The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-12
COFFELT SEEN
AT WINFIELD
DAYOF MURDER
He Was at MiIIer'S Gate When
Mr.. Wilson Passed.
SAW HIM ENTER HOUSE
Tendency Clearly Is to Prove
Conspiracy to Murder.
MANY WITNESSES CALLED
To Testify to Various Phases
of Prosecutors Theory.
SAW HIM ENTER HOUSE
MANY WITNESSES CALLED

Winfield, Kan, April 1.-THE state IN
its prosecution Of the Cofelt case. IS
clearly seeking to prove that q conspiracy
vas formed 10 assassinate George C.
montgomery. The evidence of the wit
nesses tend in that direction. n. J. WI
son. a carpenter. was the first called to
the witness stand today.
He testified to seeing Codelt the day Of
The murder. at the corner Of Main street
and Tenth avenue. between 2 and
o'clock in the afternoon between and
clock he saw him again on West
Ninth avenue in front OF Geo. Anler's
residence. Witness was going east and
Coffelt vest. After passing. Wilson look
ID back and saw Cofelt going IN at the
SIiIler gate. 3Ir. Wilson testified that he
was not personally acquainted with Cof-
felt but remembered his features dis
tinctly, because he so closely resembled
a friend he was intimately acquainted
with in Fort Scott, but who was now
dead He was not able 70 describe the
mans clothes, except that he wore a
light hat.
Dick Dodds 5ailor at Wichita under
Sheriff Simmons. had charge Of Cofelt
in the Wichita jan in January after his
arrest, and heard conversation between
Conelt and 11r Busch q Pinkerton de-
tective. The defense objected TO the in
PRODUCTION Of Dodds testimony, and the
state withdrew the witness for the pres
ent
Geo. II. Dresser testified TO taking
picture OF Cofelt. Identifying one Of same
when presented TO him.
H !. Miles of Wichita, travelling
freight agent Of the Santa Fe, was in
Perry after the trial and had conversa-
ton with Joe Miller IN which he said he
would fix Montgomery, and at another
time was on the train with him when he
said that Montgomery and him could not
ride on the same train together
H. J. James. a Santa Fe conductor be-
tween Newton and Purcell, was called to
the stand He said in the early part of
last july he had George Miller and
small Colored boy as passengers to Bliss.
George MONTGOMERY was on the train
The train stopped al Bliss and Just as it
was pulling out he saw Miller and Mont
gomery on the platform the former with
knife and the latter with a revolver
They seemed TO be in a hostile mood to-
ward each other. but he was not close
enough to hear what was being said
A P. Johnson made trip from Win
field 20 Guthrie July l1th. on the Santa
Fe. He saw George Miller get on the
train al Winfield and saw him a,-ain at
Piss; also he saw Montgomery at Bliss.
lie saw Miller out on the platform with
blood streaming down his face waving
his arms and seemed to be somewhat
disturbed. Montgomery was on the plat
forEa with a gun IN his hand. Johnson
returned 10 Bliss the evening Of the same
day. Zsck Miller and five or six men
were on the platform; Montgomery was
on the car platform. Zack was talking
20 him loudly and speaking threatening
words While the controversy was going
on man was seen hiding behind some /
boxes on the platform, his left hand on /
a box and his right hand hanging az his /
side. Witness could not describe him
Michael Manahan. a section foreman.
OF Bliss. acquainted with Coneit, said +
Coffelt went by the name Of Colorado
on the ranch. He was at the Bliss depo. /
on the evening OF July II. when the trou- 1
ble occurred. The fellows asked Mont 4
gomery to get or the train lay down his 4
Fu-AS d-tA LAtt4kr fl AsIt same N.Lflf Gazing
him g coward for hitting an old man over /
the head with a six-shooter. Cofrelt was 4
or the platform. Aianahan did not no. /
tice that the crowd was armed
James North. a small colored bov of
this ciyy. went TO the Miller ranch with
George Miller last summer and saw the /
trouble at Bliss. He was at the Miller /
ranch in The evening. and George Miller /
fnfR him - t,-Tf ..
that he was going TO Bliss to lzm Mont +
gomery. They started Tor Bliss in +
buggy, but before they got there tho I
train had pulled out Afteruard they
came up 10 Winfield on the train. Miller I
getting on AT Arkansas city. on the
train, witness testified thar Miller had
said again be would KIN Montgomery.
On cross-exaIuination the defense brought i
out the fact that North was part negro 4
and part Indian. and that he hod been
stopping with Cal Ferguson.
y. NJ. Sellers. OF Guthrie. was the next
witness. He saw George Miller on the
depot platform at Arkansas City. In Sep
teznber last year. and ssw him write On
a brick in the depot wall. The brick was
presented 20 the witness for the purpose /
q identihcati1n- The witness sai6 it was
the same wording. and. he thought. the
same brick. The writing on il was.
"1o1 ranch Viii get even with The
son"
Charles Brown. of Arkansas city. at +
torney for the Santa Fe. said he saw
George Miller az Arkansas City about the I
middle OF September. on the depot PLATE
form. il was in the nornine. lie was .
talking 70 some men on the plstf0rm +
IT was nearly time Tor the trlin 10 {