The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-02
HOCH SPEAKS Ut.
Continued from First Page.l
Their New Evidence.

! John Skinner was the only witness
Of any importance presented by the
applicants. He did not testify under
oath, as Governor Hoch thought this
would be unnecessary. He said that
he lived four miles from the Sell place
at the time of the murder. Mr.. Sell,
sr-s had been his teacher. He went
to the Sell house about daylight on
the morning of the murder, and testi-
fed that he thought he could smell
some sort of a drug in there. He
4 thought he smelled the same drug at
noon, when he again went into the
] house. He testified to following the
/ tracks Of a "pigeon-tOed't horse toward
/ the Sell house, together with another
/ horse. The tracks leading to the house
were made in the mud. The tracks
/ leading away from the house were on
! frozen ground. The ground fFoze
/ about midnight, he thought. This
| testimony was to cOrroborate Willie
! sells story that he chased a man out
of the house and down the road some
! distance, where the man was met by
/ another man with two horses, which
the men mounted and rode away.
! SINNERS testimony brought out the
/ fact that Monday, May 1, was Willie
Sells 36th birthday. Skinner said that
| owing to WilIie's small size, 1t was i'm
! possible for him to have done the muir
ders in the way they were done
Governor Hoch cross examined Skin
ner. He said:
You were impressed at the time with
the Importance of your discovery of
those tracks and you didn't take enough
interest in that boys case to give your
| testimony at the trial?"
Il had to go to Colorado and Texas.
I was in Texas at the time of the trial.
I told Charley Cox, the county attorney,
about the tracks, and he said there was
nothing in it,
you didn't tell the lawyers for the
| defense?"
mo. I thought Cox was not trying
ton -
who I wanted him to go and arrest"
Who was that2"
That was old man Sells own
brother"
wen, what can't understand" said
the governor, lis why on earth you
didn't come from Texas, or the end of
the EARTH to present this very import
ant evidence to the jury
It was developed that Willie Sell had
told a different story to Skinner than
he did on the witness stand. Sell testi-
fed that when he got out of bed and
chased the man out OF the house, he
did not stop except to pull on his
clothes He said he didn't know how
the blood got on his hands and clothes.
willie told me- said Skinner, chat
he went to his father and lifted UP his
head before he put on his clothes, and
that this was the way he got blood on
his hands"
Skinner was put through a rather Sc
we're drilling by the anti-pardon crowd.
They proved by several witnesses that
the doors of the Sell house were locked
by J. T Rice. a neighbor, at about 2 a.
m. and that they were kept locked until
the coroner's jury convened. That COW
cred the time when Skinner claimed he
went into the house and smelled drugs
supposedly ch1oroform.
Was Willie a Degenerate?
The claim was advanced by J. NJ. Al
len that Willie Sell was a degenerate;
hot Fnv r41AF- - -s,T,
made him irresponsible at times and
that when he was first sent to the pen
itentiary, tire prison officials were
obliged to have an operation performed
upon him. He said that this degeneracy
was the cause OF the boys marvellous
Indifference and lack of feeling. Allen
said:
I'VE are not here opposing Willie
Sells pardon on the ground that he does
not deserve to be released from the pen
itentiary for good behavior; what we
object to is the idea tina. he should be
released on the ground CT innocence.
He is guilty; ne was found guilty by an
honest jury, and the fairest judge that
ever presided in a case. If this boy is
pardOned on the ground that he is in
nocent it will be the same thing as
saying that Judge Stillwell and the PEG
pie of that locality are murderers."
Il don't see why you people should
be so sensitive" said the governor.
Neither you nor Judge Stillwel are in
fallible. It is no reflection on you If
the boy is Dardoned: Everybody is
likely to make mistakes. I don't say
this to indicate what am going to do,
but simply to show you people that
you are taking the wrong idea about
this
THE fact remains" exclaimed Allen,
that the boy is a murderer"
There you go again" exclaimed J. NJ.
Mason, one Of the Sells attorneys in
great excitement. That is music on
had some motive for keeping that boy
in prison"
Don't get excited about it," said the
governor.
Hutchins wanted him to, he would not
have been sent TO the penitentiary,' -
said Mr.. Allen. Instead of that, his
gang of lawyers wanted to get his land,
and send him to prison"
That's one Of the things I want to
find out about" said Governor .Hoch.
How much property did old man Sell
have?''
He had s244 in money, which was
found in his pockets after his murder;
he had eighty acres of land with a
house on it. and some stock and farm
ing equipment"
What became of it?"
1T was decided to this gang of law
yers.''
Don't call them gang said the
governor.
Wen, Cory the probate judge, ap-
pointed John Wood guardian. He was
one of that same outfit. Willie want
ed him to appoint somebody else, but
Cory wouldn't
Says Willie Was Insane.
you refer to these lawyers in a
contemptuous way as a gang ." said
the governor. why is that ?"
believe that they were after Will
les property. If they had plead in
sanity, Willie would never have been
sent to the penitentiary''
Then" interrupted Judge Hum
phrey, may it please your excellency,
the only possible thing for you to do
is to pardon this boy. It is entirely
WRONG TO have an insane hnH II,