Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-12-11
A FREE MAN
Is Charles Nelson Who Was Charged With
Shooting Frank Curtis.

The trial of Charles Nelson who
was arrested and lodged in the city
prison on the charge of shooting Frank
Curtis on the night of Dec. 4, was held
at the Mayors office Tuesday afternoon
at 3 o'clock. The case has attracted
considerable attention among all
classes, and there was quite crowd of
people gathered outside the railing of
the Mayors office to hear the evidence
of the witnesses
Mrs. Chas. Hendershot. whose hus-
band is proprietor of the hotel and
saloon situated at the corner of Third
and Ohio streets. was first put upon
the stand. Mrs. Hendershott's story
was almost the same as that which she
gave after the shooting occurred. She
says that Curtis came and asked for a
room, which was assigned him and for
which he paid. Chas. Nelson a
Swede, who was employed around the
place, was delegated by Mrs. Hender-
shot to take Curtis to his ROOM In a
short time Curtis came down stairs and
asked to be trusted for drink, which
Mrs. Hendershot refused him, as he
was by that time under the influence
of liquor.
Nelson aSain took Curtis to his
room and the next thing that she heard
was door shut. scuffie and later on
a shot. This was between 11:05 and
11:10 Tuesday night, When asked if
the revolver with which the shooting
was done belonged to the saloon, Mrs
Hendershot said that it did not. and
that she had seen it for the first time
Monday morning when it was lying in
drawer in the bar room.
Mrs. Henderson, was then excused
and Officer Mack Kerns was put upon
the stand. He told the results as found
by the police. The most important
| thing in his testimony was a conversa-
ton with Nelson, who claimed he shot
Curtis, but only in self defense, as the
former made an attack upon him.
DR.. C. S. Hart was called and gave a
short description of the wound and the
direction taken by the ball.
officer Amos Wright was the next
witness to testify. He gave a descrip-
| tion of the room and it's contents and
the various blood spots. Officer
Wright stated that he had picked up
two pieces of teeth on the bed and one
on the floor.
Marshal Dyes statement was only
gathered from interviews and was sub
stantially the same as that given
above
NELSON'S STATEMENT.
Chas. Nelson, the man against whom
the charge of shooting was preferred,
then took the witness stand. Nelson
is Swede by birth, and for the past
three years has lived in the city. Mel
son said that he was preparing to go
home when Mrs. Hendershot asked
him to take Curtis to his room. Curtis
came down the second time. but was
finally persuaded to go back to his
room by Nelson, who accompanied the
negro. On reaching the room, Curtis
suddenly struck Nelson on the head
and under the eye, making a black and
blue mark under the optic Staggering
back to the door and seeking for sup
port from the impetus of the blow,
Nelson's hand, so he claims. wholly
without generalization, came in con-
tact with the revolver. He drew it
from his pocket and held it in Curtis
direction, but the later seized his hand
and in the scuffle the gun went off,
whether by his own or Curtis agency.
Nelson processes not to know. On be-
ing questioned as to the ownership of
the revolver. Nelson said that it be-
longed to his landlady, from whom he
had gotten it for the purpose OF re-
moving the rust on the weapon Mel
son absolutely denied making any
statements in which he admitted
shooting Curtis. He also branded as a
falsehood the report that he was nti-
mate with Curtis wife, claiming that
he had only a speaking acquaintance
with her This ended Nelson's testim-
mony and he was excused.
Mayor Sykes said that for some
reason Frank Curtis, who was unable
TO attend the trial. would give no ac-
count of the shooting, as he claimed to
have no recollection whatever of the
occurrence. In summing up the case
the Mayor said that there was no di-
rect evidence that Curtis was shot by
Nelson. Furthermore he believed that
no grand jury would indict nor a jury
convict Nelson. so he would therefore
dismiss him. Nelson received the con-
gratulatlons of his friends and the case