he had hnsely de
Crivcd me as to his circumstances. He
was three months behind with his
rent aud paid SIS TO keep him from
being turned out Of doors All he
owned was n wagon and very good
team. One day he proposed to rue
that he sell his wagon and team and
put the proceeds with my little mite
Il had about 5000 and build us little
home.
Quarrel Over His Daughter.
Paying rent WAS uphill business.
and agreed to this proposition on
condition that we live alone and enter
into contract by which. la case one
oi M died. the other should have the
property. lie had children. and 10 did
]. and this contract was intended TO
deprive them Of any right to the place
should either of us die.
"Vcry shortly after we moved into
our new house my brothers daughter
came dGwn from Norman, Okla. She
stated that her mother, my brothers
divorced wife. had turned her out Of
doors, and she had come to live wi,h
US. told my brother he could not take
her In without violating our contract,
and he brutally told me II I did not
like II I could get out myself. lie made
my life so miserable by his abuse
leave. All my money was invested in
the house and ! was forced 60 sew 10
support myself. My brother continued
20 hound me, and. knowing what
crimes he was capable of committing,
was afraid TINT he would Kill me. /
knew his past history and determined
TO betray him TO the officers Of the
law, feeling that my own life depend
ed on his imprisonment This Is the
truth, the whole truth and nothing but
tho truth"
'Did Mr. jester ever mention his &C.
cape from jail2''
"Yes: two or three times he saiI
that friends enabled him 10 escape
trom the Jail ut Mexico In Is7i-"
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FAMOUS IN SPORTS.