Evening star., 1901-01-18
Great Interest in the Close of Boss
chieter Trial,
STRONG PLEA FOR DEFENDANTS
Counsel Insist the State Has Not
Made Out a Case.
sCULTHORPE IS DENOUNCED

OF tne trlal OF W alter 4. McAllSter, w imam
A. Death and Andrew J. Campbell for the
| murder of Jennie Bosschieter
1t was just three months ago today that
the girl met the men in Saal's saloon AMI
| started FOR the carriage ride which was 70
end in her death.
Another great crowd gathered outside tho
court house this morning but as on the
preceding days OF the trial only limited
| number of persons admitted to the
court room. The three defendants were
brought into court shortly before ~ O'Clock
and took their usual seats beside their
counsel
EX-Judge William T. Hoffman began the
closing address for the defense as soon ~
Judge Dixon took his seat on the bench
Mr.. Hoffman briefly expressed his pity for
the fate that had befallen Jennie Bosschie-
ter, sympathy with her parents. and hopei
that the accused would not be found guilty
of the girls murder A point which, in Mr.
Hoffman's opinion. had not been sufficiently
emphasized by his associates I'm the defense
was that defendant Is not to be permitted
to be called upon to prove his innocence
but the state must prove his guilt. Counsel
said:
Argument for Defendants.
Whatever view Is taken of the law If it
can be shown that Jennie did not die from
chloral or rape then this ease fails There
is no legal proof that she died from choral
poison or that rape was committed. Chlor-
AL as | understand it, IS a drug used al
most universally for benchcent purposes
az medicine. The state charges that this
defendant (pointing at McAHster) put
chloral into the girls drink that night II
he had chloral, where did he get 1t? The
state had all the machinery to find this
out If there was no choral found in the
body she did not die from it. DR. Todd
said she died from chloral poisoning:
did DR.. Terribcrry. These statements have
no force in this case. Then there is DIR.
Witthaus. Who is he? He is called a
chemical expert and his business is that
of teacher and witness in cases like
this He is not infallble and there have
been cases where the jury disagreed with
him. 1t is a species OF testimony that is
useful. but not q certainty. Ii is series
of experiments. Such a witness Is brought
here to send three men TO their DEATH
Mr.. Hoffman proceeded at some length
in remarks calculated to discredit the testi-
mony of Prof Wftthaus as to the quantity
of choral hydrate that had been admins
tered to the girl, and quoted the professor
as saying that the amount OF choral ne
found in the stomach cou.d not nave done
any more harm than If II had remained In
the bottle He cited the testimony of DR..
Vandenberg, to the effect that analysis OF
embalming fluid of the same brand as that
used to embalm the corpse OF Jennie
Witthaus obtained from an analysis OF The
contents of the girls stomach.
Quoted Defendants Denials.
Counsel also quoted the denials on the
witness stand by all three defendants that
they administered or knew of the adnlnls-
tration of chloral hydrate or knockout
drops" to the girl, and declared that they
wouldn't perjure themselves even TO save
their lives. Mr.. Hoffman alleged that state
ments had been extorted from two Oh the
defendants by the police by improper
means, and that these statements had theh
been distorted into confessions
All the circumstances of the meeting ot
Jennie Bosschieter with the defendants the
evening of October IS and or the start III
a hack for Lees Hotel, counsel said, "Sie
Inconsistent with the theory OF the ue
fense that the affair was prearrangeu on
tho mart of the men. with the purpose Oh
assaulting the girl. Sculthorpe's testimony
that he witnessed the assault on the siil
by the roadside was characteriZea pS "a "a
Hoffman as absurd. 'Sculthorpe, ne saiu,
"was here to do as the state wahten.
Counsel concluded with these WORDS ne
whole case is consistent with lhe ihiio
cence of the defendants under proper APP
nIinat;on of the law If they go to scaffold
I will not be here to see it. VIII shhetu
NV face and say, sname, shame, 10 the
hitherto good name of New Jersey.
Mr.. Emley Has the Closing.
pub,ic Prosecutor Emley Immediately be
gan the delivery Of the final address for mo
state. After alluding to the enormitS Vi 'io
crime charged he attacked the Testimony
the defendants gave on the witness stand
Their meeting with Jennie Bossehie'er' nc
said was no accident. and ne asked why
those with whom McAlistcr said he ana
Kerr had an appointment for the evening
of October IS. which was not kept, had not
The accused The engagement, Mr.. Emiey
asserted was at SAILS saloon ana mao iot
it's purpose, as Campbell had put II, .,
having good time Will the si "
dead Mr.. Emley said:
:Aithough.it has been stated the girl was
unable to get a milk punch when she hSn
ordered In the saloon because there was ho
milk there, still there is testimony TO snow
that McAIister drank milk and seltZer, ana
when absinthe was taken into the room
there was also a glass OF milk on the Same
It is a significant coincidence that when
McAlister wanted q hack he found the Will
ing ear Of Kerr at the telephone at HoIse-
sungs saloon, Kerr evidently aWalths sucu
word It is more than coincidence tnat
all this should have happened as 1t ola wtth
the circle of them all there complete Kerr
said nothing about the forgotten engage
ment on the bridge, neither did he ask NC
Alister where he had been He simply told
the hackman which door OF Saai s saloon
to go to. McAlister ordered the hack, paid
for the drinks ana Oruereu CidihPdsiie. iiO
was the leader"
+ other Inconsistencies.
Mr.. Emley pointed out alleged ineonsls-
tencies ir the story of the ride IN the
Sculthorpe hack as the defendants told 1t
on the witness stand. and scoffed at the al
legation that the girl was taken riding in
order that the fresh air might reviveher.
If their purpose was humane. why was the
girl not put under the care of Mrs. Saal
instead of bejeg driven away in hack
with men? Why, when Lees Hotel was
reached and the girl was very Ill. was not
the house aroused to afford her assistance?
The scenes at the roadside and at the brook
were recalled. and the fact brought to the
jurys attention -.at there had been no.
proof presented by the accused, as there
might have been. Of their story that the
girl had vomited in Campbells handker-
chief Adverse comment was also passed
upon tho behavior of the accused men
when DR.. Townsend told them the girl vaS.
dead, and the fact that they threw Iar
comb and other personal effects into tho
river when they left her corpse at the side
Of the Wagarnw road.