The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-04-26
THE NJ 'MANUS TRIAL
Slate Rests and Defense Now
Giving Testimony
EDITOR ON WITNESS STAND
Evidence Seems to Prove That Mc-
Manus Mistook Estes for Man
Named McCarty.

III Lne McManuS murQer Cf1al the
state seems to have made a fairly
strong case against the defendant
while number of witnesses for the
prosecution yet remain 20 be exam
ined. The strongest testimony in the
case so far, came when J. s. Kees and
L. G. Taylor, both of the Taylor Hard
ware company, testified that McMan-
us entered the store the afternoon of
the tragedy and about 20 minutes be-
fore it happened tor the the purpose
of purchasing revolver. They both
stated that they refused to sell il to
him for the reason that he had been
drinking and that he said he wanted
to kill the man who had robbed him
twice before.
Ex-Chief of Police Coffman testified
to having taken McManus into custody
Immediately after the shooting and
said the latter expressed himself as
being glad he had shot the fellow who
had been robbing him. The ex-mar-
shal said that practically the same
statement was repeated three or four
times by the prisoner while on the way
from the saloon to the police head
quarters and that McManus also said
he had purchased the gun for the pur-
| pose of killing the man who had
robbed him.
The testimony of the three witness
es says the Tribune. was important for
the reason that it seemed to substan-
tiate the contention of the prosecution
that the intoxicated editor did not
know that he was killing Estes. but
that he did think he was killing Mo
Carty, who it had been alleged had
robbed him few days before and that
the shooting was deliberate and pre-
meditated.
KEGS and CoHman, as we'll as near
~ every other witness who has been
placed on the stand thus far were sub
jected to a rigid cross examination by
Attorney Fee, who made strong ef-
fort to impeach their testimony by
showing that there were discrepancies
in their testimony and that given at
the time of the inquest.
Another point made by the prosecu-
tion was brought out in the testimony
of M. B. Keys and Jess Sellers as we'll
as that of Walter Hopper, all of whom
testified that Estes entered the saloon
alone. This was contradictory to the
testimony brought out in the cross ex-
animation of Coffman, who said that
the two men entered together and were
talking as they passed through the
building.
The prosecution called Bert Wilson,
who testified that be was in the sal
oon business and that at the request of
Coffman he assisted in the placing of
the prisoner in the city recorders
office. The valuable part of the tes-
timony of this witness, says the East
Oregonian, was in the statement CT
the conversation of McManus while
on the way to the jail. Wilson was
positive that the defendant had re-
peatedly said that he had killed Bob
Estes, claiming that Estes had robEed
him of money. All preceding wit
nesses had testified that McManus had
only stated that some one had robbed
him. and this was the first witness
who heard and swore that McManus
charged the robbery to Estes.
On cross examination by Colonel
Raley. Wilson testified that McManus
said that Estes had robbed him twice
and was attempting to rob him again,
but that he was prepared for him.
q. +. Averill, city editor of the
Tribune, next took the the witness
stand. His knowledge of the case
came from the conversation he heard
McManus make, shortly after the
shooting. in the recorders office.
Bert Huffman and l." testified
Averil, "went into the office together
and Huffman said, What have you
done, Mac?' I have shot the son Of
a.. He had robbed me twice and
was trying to rob me again.
"McManus," continued the witness,
"said be would tell all about it, and
said that man had robbed him of bis
watch and about $780,
Averill then testified that McMan-
Us said that be came to town and was
standing on corner and that one OF
his friends came up and asked him to
go have some oysters with him. That
it was while talking to this friend
that this man, who had robbed him
first, butted in; that the third party
then followed him around all after
noon and that they finally went into
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