Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-11-29
ALLEGED MuRDERESS
SEEMS UNCONCERNED
Miss Jessie Morrison Watches Pre-
Iiminary Proceedings With
Utmost Goodness.
Jury HAS NOT YET BEEN SECURED
Week Has Been Spent in Trying to Get
Twelve Competent Men to Try the
Case-Father and Brothers Of
Accused In Court With Her.

| Eldorado, Kan, Nov. 2S.-The possl-
bility of the beginning of the taking of
evidence in the trial of Jessie Morrison.
charged with killing Mrs. Castle,
caused people to flock to town today.
The court room is crowded to it's ut
most capacity. Castle, the husband of
the murdered woman, seems to be
| breaking down under the strain of the
\ trial.
| That Jessie Morrison is strange and
Unusual woman is shown by her con-
\ duct in the court room. She seems al
most entirely indifferent to the details
of proceeding which will determine
whether she will pass the remainder OF
her days in freedom or in the peniten-
tiary. If Jessie Morrison ever thinks of
this or feels it she gives no sign or eX-
preston that would show. She is never
disconnected or disturbed. In examin-
Ing a venireman. one of the attorneys
asked this question:
do you believe that Jessie Morrison
killed Clara Wiley Castle?'
| The question caused a sudden silence
in the court room. The venireman hesi-
] tated, and those who could see Jessie
1 Morrison watched her intently to see
what effect the reference would have
| on her. She was needless. She had
been drumming on the arm of her chair.
and In the stiffness of the court room
and the suspense which followed the
lawyers question she kept drumming
away With her fingers. Evidently her
thoughts were far away from the hon
orable district court of Butler county.
| Miss Morrison Shows no anxiety
while she is under the gaze of the spec
tators in the court. She seems perfect
| ~ satisfied with the state of affairs.
She has two brothers who are young
men, and one or the other of them is
with her constantly. She seems to lean
On them for sympathy and support, and
| they give it to her readily. Saturday
4 Jessie Morrison and her brother We're
looking over a paper together. The
brother saw something in the paper
that amused him. He called her atten-
ton to 1T, and brother and sister
laughed together.
Reads Her Bible in Her Cell.
Miss Morrison was always religious
and active in church work. When she
Is alone in her cell she reads the bible.
Her father and brothers are often with
her in her confinement. Her mother is
dead. Jessie Morrison weighs probably
ninety-five pounds. Her hands are
small and her fingers taper at the ends.
do you know" said Joe Waters of
Topeka, assisting in the prosecution.
John Collins of Topeka. She has that
same GOODNESS and apparent absence OF
feeling"
Miss Morrison was asked yesterday
whether or not she had anything to
say for the papers. NO" she replied
softly and modestly, II don't want
anything said about me. 1 think all
this notoriety is horrible. ] wish the
papers wouldn't say anything about
IT,
The most Interested spectator in the
court room is probably Roland Wiley.
father of the murdered bride. His seat
| Is back of the lawyers for the prose-
cution and he always carries pad
Of paper in his hand upon which he
makes notes as the examination Of jul
rors proceeds. He is salesman in u
hardware and farm implement store.
The father of Olin Castle is an UNDER
taker. 1t is the young, widower who
| seems to suffer most from the suspense
Of the trial. He is paler than he was
!, week ago. His place In the court
room is beside that of Walter Wiley,
1.-The brother of the girl who was killed.
The brown and ruddy face of the
young stockman is strong contrast to
The pallor of Olin Castle.