Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-07-19
A Strange Murder Case.

New LONDON, MO-, July 9-1n tnlS
usually quiet little place there began
today a legal battle for a life that
promises to be one of the hardest ever
fought in the courts of Missouri. The
man whose life is at stake is Alexander
Jester. He is accused of the murder
of Gilbert Gates, a brother of John
W. Gates, 90 years ago.
John w. Gates is now known the
world over as a fnancier and stock
operator. He was president Of the
Illinois Steel Company. When the
American Wire and Steel Company
was formed he was made chairman OF
the board of directors and has since
taken prominent part in that great
trust. Mr.. Gates is supposed to be
many times millionaire. He is COM
ing home from Europe at once to as
sist the prosecution.
Mr.. Gates has not always been a
millionaire. When his brother was
murdered he was a poor man, work
ing as a laborer. Times changes
brought fortune, out he never gave
up the search for his brothers slayer.
Jester, who had once been arrested on
the charge of committing the crime
but had broken Jail, revealed his
whereabouts, after many years OF hid
ing, to his sister, who had been the
sweetheart of the murdered youth.
She in turn revealed it to John W..
Gates. After an interval of nearly
so years Gates faced Jester, now 50
years old, aged and feeble, and said :
"You are the man who slew my
brother"
The case abounds with material
that would delight a writer Of fiction.
The age of Jester, the time that has
elapsed since the murder, the fact
that Jester was denounced and ar
rested on the information of his own
sister; the remarkable story Of this
woman's search for her brother, in
order to obtain revenge for his hav-
ing, years before, thwarted her in a
love affair, the position Of Jester when
arrested, well-to-do resident Of
Shawnee, Okla, where he bore an as
sumed name and enjoyed the conf
dence and respect Of the co immunity i;
the shrewd work Of the prosecution in
obtaining evidence and the acumen
and patient delving which after the
lapse of % years prepared a strong
legal case against the prisoner and,
lastly, the prominence Of the legal tai
ent employed to assist the State, W..
S. Forrest, of Chicago, and ex-Gov.
Charles P. Johnson, of st. Louis, hav-
ing been engaged by Mr.. Gates to as
sist T. P Rodes, prosecuting attorney
of Monroe county, Missouri all these
make the case one of great interest.
Gilbert W. Gates left his home in
DeKalb county, Illinois, in August,
1870, fol Kansas. He was then Is
years old. Young Gates drove team
of horses to wagon. He reached
Kansas safely and remained there
until about Christmas, when he started
for home with the outfit. At Fort
Scott, Kan, he fell in with Alexan-
der Jester, who was bound to Indiana
and who also drove team Of horses.
The night of January a, 1871, the
two camped near Middle Grove, y
miles from Paris, Mo. The next day
Jester was seen driving one team and
leading the other. The body Of a
man, who was at the time supposed to
be intoxicated, was lying in one of
the wagons and later in the day wit
nesses, who went over the route of the
wagons, said trail of blood led back
to the camping ground. The direc-
ton in which Jester was going would
bring him to the Missouri river, and
the prosecution charges that he cut
hole in the ice and thrust Gilbert
Gates body into it. The body was
never recovered.
When young Gates parents became
alarmed at not hearing from him they
started an investigation and traced
the Testers to Indiana, only to find
that they had again moved and were
in Kansas.
John w. Gates went to Wichita and
got warrant for the arrest Of Jester
for the murder of Gilbert Gates. The
arrest followed, Jester was indicted in
1871 at Paris for murder in the first
degree. He asked for a change of
venue, which was granted, and he was
removed to Mexico, Mo-, where he
broke Jail January IS, 1872, with sew
eral other prisoners. He was not
hoard of AGAIN until his sister received