The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-03-09
NONDERSOF THE COURT

Cases In Court Where Men Have Been
Convicted Solely on CirCum-
stantiaI Evidence.
The case of Charles Tucker of Bos ton
who has been convicted of the murder
of Miss Mabel Page purely on circum-
stantial evidence, has reused interest
in other cases of similar character.
In the Tucker case the motive for the
crime was singularly lacking. 1t was
not shown that Miss Page and Tucker
were at all intimate, although the Pages
and fuckers were known to each other.
They lived some distance apart. There
was no ''love affair in this, and the
murder was a particularly brutal one,
Miss Page having been attacked while
alone in her room in her fathers house
and repeatedly stabbed.
1t did not appear that robbery was
the incentive. In fact, the trial estab-
lished merely that Tucker had been in
the vicinity of the house at about the
time the murder was committed, and
that it was possible for him to have
killed Miss Page. The points on which
the prosecution rested were that a note
left by Miss Page to her father, in
which she stated that she had gone to
her brother, who had been injured, was
written by Tucker after he had killed
her; that he stole pin valued at $40
belonging to the murdered girl that he
possessed knife of the kind used by
the murderer, that he carried sheath
for this knife, and that he afterward
attempted to dispose of the knife. VAR
ious handwriting experts were exam
ined with reference to the note with
the customary disagreements. AS to
the knife, which Tucker had broken
up and endeavored to secrete, he ex-
planned that this was not done until
after he had been suspected of the muir
der, and that he did it through fright.
He declared that the stickpin found on
him he had owned for two years. He
stoutly denied his guilt.
| The effort Of the defense was to pro-
duce an alibi. Witnesses testified as
to fuckers whereabouts at the supposed
time of the murder. 1t was believed
that the defense had made strong
case. The verdict of guilty was great
surprise, and one Boston newspaper
has declared editorially that it was
impossible"
In recently cases circumstantial evil
dence has played far more important
part than formerly, owing to the more
strenuous defense possible by reason OF
the advance of science, in the analysis
of blood, in photography, in the study
Of handwriting, and in many other ways.
MANUFACTURED EVIDENCE.
An extraordinary case, in which cir
cumstantial evidence that was subse-
quently proven to have been manufact-
ured, led to a fathers conviction for
the supposed murder of his daughter, is
described in the records of Gibraltar
The story is one that would afford a
plot for a novelist, yet it is vouched
for by official records.
/ There lived in Gibraltar an English
merchant named James BaXwell, who
married Spanish woman and reared a
daughter named Elezia, remarkable fol-
her beauty. In 1S4l, when the girl was
II, she returned the affection OF one Of
many suitors, young man named
William Katt.
Baxwen refuse to allow his daughter
to marry Katt, as their religious beliefs
were not the same. The girl threw her.
self at her fathers feet in supplication
but to no avail. He was deaf alike tc
her entreaties and those OF the young
man.
But the girl had inherited high
spirit from her mother, and vowed she
would marry the man of her choice
This reused her father to intense anger
and,a violent scene followed, during
which he declared he would strike hel
dead before he would give his consent
to her marriage. This threat was
heard by Katt.
Il The merchants house stood at the
base Of the rock, and near it was one o!
the many natural caves of Gibraltar
which he used for a storage place il
his business.
Two days after the scene with hel
father Elezia disappeared. Passer.
heard walls and groans in the cave
which died away as they listened
They reported what they heard In :
| few days Baxwell was asked to explair
the absence of his~daughter. He sait
he could not. She had gone away, ant
that was all he knew about it.
PIECE OF DRESS FOUND.
He was arrested OH charge of havin,
murdered the girl. The cave wal
SeafCHeu, anu piece VI uef ureSS anu
lock of her hair, matted with blood
were found.
Baxwell protested his innocence, .bu
was brought to trial and was foun,
guilty. On being sentenced he wa
overcome, and remained in state of col
lapse until the day set for the execu
tion. On going to the scaffold he cried
! Before my Maker, am guiltless of m
. child's DEATH"
In the crowd at the foot of the seal
fold was Katt, who had been an import
ant witness in the trial.
Catching sight Of him, Baxwell e,
tended his hand, saying:
"My friend, in one minute shall b
in eternity. l wish to die at peac
with all men. Give me your hand
pardon you freely for the injury 70
have done me.
Katt became pale and agitated Q
hearing these words. Baxwell mounte
the steps slowly, and the black bonnie
was put on him and the rope adjuste,
According to custom, the hangma