Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-17
A GENERAL DENIAL
Is the Defence in BossCheter
Murder Trial.
The Defendants Testify Each Admits
Drinking But Gave No Drugs.
emphaticaly Deny that Either 0! Them Com
mittcd an Assault.

New York. Jan. i6.-Counsel for the
defence in the Jennie BossChieter muir
der trial at Patterson. X. J.. today
closed their case. VIM. y. Death. Wal
ter l.. McAllister ana Andrew Camp
bell the three men now on trial. went
upon 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. Their tcsti-
mony varied but little as to details.
The pleas set up by counsel 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 We're in no way responsible
| for her death He denied that she had
been drugged. and he denied that she
had been i'll treated and assaulted.
McAnister. Death ana Campbell.
We're each on the stand. Their tcsti-
mony was On the line that they We're
| acting on n generous impulse when
| they took the girl out of the saloon to
| the hack. They claimed that she WAS
Jolly drunk for time in the back
| room of SAILS saloon; said she was
| joking and laughing after the first
| drink. that she became "dopcy" after
| taking the absinthe and then became
dead drunk. Tho assault was denied.
The story as told by each appeared
| plausible. explanatory ana reasonable
| but Confiicted with the testimony Of the
| hackman and the alleged confessions
| of Death and Campbell as introduced
| by the state and admitted as evidence.
| The prisoners. McAllister. Death and
| Campbell were brought in few min
uteS before 10 o'clock. The faces of The
defendants all bore Indications OF the
strain Of the trial Death looked more
| detected ana nervous than his two
companions.
| Immediately after court opened.
Judge Hoffman Of the counsel for the
defense. asked that Sculthrope the
| hack driver. be recalled. so that he
might he confronted with the record
of his conviction of crime of which
he had previously been found guilty.
Judge Dixon refused. holding that it
had no bearing on the present case
| Michael Dunn then opened the cHyc
for the defense lie spoke of the deep rC-
| sponsibility resting upon the counsel
| fo~ the defense. The case he said WAS
| 4 sad one. involving as il did the death
Of young woman and bringing deep
! grief upon the members of her fam
| lily. The case was also sad on account
of the youth of the prisoners and be-
cause il had brought such disgrace up
on their families.
Counsel then went into n history o1
| the occurrences on the night of DCt.
| IS. He told how Death and Campbell
| had met the girl on the street. how
| Campbell had taken her to SAILS 81
| loon because Death being a mari led
| man. did not wish to be seen in CON
pany with the girl. At the saloon tho
three prisoners and Kerr took the gil |
into a rear room. where several drinks
were served. The girl soon afterward
became drowsy.
Counsel then described the taking Of
| the girl from the saloon to the plaoe
where the dead body was found. she
| was Mr.. Dunn went on to say 'e5-
corted and not carried to the hack.
| which was then driven to the outskirts
of the city. 1t was the intention to try
| and rcviv" the girl, ana she was taken
out of the hack and placed on the
! blanket The four men then kneeleti
about her and made every effort To
restore her to consciousness by rub
bling her hands and face. The hackman
was mistaken when he said the men
| assaulted the young woman at this
time. They decided to hurry to the
| nearest physician with the girl. ana
when they drove to DR.. Wiley's tie
doctor was not at home They next
went to DR.. Townsend and he pro-
nounccd the girl dead. The four young
men Were now thoroughly frightened
ana when the hackmen suggested tah
ing the body to the girls home the de-
| PENDANTS decided to leave il in a spot
where it would be easily found ana
recognized.
We deny that we administered any
drug to the girl or that we tried to set
her intoxicated said Mr. Dunn. we
also deny that it was the inteation OF
the defendants to harm her
| The misfortune that befel Jennie
! Eosschieter might fall TO sny other eiri