The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-21
WILL REACH JURY TODAY |
TRIAL OF THOMAS BARKER AT
JERSEY CITY Is NEARING
ITS END
BAD DAY FOR THE DEFENSE
Veracity of Mrs. Barker Strongly
Impeached by Several of the
Witnesses for the Pros
ecutiOn.

EnOOIlnB OF REV. JOnn heller, at AIRING
ton, N. J., last February, will go to
the jury in Jersey City tomorrow about
o'clock. A verdict may reasonably be
expected before night. Before court
adjourned this evening the evidence was
all in and nothing now remains but the
argument Of counsel and the judges
charge.
Today Mr.. Keller was once more upon
the stand He seemed to have been
aroused for the time from the lethargic
state which marked mis- conduct and
action when he testified on direct eX-
animation. Then he spoke in a low,
tired voice. Today his denials of the al
legations of Mr.. and Mrs. Barker were
spoken in a loud, firm tone, and when
asked if the alleged outrage was the
reason Mrs. Barker left the church he
shouted out the mo" so that it rang
through the court room and through the
corridors. His denials generally were
strong, positive, absolute. When on the
stand before Keller showed no spirit,
but today as he denied the truth of the
statements of the Bankers he was more
like the Keller of year ago, his friends
said, than he has been at any time since
the shooting. 1t was a hard day for
Mrs. Barker for neighbor after neighbor
went on the stand and swore that her
reputation for truth and veracity was
The battle of the insanity experts was
the third feature of the day.
NEWSPAPERS BREAK IN.
All the parties to the case We're in
court promptly today. Previous TO the
resumption of the trial there was
whispered conference between Judge
Blair and the lawyers in the case, the
subject of which was understood to he
the publication in several papers of this
city and New Jersey of what purported
to be a sworn statement by Mrs Barker
OF the circumstances of the alleged as
sault upon her by Mr.. Keller, April 49,
1889, and Which constituted, as alleged,
the justification for the attempt on KEEL
Ier's life in February of this year
County Prosecutor Erwin opened the
proceedings by addressing the court and
stating that the published story of Mrs
Barker had been brought to his atten-
ton, and he hoped the court would take
such action as it deemed wise in the
matter. The county prosecutor he'd that
to make public such a statement at such
a time was a violation of the line of
conduct that had been laid down by The
courts in such cases as the one pending.
Mr.. Van Wrinkle, counsel for Barker re-
piled that, so far as any contempt was
concerned, the press might be disciplined
said, had many friends. She was not
on trial and her friends had the right to
publish anything they saw fit. Person
ally, he and his partner Mr.. Hall,
and Mr.. Parker had nothing to do with
the publication. The court had power to
do with the matter in it's charge to the
jury as it saw fit.
Judge Blair said he would talk to the
Jury when the proper time came. He
continued:
COURT IS INCENSED.
'0There can be no doubt of the motive
Of the publication at this time. The
court will make a rigid investigation OF
this reprehensible act at the proper time
and it will be thorough"
Miss Louise Germond, with whom Mrs
Barker has been living. ever since the
shooting, was the first witness called to-
day.
Miss Germond said she had seen Bark
er every day, while he lived in her mouse
for two weeks before the shooting. He
appeared much worried and could not
read after Robert Warner and Frank
II. Bennett, superintendent of the cable
company, had testified that they knew
Barker as a quiet and peaceable man.
Lawyer Van Wrinkle here said that the
defense closed it's case. No attempt was
the alleged assault in the form of a
Hypothetical question to an insanity ex-
pert, as had been reported would be done.
1.-THE Rev. Mr.. Keller was called to the
stand in rebuttal. He said that on the
morning of the shooting, as he passed
along the east side of Beach street, Arl-
SlgtOn, he did not see Barker or say to
Aim, Good morning.
This was objected to by the defense,
but the court Overruled the objection.
Mr.. Keller then denied that he had seen
Barker before he was shot or that Bark
er had said, You damned william, you
outraged my wife,
Did you ever outrage Mrs. Barker, or
try to do SOP" asked Prosecutor Erwin.
The defense objected to this question
and Judge Blair sustained the objection.
KELLER DENIES.
Ibid you ever borrow $50 from Mrs.
Barker?" the witness was then asked.
Il did not he replied.
Witness was then asked concerning
each item of alleged borrowed money,
and in each case he answered that he
had not borrowed the sum mentioned
He said that he never owed Mrs Bar
ker any money at any time.
Mr.. Keller said he had paid money to
Mrs. Barker, but it was because of
threatening letters sent by Barker and
not because he owed anything. The min
lister then denied that Mrs Barker left
the church because of an assault on her
He said he knew the reason, but on OBJ
lection by the defense, he was not al
lowed to tell what it was.
Mr.. Keller then left the stand, the de-
PENDANTS attorney having no questions
TO ask on cross-eXamination.
Mrs. Sands, with whom Mr.. Keller
boarded, testified that among many Mrs
Bankers reputation for truth was bad.
She said in reply to question by Bar
ker's attorney that Keller did not pay
his board. Eeller's reputation for truth
and honor, witness said, was good Three
other women and a man testified that
Mrs. Bankers reputation for veracitv
was bad. DR.. William r. Fisher an
expert in mental disease, testified that
on Feb Is he saw Barker in the county
Jail. Barker on the advice of counsel
refused to submit to an examination as
to his sanity. The witness said that. re-
viewing all the circumstances, it was
his opinion that Barker was sane at the
time of the shooting, Feb. 8, and able to
distinguish between right and wrong.
Witness had observed Barker closely
since the trial began and believed him
60 be sane.
DR.. John D. McGnl superintendent Of
the police board Of Jersey City, who ac-
companied DR.. Fisher when he went to
the Jail to see Barker corroborated the
evidence of the preceding witness and
Bald he believed Barker to be sane.
EXPERT EVIDENCE.
DR. J. Leonard Corning, Of New York
an expert in mental diseases. was fbe
next witness. He said that he had stud-
led Barker during the trial It was almost
invariably the case, the witness said
that an insane man showed evidence of
insanity before committing a criminal
act DIR. Corning said Barker shnued