Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-09-29
IDENTIFIES
ICE PICK
WITNESS IN RICHARDS TRIAL
RECOGNIZES TOOL USED
BY ROBBERS.
STATE RESTS TONIGHT
Yesterday Was Richards Best Day
Since the Trial Began-Mrs Sullivan
Admits Point in Her History That
May Count Against Her.

The feature of the Richards trial to-
day was the testimony of John Ross,
manager of the coal company in Ham
ilton, who positively identified the ice
pick used by the robbers in prying
open the bureau drawer as the one he
saw in the saloon kept by Richards
brother prior to the robbery. Anoth-
er feature was the admission that
States Witness Baird was covered
with blood and did not resemble hui
man being. This partially explains
why Richards refused to recognize
Baird in the pool hall on the night of
the crime. The state may rest to-
night.
Yesterday Richards Day.
Yesterday was in some respects a
Richards" day in the trial of the for
mer deputy United States marshal,
which is in progress before Judge APP
plegate here. Although the state is
still examining witnesses for the pros
ecution the attorneys for Richards
succeeded in bringing out more in
their clients favor than on any pre-
vious day since the trial commenced.
Mrs. 3. P. Sullivan, whose money was
taken by the robbers, was the princi-
pal witness and in her cross examina-
4 ton she admitted facts regarding her
personal history which may not tend
to make her testimony stand as gilt
edged. In addition to her testimony
| the examination of her former hus-
band, and her son. Ebert Sullivan, the
latter being the lad whom Richards
is said to have enticed away from the
Sullivan house in order to make the
way clear for the robbery, was con
Guided, and three telegraph operators
testified that the message spoken OF
lby Baird as Richards signal for him
to come to Hamilton the day of the
robbery was sent from Hamilton and
I received at Greston as per Baird S ties
timony.
The main interest conferred around
the testimony of Mrs. Sullivan. the
prosecuting witness and one of the
two sensations of the day was sprung
while she was on the stand
Says He Saw Richards.
Mrs. Sullivan, the prosecuting wit
ness, was then called, and told the
same story as far as the robbery was
concerned as was told by her hus-
band, who, however, created much sur
prise by declaring Richards was with
Baird in the house at the time Of the
robbery. Mrs. Sullivan said she was
positive that when Richards came TIC
supper he wore a light hat. When
1 he returned about $50 he wore cal
! and she asked him where he got the
cap. He said that he had bought it
When he came to the house after the
robbery he came from the east an6
wore his hat again This comedies
with Baird's testimony that the rob
bers left their hats by telegraph pole
, by the Burlington tracks, which are
east of the Sullivan home.
Mrs. SuIlivan's History.
The new interest in Mrs. Sullivan.
case was brought out by Attorne,
Powell in the cross examination II
which it was brought out that Mrs
Sullivan had been first married whel
IA years of age and that her first chile
was born shortly after that. She oh
!. tanned a divorce from her first hus
band after about nine years. She wa
married to Sullivan in Des Moine'
but did not remember the exact plac,
in the city, nor the official who per
formed the ceremony. She had OBJ
: tanned divorce from him in Decem
Der and he had come back to he
house Christmas day and had board
ed there off and on ever since. Sh
was very nervous on the stand blu
did not become excited She was some
what on the pugnacious order, espe
cially in her conduct toward the de
(. tense counsel. The defense was al
parently trying to show that she wa
, still woman of bad character, bu
failed to get from her any admission
which would be damaging to her char
acter in this respect. The foundation
was laid for impeaching her TESTING
NY in the same manner as that of he
husbands by asking her as to certai
r statements made by her which if mad
would prove or tend to prove the il
nocence of the defendant She stou
: lily maintained that she had neve
made such statements, but the defer
: dant will introduce testimony shown
that she had.