The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-08
He HAS AN ALIBI.
States Case Against Monroe
Patterson Is CrumbIing.
Evidently Mr.. Sparr Is Some
thing of a ROmaHcer.
TRACES HIS STEPS.
HIS STEPS.
Accused Able to Give Good
Account of Himself.
Proves He Was In Room at Time
of Murder.


Tense in the Patterson case, which was
opened in city court Wednesday morn
ing. was taken up on adjournment
last night and several more witnesses
for the defense heard.
The witnesses who had been called
in by E. o. Doyle, the attorney who
for the purpose of helping Monroe
Patterson, the accused, furnished the
boy with an alibi which will probably
outweigh the unsubstantiated testi-
mony of E. E. Sparr, the accuser.
About thirty people, beside the wit
nesses, were in the city court room
last night, and they all seemed to be
friendly to Patterson.
After the hearing was over, and the
court had announced that no more
evidence would be taken until the
regular preliminary, which is set for
December II, Monroe Patterson was
surrounded by friends and acquaint-
ances, who shook hands with him. and
told him they expected to see him
freed at the preliminary.
Patterson was not very well known
in Topeka, but he seems to have made
friends. He became intoxicated fire.
Quently, but even the proprietor of the
hotel where he boarded did not seem
to object when he came in drunk. He
is small and bOyish in appearance,
him before his arrest, perfectly inof-
fensive, whether drunk or sober.
The first witness called in the even
ing was Thomas S. Kane, a steam fit
ter's helper, employed by Gordon &
Co., who was with Patterson on the
day prior to the murder.
He stated that on the Saturday night
before the murder he took a walk
nd a
man named Haute. They walked up
to Kansas avenue from the Pleasant
Home hotel, and there he left them,
as they said they were going to a show
at the theater, and he did not care
to go. He next saw Patterson Sunday
morning when he got up to breakfast.
He says that he would have known it
If Patterson had stopped anywhere
between the Pleasant Home hotel and
Kansas avenue to talk to anyone, and
that he did not.
He saw Patterson again Sunday
evening, and Patterson seemed to be
intoxicated. He was with a man
named Wilson, who was sober.
The next witness called was Robert
Stanton, a boy employed as night
clerk at the Holiday house.. He was
introduced for the = purpose of dis
crediting part of the Spar story which
will be used against Patterson in the
preliminary hearing.
Stanton knew Spar, and said that
he came in late several nights about
that time, but he did not remember
any dates.
Mrs. Matilda Herman, who lives at
the Pleasant Home hotel and acts as
night clerk said that Patterson came
in with Mr.. Haute about IL o'clock
on the night of November 10. Another
man came with them to the door, but
did not come in. Mrs. Herman was
kept on the stand a long time by AS
sistant County Attorney McNary, who
conducted the cross examination. The
argument was about a diSuSed door
in the Pleasant Home hotel, which
Mrs Herman said could not be opened
She was positive that Patterson or no
other boarder came down stairs and
left the house after they went to their
rooms, because they would have to
come through the office, where she
kept vigil, to reach the street. McNary
attempted to get her to admit that a
boarder might have left the house by
the disuSed door, but she maintained
that it waS(faStened in such a manner
that it would be impossible to open it
without disturbing her. Mrs. Herman
stated that she never slept at night, on
account of a great fear of fire
Mrs. Herman was followed on the
stand by Mrs. Mary Clark, her daugh-
ter, who is proprietor of the hotel
Mrs. Clark sustained the evidence
of her mother concerning the time
Patterson and Haute came in She
also stated that another man came
with them to the door and then turned
away. She remembered saying to
her husband, who came in lust before
the arrival of Patterson and Haute
The bOarders are all in for the night -
F. H. Waite, the man who was with
Patterson that night, was the next
witness. He said that he had known
Patterson since he came to the Pleas
ant Home hotel. He said that he
went to the theater on the night of
November 10 with his nephew and
while there saw Patterson and Haute
sitting near them Waite said that he
boarded at the Pleasant Home but
did not room there.
G. ]; Towson was then called, and
testified that he roomed at the Pleas
ant Home hotel, and at the time of
the murder and for some time before
that date Patterson was his room
mate. On Saturday, November 49, he
says he worked with Patterson all
day in the Santa Fe shops, where they
were employed as steam filters He
also saw Patterson at supper time. He
but does not know the exact time He
said he went to bed about 10 o'clock
and was asleep when Patterson came
in He had left a light burning for
Patterson, and when the latter came
in he woke TowSon and told him to
quit snoring.
They talked few minutes, and then
he went to sleep again. He noticed
nothing peculiar about Patterson. either
in his manner or clothing.
w. Wilson, a steam filters helper,
employed on the same work with Pat
terson, stated that he saw Patterson in
front of the Pleasant Home hotel about
z O'Clock on the evening of November
19. He spoke to Patterson and two or
three others who were standing near as
he passed up Fifth street. He saw Pat
terson again Sunday afternoon, and
Patterson seemed to be intoxicated.
Wilson said that he knew Spar, the ac-
cuser, but had little to do with him, be-
cause he Spar, was a bum" and a
tramp.
At the close of the investigation At
torney Doyle asked to put Patterson
on the stand, but the court objected.
Judge McCabe said that the testimony