Rocky Ford enterprise., 1902-10-24
HORN ON THE STAND
ACCUSED MAN TELLS HIS STORY
Evidence Adduced to Prove an AIlbi-
Horns Own Account Of His Whore.
abouts at the Time Of the Murder.

Evidence Addueed to Prove an AIibI-
Horns Own Account Of His Where.
abouts at the Time Of the Murder.
Cheyenne. Wyo.. Oct. 1s.-Tom
Horn. who was called to the stand yes
terday afternoon. proved, SO far as he
testified. star witness for his defense.
He will finish his story this morning
and be turned over to the prosecution
for cross.examination. which will be
his real ordeal.
Otto Playa testified yesterday that
he saw Horn ut 8 O'Clock on the morn
Ing OF the murder twenty-five miles
west OF the place where Willie Nickel
was killed. The boy is supposed to
have been slain at z O'Clock.
Although having q number OF wit.
nesses to be called to-day the defense
in the Horn trial this afternoon played
its trump card when Horn was placed
on the stand to testify In his own be.
half and an almost perfect alibi was
established for the prisoner.
The evidence. while II was anticI.
pated to certain extent. never
theless created a surprise and changed
tho aspect OF the case IN favor OF the
accused man. The nlibi testimony. be-
In. the statements Of Otto Playa and
others that Horn was seen at o'clock
on the morning OF July Is. riding his
horse near tho Marble Top country.
twenty-five miles from the scene Of tho
killing. appeared to be convincing.
Can the state produce testimony In
rcbuttni to break down this aiibi and
other strong evidence brought out yes.
tcrday In favor Of Horn Ia the qucs.
ton asked on all sides. |; is stated
that Judge Stoli for the prosecution
has yet to play hia strongest cards.
when court adjourned last nigh, tho
defense had not finished with tn. prts.
oner. Horn will be recalled this morn.
Ing and then turned over to the state
for cross Scxnmination. when the real
test upon Horns nerves viii take
place.
when Horns name was called tho
prisoner rose TO his feet quickly and
with a hfm stop walked 10 tho w.ti.-ts
stand and took his scat, lie dii not
appear nervous when he faced th. jury.
tho counsel and audience. but told his
s,roy deliberately. hcaitaiIns only now
and then na some question was pu;
that he evidently did nos understand.
Ills answers were stv-n In clear
toic~ and his language vas much brs-
ter than that Of many Witnesses who
preceded him. His ssoTY in brief. as
told In answer To questions OF eoaa-
sci. follows:
Ills home prior TO aETVst had been
II tho tinsicf ranch. AMI his business
vas 10 ride the range alone and look
after tho Interests of his employers,
lie stopped nj William Gays ranch
near kois Sieksii's place. on July II
1901. and from there wen, ,n MiiioTs
- Asat Ea
remained until Wednesday. tho i5th.
and left here about I" o'clock OF that
day. lie wns mounted 9u his horse
Cap aud carried Se.Il Winchester
rife and field glasses Horn could not
say how he ~sa dressed iaoa. Hn
wore no sweater.
Leaving M,iiof's. he turned up Mule
creek. directly away from Sirk"lTs
ranch. Seeing Hnuc Of Sickrll's sheep.
for which he was looking during his
visit To tho Iron Mountain country.
Horn turned back and rode In a south.
westerly direction toward the I.aFainie
plains. going through the Nickel pas.
,afc. Uo was travelling away from iha
sats al which the boy was killed. lie
then went through William Clay's
pasture. passing within Two miles oi
Nicksii's house. lie saw John BTan
that evening. after which he rode to
tho Sybiiir county. passins through
the raachinr settlement after dark.
spending the night on a little branch
Of the Sybilic.
Thursday morning. July 18th. Horn
went up toward the head OF the sfbille
country In the general direction Of
poslss ranch. passins the Marble Top.
He spent all OF THURSDAY between the
Syb;lle and the hesdwasers OF the
Cbuswatcr. Thursday night he canped
on a spring. one of the heads of the
sybiIie. Friday morning Horn went
TO the fl,smorris place and remained
near there all day. watching fi'smoF-
r;s asd his men. Friday night he catnpei
on the sybiiic. Saturday. July sp'h.
Horn went to the home ranch at
BosIcr. The same day he procured an
other horse and rode into Laramie and
stabbed the horse at the Elkhorn barn.
In answer to questions, Horn stated
tha. he was only Dragging when he
made the statements be did 10 Joe La
Fors.
I'VE were just joshing each other. ;
said Horn. Throwing bull tales at
each other.
Il never had anything 10 do with the
killing of Willie Nickel. I never had
any cause TO- 1 never hHben aAh-
There was nothing serious abous
my talk with La FoTs. Those men
listening on the floor behind a closed
door might Just as we'll have been with
ma. I would have talked Just the same
before them.
There is no truth in the state
men,s of the Denver men that I made
the remarks with reference to the
Nickel affair attributed TO me
THE blue sweater referred to was
not mine. I never said 1t was mine.
Il did not meet Frank Irwin In the
read near Laramie on July 18th or on
any other day. for that matter"