The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-01-18
DEFENSE RESTS CASE.
Testimony In Bosschieter Trial
Is Ali In.
ACCUSED MEN ON THE STAND.

Death, CampbeI and McAIister Tes-
tify In Their own BehaIf-Say the
Girl DIED From Alcoholism and
Impugn Her Character.
Paterson, N. j., Jan. 17.-Counsel for
the defense in the Jennie Bosschieter
murder trial yesterday practically closed
their case. William A. Death, Walter
L. McAlister and Andrew Campbell, the
three men now on trial for the murder.
went on the stand in their own behalf
and told their versions of the events of
the night Jennie Bosschieter met her
death while in their company. They told
the same story practically, and their tes-
timony varied but little as to details.
The plea set up by counsel for the
three defendants was general and spe-
cific denial of all the accusations made
against the men. He opened with an at
tack 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 i'll treated and assaulted.
McAlister, Death and Campbell We're
each on the stand. Their testimony was
on the line that they were acting on a
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 "dopy"
after taking the absinth and then he
came dead drunk. They had thought
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 con-
Quoted themselves like humanitarians 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.
No Evil Intentions.
They were frightened ut '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 unnten-
tional so far as McAlister was concerned.
and he had drawn his friend Kerr into
the case unwittingly. Campbell became
mixed up in it because Death did not
want to he seen on the street with the
girl lest some one tell his wife. The hack,
it 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 intend
ed 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 conficted with the testimony of the
hackman and the alleged confessions of
Death and Campbell as introduced by the
state and admitted as evidence. The
state. which was beaten the day before
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 the previous day.
When the defense had exhausted its re-
sources, Mr.. Emley entered CampbelPS
confession and then rested.
The summing up is expected to occupy
the whole of today. Perhaps the judges
charge will be delivered in the evening
or it may be postponed until tomorrow
morning.