The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-19
Witness in the Jester Case Remem-
bered, Though He Was
Child in II.
NEW TESTIMONY INTRODUCED.
Men Who Saw Jester, the Two
Wagons and the Buffalo
Calf, Tell Their
Stories.

morning. before court convened. Alexander
Jester. was seen sitting in front OF the
post Office. reading The Republic, seeming
ly unconscious Of the fact that he was the
cynOsure of many curious eyes. He read
calmly the account of the damaging evil
dence produced against him yesterday.
In to-day's testimony the big wagon be-
longing TO the boy Is In front. and testers
team follows. He is traced to-day into
Paris and out toward Hannibal. where he
! campcd the second night after the alleged
murder. The first night. only few hours
after the supposed crime. Jester. according
Ia witnesses. climbed into the Gates wagon
and lay down TO sleep exactly where the
body of his victim had lain.
Another witness to-day said he a
body In Ress Creek. Five of the ten wit
resses examined to-day gave testimony
never heard on the stand before.
Body In the Greek.
The ninth day of the trial opened with the
REIMBURSEMENT witness In the chair. W. ID.
Riley was nearly years old In ISL and
| lived near the scene OF the supposed crime
The intense excitement Ia the community
| over the disappearance OF the boy and all
| the Incidents Connected with the affair i'm
| pressed the facts wildly his mind. He
| WAS with his parents on Reiss Creek when
the spring freshet occurred and saw floating
| down with the ice ;he body Of man. Hs
| and his father went around bend In the
| creek. following the body. and saw IL sew
eral times. Ii hoated On its face.
J. Il. Adkisson of Moberly. Mo. lived in
| 1871 on the Giddings farm. near Middle
| Grove. Jester came through the pasture
| gate his farm and down through the
| woods 20 whore Atkinson resided. Jester
| told Atkinson ne wanted TO reach Paris and
| inquired the way.
"a. sG.Id Of t. htrr na
chose the longer way, which was at the time
| the better Jester spoke OF his buffalo
I calf There were two wagons. but the
| Gates wagon was in front. II was Hearty
noon. Adkisaon's testimony had never been
| given before
Arthur s Dry has lived for thirty years
| south Of the Giidings farm and to-day tes
| titled that he saw two wagons I'm charge of
one man pass the house on January -
| 1871. at - O'Clock. The man drove on
southeast ard then turned and cane back
| 10 within fifty yards of the house and con-
| tirurd driving west. Witness nodded hia
| head to the driver The front wagon was
| the larger one drawn by two hay horses.
| Day says he observed the driver well enough
| to recognize him now.
| Part Of the cover was OF Of one or two
| Of the bows Of the large wagon. Witness
though; tn" deepest pool in Rec Branch at
| that time was about three feet.
| George GrittoB saw two wagons on the
East Madison road. In charge OF one man
| In January. 1871.
Half q Mile With Jester.
Pleasant Cartwright. living west Of Parts.
| overlook man with two teams travelling
| in an "astcrly direction. toward Paris He
| rode along with the mover He described
| the two wagons and teams as others have
| done. TIL" driver was startled when he
saw Cartwright. He asked the driver ~ he
VAS alone. lie said. Yes Tho driver
s..f- l.
| him and that he was from Kansas. This
was or o'clock in the afternoon and
| about six miles from Paris. Witness said
| he knew the date OF this was I'm 1871 when
| h" testified before. but had forgotten
Attorney Rodes showed him the official
| record of that trial and Cartwright then
| said II was January %. Isfi. Jester was
| walking In the road behind the teams when
witness rode up. They Travelled together
| o.,r half a mile. Cartwright next saw Jes-
| ter at PARTS. at the preliminary trial later
in 1871. and recognized him: had seen him
| several times since.
Where He stayed Over Might
FL T. Wstmore has been In tho livery
business at Paris for more than thirty
years IN January. 1871. just before dark.
a man came to his barn in charge of two
wagons and teams He had n buffalo calf
and exhibited IT, The calf Jumped back
Into the wagon in the came manner de-
scrioed by other witnesses. The rear vaC-
on was a small one and. contained the calf
Jester slept that night In the large wagon,
where. If many witnesses ere not mistaken
the body Of the murdered boy lay several
hours that very Jay.
Jester ate hts supper in the stable Of
flee and ioafed until o'clock The mysteri-
Gus guest never smiled at the tests of the
visitors. but seemed TO be In trouble. He
retired AT and departed early next morn
ing.
the Sheriff. In 1871. wetrore called on him
and said: Il suppose you remember me-
I the man with whom you stayed last
winter. when YOU had the buffalo calf"
Jester was angry
Are you not Mistaken
NO. ] am not"
Well" said Jester, men have been mis-
taken, and you may be now"
The HORSES were not lame when they were
at Ne,mcres stable. Witness said the old
prisoner on trial is the man who stayed all
night at his barn.
John T. Grisgshy. County Surveyor of
Monroe County. WAS the first witness TO
give expert testimony. He Is a graduate I'm
civil engineering. He examined the blue,
print map used all through the trial and
pronounced 1t correct. He showed a profile
map OF the west end of Huiens lane ex-
planning the contour of the ground. He ,x-
planned the depth Of Bee Branch and Reiss
Creek when fun of water. Using many
technical terms. he explained his plnts and
dia grams and submitted them as evidence.
James McAtee was a wagonmaker In ISL
working IN Paris. He remembers testers
VISIT to Wetmore's livery barn and saw the
wagons and buffalo calf Jester told the
witness that night he wanted wagon
tongue made. Next morning Jester came To
the shop and told the wagonmaker that he
had a hired boy driving for him and the boy
had careIessly run into his wagon and
broken the tongue. He had scoldsd the boy
and the boy had quit him. Witness did not
see Jester until some time later. when he
WAS arrested He recognized him. McAte.
said he believed one of the wagons was
heavier than the other and he put a new
Tongue in the lighter one. This testimony
was never before given.
Dog Digging mt = blanket
r Kenneth saw Jester that morning at
Wetmore's livery barn and in the afternoon
saw him again. seven miles east of Paris.
on the Hannibal road. The buffalo calf AT
,rac,sd his attention at the stable Ahout
rundown he saw Jester and his caravan I'm
camp and they attempted to trade horses
hut Jester sail! he would not like To trade
off the horses without trading the wagon
This was the Gates team
Witness said the team was a good one
and not lame. Saw brindle shepherd dog
lying under the front wagon cover. work