Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-08-19
WILLIE c. HARRIS PROVES GOOD
WITNESS FOR HIS ACCUSED
MOTHER.
HEARING CoNTIN U E S
Preliminary Examination Of Mary NJ.
Harris on Murder Charge Draes
Slowly But Interested Crowd
Watches Every Development in the
Woman's Fight for Liberty.
From THURSDAYS Daily.

From Thursdays Daily
Interrupted with frequent and often
prolonged, contests of the attorneys
over competency of certain evidence
or other points of law, the examination
of witnesses at the preliminary hear
ing Of Mrs. Mary Harris progressed
slowly before Justice M. l.. Kirk at the
court house yesterday and today. The
indications are for hard legal battle
and 1t is probable that the hearing will
not be completed before Saturday.
The interest in the case of the wo-
man who is accused of the premedi-
tated murder of her husband, James
Harris, found dead at his
home near Kirkville Saturday morning,
August 5, with a bullet wound in his
head, was shown by the large attend
ance at the hearing, every seat In the
court room being taken and the door
ways crowded with spectators. 1t was
an orderly crowd and paid the closest
attention to the proceedings, listening
with the deepest interest to the replies
of the witnesses, or laughing at the
sharp satire of the attorneys when
they clashed over some legal question.
A GreWsone Exhibit.
When the portion of the skull Of
James Harris, showing the bullet
wound, the revolver which inflicted it
and the bullet were offered as exhibits,
men and women left their seats and
elbowed and jostled each other to get
a place nearer to the railing where
they could get better view, while
Mrs. Harris turned away her head and
her attorneys requested that the dis
play be made as short as possible.
Defendant Unmoved.
Mrs. Harris entered the court room
with Constable I. NJ Davis, dressed
neatly in black, and the smile never
left her face as she glanced over the
crowd and gave a nod of recognition
to one or two acquaintance. Seated
between her attorneys. A. c. Steck and
Captain w. H. G. jacques, she betrayed
no emotion as her 16-year-old son Will
liam G. Harris, on the witness stand,
told of their actions and conversatio
on the morning Of August 5. and the
finding of the dead body of Mr. Harris
The boy made his replies to the attor-
neys in short, matter-of-fact way and
If he felt any emotion did not show it
by so much as the CULVER of an eyelid
The three brothers of Mrs. Harris.
John Jones, Thomas Jones, and
James Jones Of Hiteman, also
sat near her in the court room The
prosecution was conducted by County
Attorney W. w Epps and Seneca Cor
nell w. A. Myers of Kirkville, re-
Gently appointed guardian of Mr.. and
Mrs. Daniel Lewis, the aged couple
whom Mrs. Harris is alleged to have
defrauded of a small farm and bank
account of $1,000, and who filed infor-
nation against the woman, had place
near the states attorneys.
William Harris Testifles.
William G. Harris, the son of Mrs.
Harris, was the first witness His tes-
tim ony was substantially as follows:
81 am 16 years old. I live two and
half miles southwest of Kirkville in
Columbia township. My father was
James NJ Harris. The family con-
sisted of three, father, mother and N.Y.
self. My sister died six years ago at
the age Of four years. Father died
Saturday, August 5. I last saw my
father alive August about 8 o'clock
at the breakfast table. He left table
first. Went into bed room to get some
thing to go to Kirkville Did not see
him after he went into the room. got
up about $3.50 that morning. Do not