The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-05-25
GUILTY, The
VERDICT.
$780,
William Ester Killed
Togo Jackson,
JURY ALL OF ONE MIND
Imprisonm4 mt for Mo- Less Than Ten
Nor More Than twenty
Years.
(From Thursdays Daily.)

William Ester, charged with the muir
der of Togo Jackson, was round guilty
of manslaughter in The first degree. by
jury at 6 O'Clock last evening. He Is
the negro who killed the local base ball
player, on Saturday evening, March 10,
last, by stabbing him with pocket
knife, and at the same time severely
wounded Isaac Cockett, the companion
OF the murdered man. The affair grew
out of persistent demand on the part
of the colored man for a dollar from
jackson, which the latter refused.
Words were passed between the two
and Jackson struck the negro. The lat
ter went out and later returned with
something in has hand. Anouner hsht
ensued, IN which Ester was pursued
from the saloon into the aileyway,
where Inc fatal wound is supposed to
have been given.
1t was q coincidence that in one court
room yesterday one cololed man receiv-
ed jury verdict which made him justly
happy, Tor he is emitted as a memDei
OF the Hogan minstrel troupe to re-
eeive $1i5 from the Canadian Austria
liam S. S. Co. In the other court room
a different case was enacted, Tor the
yea dict which the second jury rendered
Will either place the murderer behind
prison bars for a period of not less
than ten nor more than twenty years
1T was one of the, shortest murder trl-
ais in the history OF the local coults.
Inc actual commencement of the tria'
was on Tuesday afternoon, quite late,
but the examination of witnesses die
not take place until yesterday forenoon.
The evidence was mostly circumstan-
tial, but of a directness which pointed
to the guilt OF the defendant in the
case. The details of the affair leading
up to the tragedy in the street were all
depicted with remarkable clearness and
frankness by the eight witnesses, whose
evidence was not refuted to amy de-
gree by the counsel for the defendant
gruesome but silent piece of evil
dence put in yesterday by lne prosecu-
ton while DR.. Cooper was on the stand
was a glass jar containing the heart
of Togo Jackson, showing the knife
wound in it which caused the death of
the young man. Counsel for the de
Tense objected to the introduction of
such an exhibit unless the lifeless heart
.self was taken out Of the jar and
shown to the jury.
Judge Stanley asked the prosecution
to remove it, but the s ght of 1t no doubt
had its effect upon the minds OF the jury
as it did upon the spectators.
One of the principal witnesses of the
prosecution, upon whom the stress of
evidence was placed, was John Wells
who saw the struggle in the street and
t~'ed to stanch the wound of Togo
Jackson as he lay upon his back, slowly
ul.euius 10 dealh. He also saw the
knife which was iyIng In the street
near Jackson, and the negro Ester. who
was endeavoring to rise to his feet af-
ter having been struck to the ground
by Jackson's last effort.
The knife shown on the witness
stand was an ordinary pocket affair,
with long, keen blade, tape Ing alb
ruptly at the point, almost In the shape
of triangle. He testified that the kni.e
locked like the one he saw picked up In
tie street. This witness saw the run
ming fight as all three men engaged In
1t enc ged from thu sa o)n ale way I'M
til the wounded man whirled about sud
denly and fell to the earth upon his
back.
Captain Parker's testimony brought
out a startling piece OF evidence as ilnst
the negro. Not that the negro admit
ted to him that he was the one who a.
the stabbing, but on account of his
peculiar answer in response to a ques-
ton of the Captain. Both were In the
patrol wagon riding from the hospital
where Cockett had identified Ester as
the assailant, when Parker asked,
why did you stab Togo Jackson and
Cockett" Parker stated the defend
ant made a monosyliabic answer OF
two words only which were Self De-
fense." Nothing more was said on the
trip to the prison.
Isaac Cockett, the companion of Togo
Jackson, was also upon the stand, and
exhibited the scar of the wound which
he received when Jackson was killed.
He testified he did not know who stab
bed him, neither could he swear that
Ester stabbed Jackson. He witnessed
the quarrel in the saloon, and the
events leading up to the run through
the alleyway.
DIR. Cooper testified professionally.
When asked IL the knife which was
shown in Court could have been the
one which penetrated the heart, he re-
pied that 1t could have been. The
wound was made by blade. and the
knife blade exhibited would have fitted
into 1t exactly.
John Dickerson. hack driver. tes-
titled that Ester came to him day or
two before the murder was committed.
and asked for loan of twenty-five
cents. for which he offered security in
the shape of pocket knife. This was
raA n Eatnr 2afnrAau
the tragedy. Ester at that time came
to Diekerson and rendered the borrow
ed twenty-five cents to Dickerson and
received his knife In exchange. The
one on exhibition Id the Court room,
was similar to the one which Dlcker-
SON had from Ester