The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-30
UNION TRACTION LINE BLOCKED
PARAMOUNT REsENTs sLOWNEss IN
BALLAsTING THE TRACK.
Farmer Kicked to Death by Mule
Burglar shot at Observation-Disclosures
willie Has Brisk Fire.
olal to the INDIANAPOLIS Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
FORT WAYNE. Ind. oct. 29.-The State
scored heavily this afternoon in the trial
of Charles Dunn for the murder OF Alice
Cothrell, and il the jury had gained any
impression, as had many OF the observers,
that the State had weak case against
Dunn, all such impressions disappeared
after hearing Estelle Marie Sampleson tell
her story. 1t was heard by packed court
room and while minute 20 most disgust
ing degree. il was intensely dramatic at
times. After protracted detail OF her life
from her birth, seventeen years ago, Of her
mothers death when she was four years
old, of her finding a home i'm the Chicago
industrial school and of being employed
with different families I'm this county as a
domestic, she told OF being engaged 10y
Dunn at Wallen.
On the 2d day of July as she was return
ing. little after 1 o'clock. from her next
door neighbor's TO her own kitchen. she
heard screams and rushed out to see where
they came from. Mrs Dunn had heard
them, too and had jumped out Of her in
valid bed. Marie said she looked toward
the barn and saw Dunn leaning against the
door in the barn. Only a short time before
she had seen little Alice Cothrell pass out
of Dunn's house and go I'm that direction.
Dunn soon came into the house and she
told the jury this afternoon that he looked
pale and worried. She asked him whs4-ras
the matter. He said he had come fr-i'
having a sunstroke. He ate very little din
ner and sat around awhile in a detected at
titude. On the 4th Of July Dunn talked
with her confidontially and told her that
Alice was not out of Wallen but was in
town and was dead.
Witness said Dunn then tried TO persuade
her TO go 10 Toledo to John Erwin, a single
man, and he would pay her way and pro-
vide her with clothes. but she must go
right away. Dunn offered 10 tell her some
thing if she would not tell Del Reed, the
hired man, but she would not promise, and
asked why she should not tell him. He
said: Because Del would squesl on me-"
Witness also said that on the Sd OF July.
when Mrs. Dunn remarked that she be-
lieved Alice was in the cistern. Dunn said:
''Shut your id mouth. or I will knock
you down
Witness said the testimony she gave be-
fore the coroner. saying the screams she
heard were made by some children al play.
was false and was made under Dunns in
structions. She acknowledged that she will
become a mother next month. and admitted
relations with Dunn and others. She said
Dunn had tried TO commit a criminal op-
Grafton on her last June.
Her cross-examination. not yet finished.
was extremely severe. and led 20 a confess
sion that she had been discharged from
her work as domestic several times for
thevery and for associating with lewd
company. She stood the examination fairly
well.
This morning all the members of the
Cothrell family were again on the stand.
They were recalled TO deny several state
ments witness had said Dunn made TO
them. Dunn said that Mrs. Cothrell was
at his house looking for Alice on the noon
Of the day she disappeared. and that he
told her TO search everywhere for her Mrs.
Cothrell denied any such conversation, and
even denied seeing Dunn
Dunn told his cook that Mrs. Cothren
had told him she had whipped Alice that
morning. and that he believed II had
caused her TO away. Mrs. Cothrell
and the other members OF the family also
denied this and other statements which
had been attributed 10 them by Dunn in
his alleged efforts to stop the search for
Alice.
Then DIR. McBeth. city health commits
sioner who was at the pOst-mOrtem cX-
animation. was called. He testified 20 the
same conditions existing in the body as
did Dr. w. W. Barnett. He gave IL as his
opinion that the child had been choked TO
death and that she had not been drowned.
She must have been dead before entering
the water.
DR. McBeths testimony occupied almost
all the morning. the larger part OF II
touching on the evidence Of criminal
assault on the child. This testimony was
conducted In low voice. 50 that the
large crowd outside the railing could not
hear II. DIR. Barnett was recalled and
testified that the clothing of the little
girl had been torn. Louis Weifzel a
neighbor said that Dunn told him he was
searching for the little girl at = o'clock
on the afternoon OF July ? This was
several hours before any one else knew
that the child was missing.