Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-09-26
SHORT SESSION HELD
ouncil In the slifer Murder
Trial Wrangle Over the De-
PENDANTS Evidence
LEADING QUESTIONS ASKED
LEADING QUESTIONS ASKED
Defense Seeks to confine Gross Exam
nation to the Ground Covered in tho
Direct Testimony Details of tho
Evidence Given by the Defendant
in Case.
Special to Tines-Republican.

/ noon, aQJOurnlHS dLlef leAcHodiAs 81
/ fer's cross-examination had only fair
I ly begun Adjournment was takel
for the purpose of hearing argumen
of counsel on the right of the stat
to ask certain questions, which the de-
| tense claimed were leading questions
and not proper cross examination. AT
| ter a short direct examination thl'
morning Slifer was taken in hand b!
| the state. Slifer, as has been shown
during the trial, spent some time II
| the photograph business. On his Oh
rect examination he stated he had new
err seen chioroform used as an anaes
! thetic, and had never used 1T himsel
! for such purposes. The state IN II:
! cross examination asked him II he hat
ever used chloroform In the photo
graph business. Counsel for defense
objected, claiming the state had M
right to ask the question. The state
asked to be heard on the question, anc
the arguments will be made with the
jury absent in all probability this az
ternoon. The defense is conttning the
state very closely to the direct evil
dence and objection is made every
time a question is prcpounded that is
likely to lead to developments not COW
cred in the direct examination. The
court room was again crowded TODAY
and the indications are the case VIII no'
be finished till late in the week. The
testimony in detail:
Saturday Morning..
Court opened the testimony IN the
Sitter case by calling DR.. Thieland.
told defendant after / had exam
ihed the dead body of his wife on Sun
day morning, December 20, what my
findings were. He was then in the sit
ting room lying on the lounge.
No cross examination.
Mr.. A. N. Wood, attorney for de-
PENDANT, was first called into counse
PENDANT, called. am one of the attor'
neys for defendant; was first called
into counsel in the case the day de-
PENDANT was arrested. / first saw ths
slip, exhibit 49," the day before the au.
topsy Of the body of Kate Slifer.
first saw the letter, exhibit 10 on De-
cember 20 last, the day Of the autopsy
received it from him either that day
or the next day. 1 advised Mr.. Sill
fer that the letter, exhibit 10, be with
held from the evidence at the prelim'
mary before the Justice. 1t was mol
offered in evidence there. / received
the bottle, exhibit 10, from Mr.. Slifel
some time in April and have had II
ever since.
Cross examined. Do not know whe.
Their I got exhibit 10 at the autopsy
or the next day.
Mrs. Amanda Slifer mother Of de-
PENDANT, called, aged 81. Have known
Katie about four years VIII and
Katie were very happy together. Nc
trouble between them. They were mol
away from home much; most always
went away together. She had spots
on her hands. 1 knew she had one
on her head, She did not say any
thing to me about the spots being all
over her body. l never noticed hel
cover her hands to hide them. I saw
her wear gloves often. I heard her
say she had to wear gloves a week
or two before her death. She wore
gloves to church. She did not always
appear sad, but often appeared to
be in deep, sad trouble. Saw her DIFF
ferent times with deep, sad look, as
tho in a. deep study. heard others
say she had spot on her neck.
never saw It. saw the spot In the
edge Of her hair on the left temple
She had talked to me about this spot
She appeared to be sad and distressed
when talking about 1t, and as tho she
was Just ready to drop. She did not
have the interest in the work the last
two weeks that she had been used to
take. / noticed this on a number
Of occasions. I know she read the
papers about the suicide of Banker
Wood of Colfax. I heard her talk a.
bout the suicide. She mentioned the
way in which 1t was done. f1rs'
heard Of them going to Marshalltown
on Friday morning. Katie said they
were going to Marshalltown to see the
Christmas goods and were going to
stay all night at Rodermers. I saw
VIII come downstairs Saturday morn-
ing. He came downstairs half-hour
before Katie did. She most always
came down with him, or very soon af-
ter he came down. Nothing in par
ticular was said that morning about
the trip to Marshalltown. They star
ted about two hours after breakfast
/ heard them come home in the even-
ing; was in bed. Heard them in the
kitchen. I went to sleep soon after
Next heard Willie come down stairs
crying, "Papa, Katie is dead" He laid
down on the lounge. He came down
dressed. went up stairs about IL
ol4
on the stand burning; was in the room
upstairs only a few minutes. Willie
lay on the lounge crying; did not talk
to him much; he stayed on the lounge
until the corpse was brought down
Then he went upstairs with the rest OF
the relatives After the corpse was
brought down the relatives came down
stairs. Will came down soon after
I called him to come down; Jake stay
ed up stairs till after Will came down
He STAYED on the lounge most of the
day. I knew of him looking at the
body In the bed room after it had been
laid in the casket: did not see him. but
heard him crying In the room. / saw
him look at the corpse In the sitting
room at the services there. 1 saw a
glass on the dresser upstairs IN katie's
room on the day after the funeral: 1t
belonged to our dishes: took it down
stairs I was In the room when Will
was bathing his feet on Sunday even
ing. He washed his feet and wanted
a clean pair of socks: he had cold
and told him he better not sit there
barefooted; he sent Mary after the
socks before told him he better not