Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-04-05
EXPERTS ON The Stand
Testimony Of Doctors Taken in
the Hossack Murder Trial
Today.
Strong Evidence For the state.-
The Case is Progressing
Rapidly.
Forty Witnesses Had Been Elk.
amined Up to Noon..The
Proceedings.


Special to Times Republican.
Indianola, April 5.-The entire fore
noon OF the Hossack murder trial was
taken up by the testimony of Drs. Por-
terfield and Suber, who conducted the
post mortem examination. In the judg-
nent of these physicians, after making
a thorough and complete examination of
the wounds, 1t would be at least thirty
minutes and possibly an hour after the
wounds were inflicted before the
wounded man could speak The state is
making an effort. and 1t is strong point.
to prove that the alarm was not given
hy Mrs. Hossack for some time after her
husband had been struck. "A rigid cross
examination failed to bring out state
ments to the contrary. The case is pro-
crossing rapidly Up to noon today forty
Witnesses had been examined on the
Fart of the state. with some very i'm.
portant ones yet to be called
The state gained few points Thurs
day. They failed, however. to prove.
that the hairs upon the blade of the ak
were human hairs or that the blood
upon the handle of the AK was human.
blood. Professor j. L. Tilton. of Simp-
l'son College. testified that he had exam
ined the hairs taken from the blade of
the ak with which Hossack was sup
posed to have been killed and that in
his Judgment 1t could not be told
fat har fha1, mara Tvs, R,o,,, a
being or from a dog.
1 DIR. Eli Grimes. of Des Moines. who
examined the blood stains upon the
that he found positive fowl blood, but
whether or not there was any human
blood upon the Az This was great dis
appointment to the state, as they
counted the ak as strong evidence that
| Hossack had been killed by member
of his own household.
| Sheriff Hardin then went on the stand
and examined the ak. which he posi-
ltively identified as the one formerly In
his possession and the one found under
the granary at the Hossack home the
day following the murder. The sheriff
testified that no member OF the Hossack
for u detection of the murderer of
John Hossack The sheriff took the
hairs from the ak and saw blood on the
ak handle.
Deputy Sheriff Kimer arrived at the
Hossack home at 12 o'clock Sunday fol-
lowing the mNrder and was placed in
charge of the room occupied by the
murdered man. Witness gave descrip-
80
man lay and described what position he
occupied in the bed. Here the bed and
bedding were Introduced in court and
Mr.. Kimer identified it as the same
which Hossack occupied the night of
December I. The bed was an old fash
ioned, narrow one. and 1t seemed i'm
possible that Mrs Hossack could have
been in that bed at the time OF the kill
Ing. Mrs. Hossack is considerably
taller than the bed is long. The post
tion her husband occupied in the bed
that night, as shown by the bloody
sheets, tick and coverings, was in the
center of the bed. The bloody shirt and
undershirt of deceased were Identified
as the ones worn by Hossack when first
seen after the murder.
Fred Johnson. who was on the coro-
ner's jury. was next called. Examined
the bed clothing and wounds on Hos
sacks head and also examined chemise
worn by Mrs. Hossack on the night her
husband was killed. He told OF many
family quarrels and had been called to
assist in settling difficulties. Knew of
the agreement OF Hossack and wife to
separate in November, 1899. and helped
to reconcile them for the sake uf the
children. Mrs. Hossack told witness
that she would never be happy until.
Hossack was gone-ttat she wished he
WAS dead. They Quarreled about every
thing and the whole community knew
1T. Mr.. Johnson is one OF the most
prominent men In the county and his
testimony Is considered strong for the
state. When the reconciliation was
brought about Mr.. Johnson testified
that nearly every member OF the house
hold, including Mrs. Hossack, an
nounced that they were to blame for the
trouble and acknowledged they had
done wrong.
Joseph Hossack. the 16-year-old son.
of defendant. was the most damaging
witness TO the defense that has yet TAX
en- the stand. He testified that before
his father and mother retired on the
night of December 1. 1900, that they
quarreled for an hour. Also quarreled
the night previous and acknowledged
that quarrels between them were SO
common that he thought but little
about it. The boy testified before the
grand jury that he heard his mother
say to his father on the night OF De-
cember before going to bed: You al
most drive me crazy" He acknowl-
edged in court that he said II before the
grand jury. but claimed the county at
torney had made threats that he would
arrest him If he did not swear to suit
him.
The plucky attorney leaped from his
chair and said: Who was present
when 1 made the threat?''
Answer-"The members Of the jury
ard the clerk"
This caused great excitement in the
court room and 1t was q few minutes
before Judge Gamble could restore or
der.
Witnessed answered number of 9TH
er questions that he had sworn to before.
the grand jury. but they were stricken
cut.
The county attorney claims hs Is ail
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