The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1899-10-19
ADMITS HE Is JESTER.
The Defense Surprises the
Prosecution.
THOs. RUTLEDGE \ STAR WITNESS
The old Farmer Tells Il Sensational
Story on the Stand.

preliminary trial opened with a sell
sation at 10 o'clock this morning.
The old prisoner. who Is charged with
having murdered the brother OF Jnn.
W. Gates. the Chicago millionaire,
has stoutly denied his identity ever
since his arrest last June He was
then known as Rev. 4. W. Hill, and
has insisted ON being called by that
name ever since his arrest In order
to prove that heis the same man who
escaped from Jail twenty-eight years
ago. while under Indictment for the
murder OF young Gates. the proSecu-
ton, at heavy expense, brought wit :
nesses to Paris from Indiana. Illinois.
Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and
Texas.
As soon as the case was called this
morning Attorney Patrick Cullen. the
defendant attorney. astonished the
prosecution by rising and saving:
In order to save time and To dis
pell useless theories We admit that
the prisoner at the bar is Alexander
Jester. We also admit that he is the
same Alexander Jester who Travelled
throughout Missouri with Gilbert
Gates in 1871 To the charge against
him. we plead not guilty"
Paris. Mo. Oct. 1.-THE second
day of the Jester preliminary trial
closed with one of the most damag-
ing and sensational links the prose
cution has vet forged in the chain OF
evidence woven around the decrepit
old prisoner
Witness after witness had positive
Iv identified Jester as the man who
escaped from jail while under indict-
ment for the murder of his young
travelling companion, twenty-eight
years ago They swore that the
team and wagon found iii his pos
session were those of Gilbert Gates.
They swore to the description OF the
shepherd dog that had been the i'll
seperable companion of the boy up
To the very day that it, as we'll as he,
suddenly disappeared. the night al
ter they had left Middle Grove. on
Jan. %. 1871, and through it all the
prisoner sat with downcast eyes and
sullen countenance.
Then Thomas Il. Rutledge was put
on the stand Al the time OF the al
legged tragedy he lived east OF Middle
Grove. and WAS one OF the most re-
liable and substantial farmers in
Monroe county. He testified a. fol
lows:
In 1871 | lived east OF Middle
Grove. Mo. On the evening OF Jan.
%. 1s71-I remember the date. be
cause my daughter was born that
dav-one Of nay children called my
attention to two movers wagons
coming down the hill just west OF my
house. This wasanunusual sight to
us. and still more remarkable because
there was only one driver. the rear
team following the first.
Here Mr. Rutledge infinitely de
scribed the rear team and ii shepherd
dog that followed it. and both Tailed
exactly with the description Of the
team and dog Gilbert Gates owned
when he left nome.
Il started down 10 the gatetO look
at the outfits. he continued. but
the driver was anxious to avoid me.
for he whipped his horses into trOt,
and passed the gate when Twas about
$50 feet away Right in front OF my
gate were two hickory trees. one on
each side of the road. and there was
barely room for - wagon to pass be-
tween them. The driver OF the front
wagon. whirh was lightly covered
all around. evidently feared that the
team and wagon he had following
would not pass the trees in safety.
for, just after he passed, the cover OF
the wagon was suddenly thrown back
and the man leaned FAR out and look
ed behind
HEARD \ SHOT.
Il watched the wagons until they
entered thu woods on Bee branch.
east OF my place, when heard a gun
discharged Soon after this / went
up the lane toward Middle Grove 4
heavy snow covered the ground. Just
a short distance beyond the point
where / first saw the two wagons
saw tracks that showed that two