Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-08-20
GILBERT GATES ALIVE?
New Development In the Jester
Murder Case.
CLERGYMAN TELLS ODD STORY.
In 1876, Five Years After the Sup
posed Crime, lie Saw Gilbert
Gates ON the Way to Texns-Thinks
He Was John WIS Brother.

st. Louis, Aug. 20.-Since the dramat-
ic trial and acquittal of aged Alexander
Jester in New London, Mo-, for the al
legged murder of Gilbert Gates in 1871
the Rev. c. A. Emmons of Mount YER
non, this state, has come forward and
told of meeting a man named Gilbert
Gates i'll 1876, five years after the crime
for which Jester was acquitted is alleg-
ed to have been committed.
Alexander Jester ard young Gates,
who was or is Il brother of John w.
Gates of steel and wire fame, Travelled
westward together in 1871. Gates dis
appeared, while Jester afterward was
found with Gates team and Il part of
his clothing. He said he had purchased
them from Gates, who had given up
the trip in disgust. He was arrested
and managed to escape from Jail.
Less than year ago Jester, white
haired and bent, was arrested in the In
dian Territory, where he was living with
his wife, and was brought back to Mis-
souri, to stand trial for the alleged crime.
Witnesses from all parts of the coun-
try were brought together by the prose
cution. After Il trial lasting six weeks
the jury acquitted him. The prosecution
dead, as his body never was found. The
contention was that Gates body had
been thrown into the Mississippi river by
Jester.
A few days after the close of the trial
a letter was received in New London by
Sheriff Richard Jones asking about the
case. 1t was from the clergyman in
Mount Vernon.
The sheriff gave to DR.. Emmons the
information he desired, and on Friday
another letter from DR.. Emmons was
received.
In this DR.. Emmons says that in the
spring of 1876, with his brother-in-law
and his family, he was travelling from
Galloway county, Mo-, to Texas, and at
about Fort Smith, Ark, he fell in with
man about % years old who was driv-
ing four mule team. The man had
with him woman about 1S years old
who was introduced as his wife. They
had little boy with them about years
old and there was also young man who
was known as Sam, who was 1S years
old. DIR. Emmons in his letter says:
"The man told me his name was Gates,
and / heard his wife call him Gilbert 80
times while we Travelled together. They
were bound for western Texas. and we
parted after two weeks near Clarksvile.
Red River county, | going on to visit my
brother, and he told me he was bound for
Brown county, on the Colorado river"
The clergyman also gives a good de-
scription of Gilbert Gates, saying the
man had large, expressive brown eyes.
as did the brother of John w. Gates.
He adds other details which would seem
to indicate that Gilbert Gates was alive
in 1876.
He says that all through the trial he
kept trying to recollect where he had
heard the name Gilbert Gates and that it
was only the day before the verdict was
reached that he was able to recollect it,
and then Il all came back to him like a
flash.
DIR. Emmons is a member of the Meth
odist conference OF Missouri and is well
known in the state.
Sheriff Jones has sent the letter to
John w. Gates, with the suggestion that
he cause an investigation to be made in
Brown county, Tex.