Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-09-27
CASE ON IR|AL
State Has Concluded Its Case
and Opinion Seems to Doubt
Conviction
EVIDENCE IS clRcuMsTANTIAL
Several Strong Points Against Young
Assyrians Brought Out. However,
and Prosecution is Confident-Men
Accused of Numbering Their Cousin
for Purpose of Robbery.
snecial 70 rime.-Republlcan.

! Special 10 Times-RepubIcan.
Fort Dodge, Sept. 27.-Ferris Dan
,a,s who has been at Denison attend
ing the trial of Joseph and Solomon
Hasan for the alleged murder OF thelr
Icousin, Fred Nafvil, on the night Oh
January S, was in the city a few hours
gathering evidence to assist in the de-
tense Of the young men.
Mr. Daniels said he is thoroughly
satisfied of h innocence of the young
men and says there is a strong teel-
ing at Denison among the citizens that
the case against them is very weak. II
will be remembered young Nafvli ana
his two cousins who are now charged
with his murder, were seen in Denison
on the evening of January .. Al tlal
time the former had a large monht
of silver in his possession and attempt
oil TO have the same changed for bills
at a bank, but was refused owing 10
1t being, after regular banking hours.
The next morning his peddling wagon
was struck by an Illinois Central tram
and the horse killed. The young man
had disappeared and after a few days
his lifeless remains were found in a
pile of brush by a young man while
hunting rabbits. He had been beaten
to death with a club and an effort
made to hide the body.
A search for the cousins OF the
Young men followed, n a few Gays
later they We're arrested about forty
miles from Denison, brought back 10
that village and bound over to the
grand jury. At that time the evil
dence against them was considered
but circumstantial, and addltlonal
time was granted them until they
could summon their father from their
native land to assist in their DEFENSE.
At the preliminary hearing the older
of the men, Joseph, denied having
been in Denison on the night OF Jan
nary 6, fearing he might be arrested
for consorting with a Russian Woman
of the village. But for this denial, II
is now believed the young men would
not have beer held to the grand jury
as there was then very little evidence
against them.
He now states he and his brother
were at the home of the Jewish Wo-
man early in the evening, in company
with their cousin, and when they
started for home urged him to go
with them to their boarding place,
some twelve miles in the country.
This he refused to do. stating he would
remain In the village for the hight.
NJ ..:r% 1-Loro tho WAGON was struck
by the Illinois Central train is but a
| short distance from this house, and
the friends of the boy are inclined to
the belief it was placed on the track
by some one other than he prisoners
after young Nafvil had been robbed
and murdered, and probably after his
body had been taken to the country
and hidden. However, at the prelim-
mary hearing, the Russian woman
claimed she knew nothing of the at
fair. and was not acquainted with the
murdered man or his two cousins, and
no investigation from this point OF
view was made.
The county attorney has given the
matter considerable attention and be-
lieves he has woven a strong web of
| circumstantial evidence around at
least the older of the boys. So far
he has introduced testimony from
| eighty witnesses, but expected to close
the prosecution today. He has
introduced a suit Of clothing
worn by Joseph Hasan upon
which are found dark stains and
which have been pronounced to be
! blood by an Iowa City chemist, al
tho this is denied by another equally
good authority. Blood stains are also
to be seen on one of the satchels Of
the accused men, altho the defense will
seek to prove by the justice before
whom the preliminary hearing was
| held they were not there at that time.
They will also seek to prove by the
farmer with whom the young men were
| stopping near Denison, that Joseph did
not wear that suit Of clothing on the
night on which he is accused of taking
his cousins life.
Another strong point made by the
states attorney was that a fire was
noticed burning in an isolated spot
near Denison after the death of young
Nafvil, and he believes this indicated
the young men destroyed his property.
However, the defense will seek to
prove the murder was committed or
the night of January 6 and on the
evening Of the sth of the month the
young men were arrested, while the
fire occurred on the night of the 14th,
and while the young men were con-
fined in the Jail at Denison.
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