The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-12
ALIBI IS ATTACKED
Hearing of Johnson Case Re-
Sumed at Winfield.
NEW THEORY ADVANCED
Opinion at Winfield Is in
Favor of Defendant
NEW THEORY ADVANCED

The preliminary hearing OF the case OF
the state against William johnson, for
the killing OF Detective Montgomery, was
resumed yesterday morning after re-
cess Of week and at o'clock in the
afternoon an adjournment was taken
until O'Clock this morning. The feat
ures Of yesterdays hearing, was the eff
forts Of the state to break down the abb
OF the defense. Two or three witnesses
swore that they thought they saw John
son on the streets of Winfield between
and clock on the night Of the muir
der. johnson mad several witnesses who
swore that he was not out OF his father
house that evening after coming home
from work at the stone quarry at .
o'clock.
The other vital part OF the defense's
strength was unsuccesfully attacked. The
state witnesses proved that johnson
went to ranch 10 in the territory on
Monday morning following the murder
johnson ana more than a dozen witnesses
sworc that he went to ranch TO- the Sun
day morning after the murder It was
essential to prove that the murderer Of
Montgomery went as far at least as Ar
kansas City the night Of the murder It
IS evident tha- the masked man who
called at the depot at Hackney the night
of the murder and asked Ed DOnnelly il
Montgomery were dead yet. was the muir
derer. The fact that Johnson left Win
field on the morning after the murder is
presented by the defense as a strong evil
derce that he vas not the man who was
at Hackney the previous night. The
state says he didn't buy his ticket at
Winfield for ranch 101 until Monday
morning. If that is the case" the de-
Tense says, it make sit still palmer that
he could not nave been the man who
was at Hackney Saturday night" To
Offset the states evidence the theoary
that Johnson, after killing Montgomery.
went Immediately to ranch 10l. doubled
back, arriving Sunday night and then
bought a ticket Monday morning for
ranch 101.
A well known man interested in the
case came up from Winfield last night
anG in response to question said that
the belief generally of the people Of Win
field is, that Johnson IS not the murderer
of Montgomery.
He alleges that the regular detectives
in the case ar encoura ging his detention
not because they have any idea that he
was concerned in the murder but for
The purpose of keeping amateur detec-
tives out Of the case. He also says that
the Pinkerton men and the secret SER
vice men of the company know absolute
" who killed Montgomery, but that they
have not been able to secure the evidence
that they deem necessary for the con-
viction. They are keeping close watch
on the two men who were directly impli-
Gated in the assassination and viii take
them in when the chief witness against
them Is willing 10 tell the story in court.
One of the murderers was formerly and
for years a resident of Sumner county,
not far from South Haven. He went into
mis- bed at ( o'clock the Sunday morning
after the Saturday evening murder. They
have also found the buggy that was at
Winfield the night Of the murder and
otEer valuable information, which Will be
sensational when it is told in court
Mr. Z. a Oster. Santa Fe trainmas-
ter. is stopping in Wichita for a short
time.