Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-12
COODELL'S SIRE VICTIM
Father Sacrificed to Save Son from
Hangmsn.
SISTER OF PRISONER TEsTIFrEs
Abbie GOOdeI Goes on stand 10
Depose that Her Father He'd
Been DrunEard for Years
Case P-roRresSes Fast.

Case Progresses Fast.
Abbie Gocdell. sister OF the man on trial
for his life. went on the stand in Judge
Sears court yesterday afternoon and swore
that her fatehr had been a heavy drinker
all his life and for the last ten years had
been an habitual drunkard.
The girl made the statement without
flinching but her words made every man
and woman within earshot CULVER for ali
knew that the girl was uttering this in
indictment Of her father to help save from
the hangman's moose the neck OF his son,
her brother.
Ra~IIucinRtion VividIy Reacted.
Through the questions of his counsel
Miss Goodell vivdly related all the Incl
dents she knew which might he deemed as
helping to establish the defense of in
sanity, She told of one scene at her home
in Florence:
Il heard a sudden loud noise in the
itchen and running in saw Van standing
there. his eyes staring as though as some
ono near him. The room was empty. Van!
Van! / called to him.
He paid no attention. Speak TO me.
Edna he cried. Speak to me-:
Il told
Il told him no one was there, but he
did not heed. Suddenly he jumped as If
to catch her. and then shouted, See how
fast she can run. u
Van then ran out Of the house as if
pursuing someone"
Besides her testimony about her father.
which included a statement that he had
been a heavy drinker before her brothers
birth, Miss Goodell swore that Goodell had
always been nervous and that her two sis
tiers were subject TO frequent attacks of
nervous prostration.
Court Ruling Battles Defense.
But Abbie Goodells sister was not per-
mitted TO say much about his state Of mind
with reference to Edna Kcnnett, the girl
he killed. From witness after witness Judge
Slabaugh of the defense mpte TO get
an answer to questions about what Goodell
thought Of the girl or how his relations
with her affected his mind, but the wit
nesses were not permitted to answer these
questions. Every objection raised by County
Attorney English along this line was sus-
tanned and the defense had exceptions by
the score noted in the record. II the case
goes against Goodell there will be an ap-
peal 10 the supreme court of some length
MADE by the defense.
] w n 4hohp9OHt III Nnpbe nome GTOO0el
, lived for two weeks in Florence. told the
jury how Goodell stole from the house one
night with a shotgun. one of two which
Thompson had put in Goodelrs room after
the latter had come there, in order to get
the guns out Of the way downstairs. He
followed Goodell when he found the loss
ana tracked him to the car tracks. In a
weed patch Goodell lay asleep. He had
just missed a car downtown. Thompson got
the gun away. He testified that Goodell
acted queerly and this had been noticed as
, soon as he came to the house. The county
attorney on cross-exsmination brought out
the fact that Thompson put the guns in
the room after the time he claimed TO have
discovered that Goodell seemed queer
Mrs. Thompson also testified ana thought
Goodell queer-A little, at least.
Mrs. Adams, wife OF a physician TO whom
Goodeil went the noon of September 4
testified that his pupils were dilated. The
afternoon closed with Frank Killian, a fell
low employe Of Goodell. on the stand just
beginning his testimony.
Goodells father dsd not take the stand,
nor was he in the court room during the
afternoon, as he was Wednesday. The ma
ture Of his daughters testimony may have
been the cause OF this.
Since the defense Of Goodell differs some
what from the statement ne made the day
after the murder, the prosecution Thursday
morning introduced that statement in evil
dence. In this Goodeli stated that he had
bought the revolver with which he slew
the girl TO kill a dog which was a nuisance
to him out in Florence. Judge Slabaugh.
counsel for defense, declared Wednesday
afternoon that GOodell had bought il to
kin himself with.
The court room was hushed as the girls
mother. Mrs. c. F. Kennett Of Lincoln.
took the stand. The woman was plainly
sureharged with emotion. but neverthe-
less kept fun control OF herself. Her tes-
mony was short and not important. She
said her daughter was p years and 6
months old AT the time Of death, and that
she had last seen her alive on July %.
When did you neKt see herr" asked the
county attorney.
AT the coroner's inquest. the fifth OF
September she answered.
There was no oss-eKaminat
Gets Statement of GoOdeu.
Arthur Shields. stenographer for the
chief Of police. told of his obtaining Good
ellis statement the day after the shooting
Judge slabaugh was particularly anxious
TO keep the witness and two subsequent
witnesses from telling how GOodel looked
This day. The answers by Shields. savaEe
and Heitfeld were that he seemed normal
The last added that he was a little nsrv-
Qua