The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-10
A COMPLICATED CASE.
4 Man Being Tried for Murder Com
mitted Years Ago.

CHICAGO, July s.-Alexander ]. Jester
was placed on trial in New London, Rolls
County, Mo-, today on a murder charge
nearly thirty years old. Jester is accused
OF having killed Gilbert Gates, brother of
John W. Gates, ex-chairman OF the board
of directors of the American Steel and
Wire Company. Nearly dozen lawyers
Will take part in the case. Two hundred
witnesses will be called. A jury panel OF
eighty men has been summoned.
w. S. Forrest, of Chicago, who will rep
resent John W. Gates in the prosecution,
left last night for New London. The State
of Missouri will be represented by T. T.
Rhodes, OF Paris, Mo-; J. H. Rhodes, of
Sedalia; c. p. Johnston. Of St. Louis, and
j. W. Hays, of New London. The lawyers
for Alexander J. Jester are Cullen G. Nc
lntyre, of Mexico, Mo. Judge David Ely,
of Hannibal will preside at the trial.
The prosecution will present a long and
seemingly unbroken chain of circumstan-
tial evidence. The principal points of the
defence are that Gates was seen alive after
the date of the supposed murder and that
there is no proof Of his death. in spite of
the efforts of his brother to find it. The
trial is expected TO last some eight weeks.
In its intricaciee, the story covers a
dozen States. A. A. Gates was a resident
Of Turner Junction. now West Chicago. in
1870. Gilbert and John W. Gates were his
sons, the former nineteen years old being
the elder. Charles Hazelhurst, a neighbor.
prepared to move to Kansas.
Gilbert Gates, with his fathers best
team and wagon, went with Hazelhurst,
taking load of household goods. Hazel
hurst settled at Towanda, Kan. Gilbert
Gates was not pleased with the country
however. and in January, 1871, he started
for home with the same outfit he took
away
Alexander J. Jester. then forty three
years old. was living at Valley Centre, near
Towanda. Jester had wife and six chill
dren. but, leaving them behind, he started
overland for a visit to his old home at
Dalton, Ind Near Fort Scott, Jester over
took the boy. Gates. and from that point
they travelled together through Missouri
1t is alleged that Jester killed Gates on
this trip and took his effects away
Jester went to Dalton, Ind, and then
back home TO Kansas. When young Gates
did not reach home his father took up the
trail and had Jester arrested at Valley
Centre, Kan. Jester was extradited by the
Missouri authorities and taken to Paris, |
Mo, in June, 1871 The Monroe County
get, but Jester took a change of venue TO |
Audrain County. He was imprisoned at I
Mexico, and in January, 1872, he escaped to |
northern Texas. where, under the name of /
W. A. Hill, he is said to have gone to work |
or a ranchmen
TESTERS wife and family were in Kansas. |
n Texas, however. the prosecution asserts, |
lie met and married Julia Reynolds, and !
hey had several children. (
asserted that he was married again, and
Don afterward divorced and that within
hfee months he was married fourth
ime and again divorced.
He was about to marry again, when, in
une, 1899, his sister, Mrs. Calvin Street,
yrote to the Sheriff Of Sedgwick County,
ian.. saying that Jester was living In
shawnee, Okla, under the alias of W. A.
Hill. His arrest and the present trial re-
ulted