The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-26
DEFENSE CLOSES.
Rebuttal Testimony Begins in
the Jester Case.

st. Louis, Mo-, July ga special to
the Post-Dispatch from New London,
Mo-, says:
The defense in the trial of Alexander
Jester, charged with the murder OF
Gilbert Gates, today put on the stand
a number of witnesses to impeach the
testimony of William s. Shrewsbury.
who testified that he saw the murdered
mans body in defendants wagon near
Hulen lane.
Omar Webb. a druggist of Jasper Mo-,
was the first witness.
DO you know w. S. Shrewsbury '
asked Attorney Cullen, TESTERS chief
counsel.
Yes, SIR
What is his reputation for truth and
veracity?"
1T is bad,'' replied the witness
On cross examination Webb admitted
that he (Webb) put up prescriptions
without being a registered pharmacist.
The next witness was w. II. Ward.
He resided on a farm near Jasper, and
was acquainted with w. S. Shrewsbury
He testified that his reputation for
truth and veracity was not very good.
His testimony was mistaken on cross
examination by Forrest.
At this point the defense asked the
court for the privilege of reading
portion of the testimony of A. A Gates
before the justice of the peace at Paris,
Mo, on May 20, 1871. There was no OBJ
lection, and Mr.. Cullen read the por-
tion which related to A. A. Gates find
TESTERS home in Kansas.
Some of the witnesses for the state
sWore they saw Jester burn this trunk
while route to Kansas on his re-
turn from Indiana
The defense also read from this long
ago testimony of Mr.. Gates when he
swore he wrote for Gilbert to sell his
team and come home and not to let
any one know he had the money. Mr..
Forrest asked the court for the priv
ilege of reading the whole testimony
of Mr.. Gates, and it was granted.
The last witness for the defense was
DR.. c. H. Graves, of Center, Mo. who
gave expert testimony on floating
bodies. This question was put to the
physician by Attorney Allison:
Suppose a person dies or is killed
on January %, 1871, when there is IS
inches of snow on the ground, and it
remains until FEBRUARY 1 of that year,
then goes off with rain, which causes
the creek to rise and the ice to go out
with the water. would tnat body float
under such cOnditionS?
This question was objected to by the
state, but the judge overruled the oh
lection. and the witness replied that a
body would not float under such tens
perature as decomposition could not
have set in.
that some bodies would float in one day.
1t depended on the gases caused by de-
composition. When the last question
was asked and answered by DR.. Graves,
Attorney Allison stated that the defense
rested it's case.
EThe state Immediately put on testi-
nony in rebuttal to prove that w. S
ShreWsbury's reputation was good The
first witness was Park Crutcher, of
Van Buren,, Ark, where Shrewsbury
resides. He swore that Shrewsbury's
reputation at home was good. On
cross-examination the witness admitted
that he had received $3.50 from detec-
tives for which to get witnesses to tes-
tify to Shrewsbury's good reputation
Frank Warren, Van Buren,, Ark, tes-
titled that he knew Shrewsbury, and his
reputation was good. He had heard
his reputation discussed, and he be-
lieved Shrewsbury was honest.
H. S. Fitzhugh, also of Van Buren,,
Ark, who is a state senator, swore he
knew Shrewsbury. and that his reputa-
ton was good. He associated with
Shrewsbury in business way.