Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-01
CONVICT WHO CONFESSED 70
MURDER At MoNrEzuMA TIES.
TITLES IN FINLEY CASE.
FINLEY SEEKS ALlBi
I'm DEFENSE TO CHARGE
Trial in Progress for Murder of Aged
Thomas w. Read Four Years Ago
Martin Made Confession After Being
Confined in Penitentiary for Another
Crime, and implicated Finley.
Special to Times-Republican.

Montezuma, April Rapid progress
Is being made in the trial of Jesse
Finley, charged with completely in the
murder of Thomas w. Read in 1905.
The sensation of the trial was the tes-
timony yesterday of Philip Martin,
who confessed the crime some time
ago while confined in the Anamosa
state prison and implicated Finley.
Martin told the story of the brutal
murder in his own words. He did not
SEINE to be at all embarrassed but told
the story in a matter of fact way, I'M
shaken by examination.
He told that on the night of the
crime he had attended a dance, that
Finley was there and about II o'clock
they got together and planned to go
to Reads and get the old mans mon
ey. Martin had two revolvers and gave
one to Finley. They walked to the
house and made an effort TO get the
old man to come to the door. Failing
in this they went around the house.
Martin states that he then broke the
glass in the lower half Of the window.
i In the meanwhile the Old man had
lighted a lamp. Finley pat his head
and shoulders thru the broken win
dow. The old man had secured a ham
mer and struck Finley blow upon the
head. Finley then fired his gun, the
bullet striking RsAd in the abdomen.
He sank to the floor, still holding the
hammer. Finley and Martin then ran
from the house and into the pasture
nearby.
Secured $500 in Cash
| After waiting for a time they res
turned to the house. The body of the
old man remained as ii had falien-
Without knowing whether their victim
was living or not they 1oegan IA care-
full search of the house for the money
supposed to be in the house From
the little attic to the 7lost remit art
of the house they made an ex!' tive
and apparently fruitless search. Final
ly they found the treasure carefully
hidden in the bed ticking. 1t announced
to $3.50. After securing this they made
their way back to Brooklyn and de
vided their spoil.
Martin gave the only direct evidence
to connect Finley with the crime and
the state has had to rely upon cir
cumstantial evidence to corroborate
martin.
1t was shown that on the day fol-
lowing the murder, Finley was arrest
led on the charge Of drunkenness and
at that time had a lump on his head
about the size of the head of ham
mer. One or two witnesses testified
THAT they overheard Finley remark
that he did not know why they killed
the old man and that the money new
err did them any good. The jury was
Ialso told that when Finley was ar
rested he remarked that he had nov
had good nights sleep since it hap
Ipened and that he had had horrible
dreams.
The state rested about the middle Of
the afternoon and the defense opened
Its case. From the testimony of the
first witnesses the defendant will en-
deavor to prove an alibi.
The accused's mother was on the
stand this afternoon. One remark the
state regarded as significant. She stated
that when she heard of the Read muir.
der she at once thought how glad she
was her boys were at home that night
The evidence for the defense is no
expected to be at all sensational. The
evidence will doubtless all be in soor
after noon tomorrow and the case will
go to the jury on Friday.
Martin will be kept mere until Apri
z, when he is to receive his sentence
upon the murder charge. This sentence
will be added to his present one o
thirty-five years.
History Of the Crime.
The murdered man was 81 years oil
and lived by himself in small hous
upon his farm nearly two miles from
Brooklyn He was feeble and had tn
watchful care and. attention of Sol
and his wife living nearby who VISITED
!. him every day and took him food.
. One morning in January 1905, tn
daughter-in-la law made her usual visi
= and found the old gentleman in hi
: usual health. The next morning as sh
and her husband were driving by the
:. stopped to see him. Knocking at tn
: back door as usual they received n
response. Thinking the father was still
asleep they started to the front of tn
house, when the wife saw that a win
e dow had been broken. 1t was quickl
: seen that something was not right an
$ upon looking into the house the bod
n of the old man was found lying upo
the floor. Closer examination reveale