The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1903-02-19
CHILD'S FEARFUL
TALE OF MURDER.
Tells How Mother Shot, Cut
up and Burned Her Step
fathers Body.

iatherP"
Mamma"
"Then what did she dor"
''Cut off his head and right arm
with an ak and burned them in the
stove"
A shudder swept the densely pack
ed courtroom and men cried out in
horror as they heard Ida May Tay-
lor, ii years old, answer the district
attorney, Frank s. Anderson. Her
mother, Mrs. Lafayette Taylor,
whom she was accusing, sat ten feet
from the witness chair.
Neighbors had declared that the
mother exercised hypnotic influence
over Ida May, and thecondu,t oil the
girl seemed to confirm the tale, for
she quailed before her mothers eyes.
Perspiration stood on the child's
forehead, she shifted uneasily in her
chair and cast down her eyes, trem-
bling. 8 Her answers at first showed
the mothers influence. People in the
court room noticed it, and their MUIR
muring warned the district attorney
that something was wrong.
"Mrs. Taylor, don'ttry toinfuence
the Witness" he exclaimed, and then
he stood in front OF Mrs. Taylor. The
woman Grained her neck to peer
around him at her daughter, who
trembled and wiped herforehead ner-
vously. Mr.. Anderson made Mrs.
Taylor move her chair so that she
could not look at the child.
Many girls no older than the wit
ness we're in the court room andfully
half the audience were women. As
the slight, pale little girl now calmly
told her terrible tale with absolutely
no show of emotion, ordinations OF
Indignation aud horror and some
times misses were heard from the
crowd. Justice of the Peace William
B. McMillant, who presided, was Wis
IDLY moved by the recital.
THE MOTHER Is a GIANTEss.
When Mrs. Taylor was brought
into the room she walked erect, as
imposing in her stalwart strength as
greDadier. Her hair Is raven black;
her eyes, her most prominent feature,
are bold, piercing and unfinching;
her sallow complexion was slightly
flushed. She wore a black calico
dress with white braid and black
giIdle with a large gilt buckle. She
clasped her large hands and swept
the crowded room with her eyes
giving back look for look.
When Justice Mcmillan called the
court to order the woman Suddenly
Jumped from her chair and exclaim
ed: "Not guilty Pure ACCIDENT The
questioning of the child began at
once
$40 you remember the day two
weeks ago last Monday?" asked Mr.
Anderson.
~ rs, sir.
"What was your mother doiDs
when Lafayette Taylor came in?"
"She was getting supper"
"Did you hear angry words be
tween your stepfather and you
mother"
Mrs. Taylor fixed her eyes on tn
girl, who shnddered. .-
81 heard my stepfather use angr.
words" said the girl, dropping he
eyes. 1t was then that Mr.. Ander
son shut out the impelling gaze G
the mother. Then the girl describe
the wretcbed cabin where the mul
der took place. -rTbere were two bed
in the room where the stove was, bu
the next room wascalled the kitchen
Il was asleep when ashot woke m
up" the girl testified. 81 saw fathe
standing in the doorway openin
into the kitchen. He said: / al
shot. Mother was in the kitchen. ST
did not say anything. l rushed b
my father and went out on the dot
step. I stood there minute an
then came back. Papa was in Il
bedroom. Mamma was still in I'll
kitchen. heard another shot"
SAW ALL THIS, THEN SLEPT.
WHO fired iL?" asked Mr.. Ande
Mamma" instantly responded Il
girl.
~ mistake, child" Mrs. Tayl'
xI--..I