Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1903-10-29

tSbllluOHy VI Al-JOdE-Olu houucbu
Maxwell, of st. Louis, supported
by that Of Mrs. John L. Sullivan,
Of Chicago, formerly in the em-
ploy of the ehild's parents, the de-
fense in the Clarence Barnes kill
ing case confidently expects a ver-
dict Of acquittal on the first ballot.
The boy Kenneth gave the
strongest kind of evidence to-day
for the youthful prisoner at the
bar. When counsel sought to ex-
anime him in the preliminary hear
ing, he became terror-stricken and
cried so bitterly that he was ex-
cused. Since then he has been so
well counsele6 that, when he took
the witness stand to-day, the child
was quite self-possessed and an
swered all questions put to him in
so straight forward and confident a
manner as to arouse the admira-
ton of all in the court room.
When under examina ton by
both the prosecution and defense,
the boys story was the same. On
the day of the killing Kenneth had
driven in buggy with Miss Mar
garet Fitzpatrick, now Mrs. John
Sullivan, to OVENS meat market,
few doors away from the main
entrance of the post Office. The lad
had jumped to the sidewalk, he
said, preparatory to giving an Or
der to the butcher, when his at
tion was attracted to the post Office
door.
/ saw Mr.. Barnes step out, "he
said, and Mr., Clay came right
after him. MIR. Barnes had gone
only few feet when he turned
around facing Mr., Clay, who was
f ollowing.
Il did not hear them say any
thing. l was just looking"
Attorneys then asked the boy
about the position of the mems
hands. He replied that they hung
by their sides but Barnes kept get
ting away.
"Who fired the first shot" ask
ed Attorney Jes Sc.
Mr.. Clay did," answered the
boy.
Then Mr.. Barnes shot. Then
they both kept on firing, and Mr..
Barnes fell on the iron grating"
What did MIR. Clay do then'"
asked Attorney Jesse.
He walked up to where Mr..
Barnes lay and snapp ed his pistol
at him."
THE prosecution here took the
witness. After a great many ques-
tions the swapping of the pistol
was brought up.
You say MIR. Clay snapped his
pistol at Mr.. BarnesY" queried
Prosecuting attorney Buckley.
Yes; he snapped it,"
Did you hear it3"
No, sir; but l saw him pulling
the trigger"
The boy, at this juncture,
seemed to be the best witness on
the stand. The court room which
was packed to suffoca ton, almost,
with women. who had come to see
the bride of the defendent, were
spellbound.
After the lads last words, Mrs.
Barnes, the mother of the man on
trial, began weeping, A sigh in
voluntarily burst from eacn mem
ber of the Barnes family seated
within the bar rail, and the hum
of conversation which spread over
the court room indicated that the
spectator believed that the defense
had clinched its case irrevoeably.
The prosecution took the young
witness and renewed the cross-ex-
animation. They elected the fact
that the boy had been talked to
Saturday by the attorneys in the
cases
The attorneys for the defense
then asked Kenneth if he had ever
told the same story before. He said
that he had told it to his mother.
Mrs. Sullivan's testimony wat
substantially the same as the boy:
with the exception that the attCr,
neys for the State confused thu
former considerably.
After Kenneth Maxwell had tes
titled many prominent citizens
) were placed on the stand to testif,
to the character of Barnes. TIL
first was former Attorney Geuera
ID. II Mcintyre. General McIn
{ tyre is 20 years old aud almos
blind aud was led to the witnes
chair by attorneys at the bar. I'll
s said the deiendant's character wa