Evening journal., 1901-01-17
ACCUSED MRN
ON THE STAND
Alleged MurdererS Testify in
Their Own Behalf
Deny That Jennie BOSScheiter Was
Druggcd and Assaulted Trial
Nearly Ended

Paterson. N. j.. Jan. 17.--Counsel for
the defense in the Jennie BOsschieter
murder trial yesterday practically
closed their case William A. Doath,
Walter l.. McAlister and Andrew
Campbell, the three men on trial for
the murder. went upon the stand IN
their own behalf and told their ver-
sions of the events OF the night Jennie
Bosachieter met her death while in
their company. They told the same
story practically, and their testimony
varied but little as to details.
The plea set UP by counsel for the
three defendants was a general and
specific denial OF all the accusations
made against the men. He opened
with an attack upon the moral char
acter of the dead girl. and claimed that
the prisoners were In no way RESPONSE
sible for the death Of Jennie Bosachie-
ter. He denied that she had been drug
ged, and he denied that she had been
ill treated and assaulted.
McAlistcr Death and Campbell we're
each on the stand. Their testimony
was on the line that they We're acting
on generous impulse when they took
the girl out Of the saloon TO the hack.
They claimed that she was Jolly
drunk" for a time IN the back room of
Saa's saloon; said she was Joking and
laughing after the first drink; that she
became "dopey" after taking several
drinks Of absinthe, aud then became
dead drunk. They had thought that q
drive In the fresh air would do her
good, and had taken her across the
river out into the country The as
sault was denied. They had lifted the
girl out of the hack because she was
sick, and they had conducted them
selves like humanitarinns IN their ef-
forts 10 bring her back to her senses.
They had taken her 10 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 wan
unintentional so far as Mchligter was
concerned. and he had drawn his friend
Kerr into the case unwittingly Camp
bell became mixed up I'm IL because
Death did not want 10 be seen on the
street with the girl lest some one tell
his vile. The hack. II would appear
from the statements made by the pris-
oners, was not intended for the party
at first. but McAlister Kerr and two
young women whose names McAlistor
refused 10 divulge on the ground that
their names had not been mentioned
before and he did not want to cause
them annoyance. The stop intended at
Lee'e was not connected with the girl
they had with them. but because. al
though she had enough TO drink, tho
men had further capacity.
The story as told by each appeared
plausible. explanatory and reasonable.
but conhicted with the testimony OF
the hackman and the alleged confess
sions Of Death and Campbell as intro
duced by tho state and admitted as owl
dcnce. The state. which was beaten
Tuesday In the effort TO introduce the
confession said TO have been made by
Campbell, succeeded in getting it all
in. in even more detailed a manner
than would have been possible Tuesday.
DR.. Charles J. Loffer OF New York
city. who was called by the defense.
said he had seen persons knocked
OUT by absinthe. Prosecutor Emily
asked him the hypothetical question:
III a person had died after having
taken absinthe and chloral was found
IN the stomach, what would you say
she died Of?
From chloral poison" was the re-
ply.
Today the summing up occurs. and
probably the case will be left 10 the
jury about sundown. although It NAV
be that Judge Dixon will defer the
charge to tho jury until tomorrow.