The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-11
JURYMEN ARE SELECTED
FOR THE JESTER CASE.
Defense Will Argue That Gates's Disappear
ance Is No Proof of a Murder.
Sworn Statement of Jester at the Trial Thirty Years Ago
Published for the First Time-His Story
of the Affair.
REFTETC EPrEAL


New London. No. July In-Tte twelve
men who are to determine TIE ts;e % Jes-
ter are now selected The attorneys tor the
defense Insist thar the prosecution will not
be able 20 prove that Gilbert Gates was
murdered or IS even dead. They say that
people often disappear. are Tnourned a.
dead and then are disco-ered 10 be alive
and well.
This county furnishes three rsrnar}.ahle
instances % this character. Ahne- knight
seventeen years ago departed 20: a visit 70
Georgia There - rnvstsr.1usly d!sap-
reared Afterwards d body vas found a13
identified as his.
HIS widow married Milford NcElroy. who
died some years ago \ few weeks ago
knights daughter received 4 letter from
her father, stating that he vas alive and
living n Georgia
Twenty years ago S!lsS Carter was SUP
posed to have been murdered a. Perry.
Fifteen years afterwards Mansfield King. a
noted criminal. confessed the murder This
confession was published - the = Louis
papers and was read and denied ~ Carter
In California, alive and making money.
Eva Lister moved from Rails County 20
Montana with her family IN the seventies
Her husband persisted IL a storm and she
started horneward. but never arrived.
Eighteen years elapsed. and her estate
was divided among her relatives, Recent
~ she arrived at New London. She has
been living IN Nevada and was four years
Postmistress under Harrison.
These strange facts are reciced among
witnesses and spectators. en-: serve 70 In
crease the doubt OF the death OF Gates. The
5urynen know the cases well
The evidence against Jester Is wholly cir
cumstantiaI Each juryulan has sworn THAI
Re believes in capital punishment and would
find a verdict Of guilty OF circuastantiai
evidencs alone Il Il be connected and
strong
Despite the evidence % & negro. who
states that he saw corpse in TESTERS
wagon. and The statement Of the Clark sis
tiers. whose testimony C5rrobora1es the re-
sro's, besides a most formidable array oc
dana ying evidence. some would not BE- sur
pr:sed to see the missing man walk into
court
At i;i5 court reopened ard the fury was
sworn The members are Henry BrambletJ.
Il. l. Leake. John 7. Elsea- Porter ;. Fish
er. John Northcurt, James W Phillips. j.
E. Willis, Alfred ". MeIefee. Joseph F.
Barry, H L JarInan. George E. Warren
and Berry ". Saunders.
Prosecuting Attorney T :. Rhodes OF
fGTlS READ Il6 NDilrstEoLS lE1lC[T1- NJ
twelve counts. covering almost every i'm
sg1nahle method Of murder. Jester sat no
siorless. except for the same nervous
twitchins Of the muscles Of his face.
Tears were in the eyes OF MS youngest
son.
the Sheriff They were charged by the
Court IS usual except being cautioned
10 read 10 newspaper comments on the
r.ial.
The States Statement: % the case will be
made IN the morning by Attorney Rhodes
Il will differ materially from the state
meat at the preliminary. and no forecast
can be given
Court adjourned at $50 ?. n. Til to-mo--
row.
Story of the Case.
Testers case Is one OF the rlost remark
able on record. The aged defendant IS &C
cused OF numbering Gilbert Gates. brother
Of the Steel and Wire Trust millionaire,
John ". Gates IN ISL
Jester and Gates met while travelling
across the country and continued together
some days. Gates was IT. search OF health
ay.
At Hulen's Lane. nea, Paris. No. Gates
was seen for he last time. A few weeks
later a body was said to have been seen
floating down the river. Gstess father
never heard from him egail-
Jester was later found IL Kansas and
had In his possession Gates's wagon, some
clothing and other property OF the missing
man
on May 2. ISL. Jester was arrested in
secgewick County, Kansas a trial was HAD
in Wichita Township on May 3. and Arsei
A. Gates. father Of Gilbert Gates. and
other witnesses testified. Alexander Jester
tesuhed at that trial. and your reporter
las secured q full and complete copy OF
the evidence OF Jester as given at that time.
his Is the only authorized statement OF
Jester, ard was never published
Testers Sworn Statement.
Alexander Jester. sworn. said:
I an - years cid On the II Of last Jan
uary left home. 1 tco;l two teams; was
scconyN nfe3 BY my son AZ far as En-
perta Had year-old buffalo calf, sack
81 prnzio meat. small feather bed.
bedding and wearing apparel A. E,nfor:a
I had the wagon repaired.
i had q 50, order on one store. and sit
on another from Mr.. MaxSeld. one was
on dry goods and one on grocery. 1 took
Up the order IN goods. bought some corn
Next morning I sent Harvey home. Before
doing this We went 10 the shop where !
/ settled for the usndinE OF the wagon. We
>then sat down. and l counted my money
eefore him ] had between So and 800
Il went to Indiana for my mother. broth
er-in-law and his family. l said to nv son
after counting ;he money. I will have
I fixed myself with = spring wagon. a. niy
mother was frail. 20 bring Der out with
and calculated | had money enough 20 buy
a team to bring my brothsr-iu-iaw with.
II started from Emporfs. on ny Journey
that evening / stopped me first night s-s-
en- miles from EmpOria- I then continued
my Journey through Burlington. lola and