The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-17
AN OLD STORY
RECKLESS GIRL AND DESIGNING,
HEARTLEss YOUNG MEN.
Testimony at the Trial of Those
Who Are Accused of Numbering
Pretty Jennie Bosschfeter.
CASE FINISHED FOR DEFENSE
EFFORT BY COUNSEL TO LESSEN
THE HORROR OF THE CRIME.
Contended the Girls Death Was Acci-
dental and that Her Person
Was Not Violated.
DEFENDANTS ON THE STAND
M'ALIsTER POSITIVE THE GIRL
MERELY SUFFERED FROM LIQUOR.
What the Party Drank I'm the Saloon,
and Why the Fatal Drive Was
Taken in the Hack.
THREE PLAUSIBLE STORIES
BUT NOT IN HARMONY WITH con-
FESSIONs AND EVIDENCE.
Testimony of Campbell and Death
Case to he Given to the Jury To-
Night or To-Morrow.
What the Party Drank I'm the saloon,
and Why the Fatal Drive Was
Taken in the Hack.
THREE PLAUSIBLE STORIES
BUT NOT IN HARMONY WITH CON-
FESSIONS AND EVIDENCE.
Testimony of Campbell and Death
Case to BE Given to the Jury To-
Night or To-Morrow.

PATERSON, n. J., Jan. 16.-Counsel for
the defense in the Jennie Bosschieter MUIR
der trial to-day practically closed their
case. William A. Death, Walter L. Nc
Alister and Andrew Campbell, the three
men on trial for the murder, went on the
stand in their own behalf and told their
version of the events of the night Jennie
Bosschieter met her death while in their
company. They told the same story prac-
tically, and their testimony varied but lit
tie as to details The plea set up by coun-
sci for the three defendants was general
and specific denial of all the accusations
made against the men. He opened with an
attack on the moral character of the dead
GIRL and claimed that the prisoners were
in no way responsible for the death of
Jennie Bosschieter. He denied that she
had been drugged. and he denied that she
had been iIl-treated and assaulted.
McAlister, Death and Campbell were each
on the stand. Their testimony was on the
line that they were acting on generous
impulse when they took the girl out Of the
saloon to the hack. They claim that she
was Jolly drunk for time in the back
room of Saal's saloon; said she was joking
and laughing after the first drink; that she
became "dopey" after taking the absinthe
and then became dead drunk. They had
thought a drive in the fresh air would do
her good and had taken her across the
river out into the country. The assault
was denied. They had lifted the girl out
of the hack because she was sick, and
they had conducted themselves like hu-
manitarians in their efforts to bring her
back to her senses. They had taken her
to the brook to obtain water. They would
have taken her home after she was dead.
but when they reached the neighborhood
they saw persons about.
They were frightened at "the dead girl
and did not want to get mixed UP in the
scandal. They maintained that they had
no evil intentions against the girl. The
meeting in the saloon was unintentionai SO
far as McAlister was concerned and he mad
drawn his friend Kerr into the case un-
Willingly. Campbell became mixed up in
1t because Death did not want to be seen
on the street with the girl lest some one
tell his wife. The hack, 1t would appear,
from the statements made by the prisoners.
was not intended for the party at first. but
for McAlister, Kerr and two young women
whose names McAlister refused to divulge
on the ground that their names had not
been mentioned before and he did not want
TO cause them annoyance. The stop in
tended at Lees was not connected with the
girl they had with them but because, al
though she had had enough to drink, the
men had further capacity.
The story as told by each appeared
plausible explanatory and reasonable. but
confiicted with the testimony Of the hack
man and the alleged confessions of Death
and Campbell as introduced by the State
and admitted as evidence. The State. which
was beaten yesterday in the effort to intro
duce the confession said to have been made
by Campbell, succeeded in getting 1t all
in in even a more detailed manner than
would have been possible yesterday.
Tomorrow the summing up will occur
and probably the case will be left with the
jury about sundown, although it may be
that Judge Dixon will defer the charge of
the jury until Friday.