The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-20
TOM BRENNAN SAYS
|. NO BURGLAR THERE
Testimony of Surviving Child Is
Most Damaging to the
Defense.
He Tells Of the Shooting and Of
Preceding Domestic Re
lations.
yesterdays late proceedings in Brennan cass
on page 49,

yesterdays late proceedings in Brennan cass
on page 15).
If Mrs. Stella Brennan is hanged for
the murder of her stepchildren, her
fate will come as the direct result 1Hthe
testimony of Tommy Brennan./given
in Judge II. D. Dickinson s eedrtroom
this afternoon.
This l2-year-old lad, sole survivor of
the four Brennan children, was called
to the witness stand by County Attor-
ney AL j. Smith this afternoon. The
presence of the sturdy little man, upon
whose testimony rests the entire
states case, caused hush of expec-
tation to settle over the packed court
room. As he walked up to the clerk IS
desk there was a craning of necks and
when he turned his face so that the
spectators could see the cruel scars
that will always mark the course Of
the would-be murderer bullet, there
was a common sigh of sympathy.
A Handsome LittN Chap
Tommy is a solidly built boy of l2.
He was evidently a handsome little
chap until he received the wounds that
have marked him for life. He is now
the picture of health, and his gray-blue
eyes sparkle with the spirit that mani
tested itself in his testimony today.
He has a quick wit and showed re-
peatedly on the stand that he. was no
ment made this morning, 81 ain Y
afraid to 90 on the stand and tell all
about this case. l IN going to tell the
truth and so what is there to be afraid
of? I hate the woman that did this
thing and I amt afraid to say so.
County Attorney Al J. Smith admits
that his case depends upon and centers
-, IL 4l,r4 %hah how
had died from his wounds there would
have been no case against Mrs. Bren-
nan that could ever have gone to a
jury. --..s-1
Examination Cautious.
His examination Of the witness was
! cautious in the extreme and he went
carefully, from point to point, Tommy
answered directly and volunteered
much evidence that was not admissible.
He did not often look at the defend
ant, but when he did his feeling showed
| in the tense expression about his mouth
and In his eyes. Mrs. Brennan looked
! at the boy as she does at her other ae-
| cusers, with wide-eyed mconcern. The
| breaking of her nerve is not yet.
his home Of Mrs. Brennan over two
years ago, the witness was led to tes-
tify to the troubles that began early
between his father and his stepmother.
"She never was good to us, he said
in response to a question by the county
attorney. "The lady the title al
to their fathers wife-'1was always
jealous of us. She wouldn It let any
of us sit in papa g lap. Even when
the baby would climb up on his knee
she would angrcily pull her away and
! sit there HERSELF
Unkindness and Neglect.
The lad told of unkindness and neg
lect that children who had been used
keenly Efforts to get rid of them were
described and the witness told of being
taken with the other children to a
| Chicago orphan asylum. "They took
us there and told them we didn # have
any mother and that the lady was
papa's aunt. We stayed there two
| Weeks.'
"Were you we'll treated there?''
"Fairly well, but we didn It care for
the place and finally we told that the
lady was our step-mother and we were
sent away and back to them.''
Coming to Minneapolis, Tommy tes.
titled that they lived happily with
Elizabeth acting as the little mother.
! Then Mrs. Brennan came to the house
several times and looked for something
in the bureau drawers. "My sister
didn It want to let her look around, but
I said it was all right. Finally, about
two weeks before the shooting She
moved to, live with us and the troubles
came again.
Robber Might Come.
Asked as to what the defendant had
ever told him about the possibility of
49,, Los, III L i
that " the lady, had mentioned it sew
eral times, saying that someone, believ.
ing his uncle lived there, might come
there some night to rob them and they
would all be killed.
As a climax, the county attorney
deftly brought the boy down to the
:; night Of the shooting.
~ went to bed with my clothes on,
he said. 81 lay down on the lounge
because the lady said she might want
me to go over with her to get father
when he had an hour off from duty al
the fire house. In the night I was
Weakened up by a noise
/ HDo you know what that noise
was?''
emo, sir. I suppose"
'aNever mind what you suppose. Go
on.'
j STANDING in Front of Me-"
|
ct jumped up and there she was
standing in front of me"
"How was she dresseda''
Gin her nightdress.'
4. "Did she have anything in her
hand?'
"She had revolver in her hand.,.'
"What did she sayso
"She said someone was in the house
to rob us. She asked me if didn Il
hear someone. I said I did not, and
turned to look out into the room where
she said the robbers were. Then was
shot. -
Chow do you know you were shot
, Did you feel pain?0
!. ~ saw a flash of light and then
didn't know anything. The next
thing / knew l found blood running
} down my face. [ was scared and
, thought [ was shot. I thought it hit
me in the nose. -
"Did you hear another shot?''
"What did you think then?''
! 81 didn't think.