Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-11
SAN C[AOD|OS KILLED
FL. Cole, the States Star Wit
ness Testifies In Hamlet
Murder Trial
WAS EYE WITNESS OF THE DEED
Details Of the Court Tragedy Are Re-
lated, and in Questioning Witness,
the Defense Made Apparent an In
tent to Prove Hamlet Incapable of
Forming Guilty Intent.

Iowa City, March Ill was in
Elsinore Castle the night King Claud-
ius was murdered, and saw Hamlet
stab him to the heart with deadly
weapon" testified F. j. Cole, of Mason
City, in the Hamlet trial in the junior
law court of the University Of Iowa
today.
Il have been acquainted with Hamlet
for some time continued Mr. Cole.
who is the states star witness. his
credibility being very great. as he is
president of the junior law class. Il
was in Castle Elsinore the afternoon
of the day King Claudius was murdered
and heard Hamlet talking with Hora-
ito. Hamlet asked Horatio If it was
not iustifiable in him to kill King
Claudius.
HE that hath killed my King, and
whored my mother;
Popped in between the election and
my hopes;
Thrown out his angle for my proper
life,
.And with such cozenage; is't not per-
feet conscience
TO quit him with this arm?' were
Hamlet's words.
'"The same evening" testified Mr..
Cole, in response to further questions,
II was present with Hamlet and Ho-
ratio in a hall of the castle. King
Claudius of Denmark, Queen Gertrude,
Laertes, and Osric, and attendants
We're present also.
II saw Laertes and Hamlet engage
in a fencing bout with rapiers. King
C1audius called for glasses of wine to
be set out before him on a table. /
saw Claudius drop into one of the cups
some substance. which he said was a
rearl Of great price. He invited Ham |
let to drink from this cup, but Hamlet
i..,keu niin to put IL by a spell. Inc
Queen drank from the cup and soon
thereafter. fell into a swoon, with the
exclamation, % my dear Hamlet, the
drink! the drink! I am poisoned"
With this, Queen Gertrude died.
40 yilliany!" cried Hamlet. sHo!
let the doors be locked! Treachery!
Seek it out!"
Hamlet was then told by Laertes
that the point of the rapier in Ham
let's hands. with which both had been
had been poisoned, by direc-
ton of King Claudius. Hamlet there
upon advanced toward the king in a
manner.
1.-The point envenomed too!' cried
Hamlet, then venom. do thy work!
and with that he stabbed King Claud-
ius through the heart with the rapier.
In a few minutes the court physician
the king dead.
II am able to identify positively the
rapier marked Exhibit A as the rapier
with which Hamlet killed the king"
The defense questioned Mr.. Cole
closely as to the manner and looks of
Hamlet at the time he killed the king.
Mr.. Cole admitted that he was flushed,
but thought that due to the fencing
bout.
Judge Deemer sustained objections to
questions propounded by the defense
on cross examination. asking how the
witness happened to be so close to the
scene of the murder, and why he had
not detailed his experiences sooner, to
relieve scholars of the doubt entertain
ed as to Hamlet's sanity.
From the questions asked Mr.. Cole, Il
the purpose of the defense to prove ;
hat for some time previous to the muir
Ter, Hamlet was incapable of forming
l guilty intent, became apparent.
The deeper the milk is set the less