Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-06-29
1exioo. Audrain County, Missouri Thursday, j


- 80
He was arrested on June q by Dep.
uty ShsriiT Howard Smith, on infor-
nation contained In the st. Louis
Republic. Jester 10 now In the Teoum-
sch jail. A writ OF habess corpus hai
been filed by his attorneys in the Pro.
bate Court. The case is set for trial
next Tuesday.
Officers are now on route to take
Jester from Shawnee back to the
scene OF his crime and place him on
trial. Two days ago Jester was with
his family. The accused man still
protests his innocence. He says Gates
went away during the night. Then he
argues that his accusers are all dead
and public sentiment viii be in hiE
favor.
Sheriff Simmons left tonight fol
Shawnee upon the request of Sheriff
Nelson, OF Mexico, NO. The Mis-
souri, sheriff wired that requisitior
papers were en- route to Shawnee anc
for Sheriff Simmons to proceed there
and place Jester under arrest foI
Gates murder. 1t seems that the
Missouri officials did not know that
Jester had been arrested and jailed.
Deputy Marshal Boswell, who ar.
rested Jester, and Is now his jailer
said:
"When told him he would have tc
60 to jail with mo for killing Gates
the old man tottered and nearly fell.
thought he was going to faint, but he
did not. Then, after going few
minutes, he regained his oomposurs
and protested his innocence. So
made the arrest upon my own respon'
sibility."
Az important witness in the Jester
case, when brought to trial, is Mrs
Belle Anderson, the woman who claim
to have been living with the Jestel
family at the time OF the murder. She
is now living near Valley Center ant
said:
"when the report spread that jos
ter had murdered Gilbert Gates, Mrs
Jester was very much excited.
thought she would commit suicide
but l wrote to Jester in her name
telling him to come home, that one
OF the children was eick. This he
did and one OF the babies was sick
when he came.
~ had begun to feel that / wal
wrong to withhold the secret wher
his sister told 1t. Now am going Il
testify"
Mrs. Jester, wife of the accused
!, man, refuses to balk about the charges
Some Of the people OF Shawnee, II
is feared, viii attempt to liberate Jss'
ter unless he is soon removed.
Many Of TESTERS friends have or.
dered Mrs. Street out Of town. She Il
expected here tonight.
Jester probably will be brought tc
Wichita, where he win be met by the
Missouri officers, Gates father ant
others interested in the case.
Jester is wealthy. he owns sew
eral ranches near Shawnee and sew
eral hundred head OF cattle.
80 far, he has not employed an at
torney, relying entirely upon public
sentiment to acquit him. There are
many letters received every day ai
the sheriff's office from dIsInterestet
parties, who desire to contribute tc
Jester's acquittal. One man says:
"He has one foot in the grave; why
not let him die peacefully, and not in
q murderer's cell2"
Mrs. Street wrote Sheriff Simmons
to-day that, withal she was receiving
many letters denouncing her course
her conscience was relieved and she
felt her duty had been done.
WITNESSES WANTED.
To the Editor Of the st. Louis Republic.
PARIS, Mo, June 2.-An article pub
lished In your paper Of recent date
has led to the arrest of Alexander
Jester, of Shawnee, Ok, who stands
charged with having killed Gilbert
Gates in Monroe county, Mo-, January
25, 1871.
I find that the indictment has
indorsed thereon the names OF the
following persons as Witnesses: Asse
A. Gates, Of Illlnois, Henry Haley
George W. Drummer, Alvin Baker
William Riley, William Maxey, ool
Crawford Harris, Thomas b. Rut-
ledge, John T. Rutledge, William B
Giddings, W. F. Moore, Jr., Pleaaani
Outright, Mrs. Catherine Maize, Mrs.
Amanda Kizer, Edmond Riley, Henry
M. Rutledge, Stephen Curtis, Powell
Ownby and Allen Locker.
A great many Of the witnesses art
dead, others have moved to other
states, and their post Office address II
unknown. 1t is necessary for me tC
get into communication with as many
of the witnesses as possible at al
early date, and l beg the privilege o.
asking You to publish the foregoing
list of witnesses, and urgently re-
quest any and all Of them who may
see this to write me at once, giving
an outline Of their knowledge Of thu
case. would especially like to know
the whereabouts Of Asset A. Gates
father OF the murdered boy, who wa
at the time alleged in the indictmen
living, so l am informed, near Alton
III. I. T. RoDEs,
Prosecuting Attorney.
SORRY SHE TOLD THE SECRET.