The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-12-03


Alma kelIner 10 Most Amused Per
con In courtroom-Denies knowl-
edge Of Crime, but contradicts
Himself During cross-Examlnatlon
Gives Dlverglno Explanations Of
Blood Spots on Knife and Clothes.
Louisville, Ky, Dec. a. Being
tried for his life is one of the best
Jokes Joseph Vending ever met.
And he says himself that in the
course Of his international career as
soldier and janitor he has met some
great jokes.
I'm France, where I come from
they make good Jokes, but here In
America they make them better.
am eating and sleeping well, and it
don't cost me cent. and all that
worries me Is what to do when l get
out of jail" he said.
His nonchalence is making a hit
for him in this town 1t is looked
upon as point In favor of the Jan
itor OF st. Johns church, who is ac-
cused Of numbering and then mutt
lating the body of Alma Kellner, 8,
who was slain while at prayer.
Vending is either an innocent
man or subnormal man, Louisville
people say And, since he has good
features. well-knit body and looks
straight out of his eyes when he
talks. 1t Is believed by great many
people that he Ia a normal man--an
unconscious philosopher in fact, who
has sense enough to make the best
out Of bad situation.
Weddings good humor, combined
with the city Administrations atti-
tude, has helped his case much. The
case Is tangled up in snarl Of poll
tics, and the present political guar
dians Of Louisville are not very pop
ular. Louisville has vague impress
sion that something Is being hidden.
When Vending was caught In San
Francisco, Carney, the chief detec-
tive. was accompanied by Colonel
Whalen, the political boss, when he
went across the country to get him.
That caused the populace to talk.
So It happened that when Wend-
ling finally returned to Louisville he
was looked upon In the light OF
martyr. and some of the ugly feeling
that would have boded Ill for Wend-
ling II he had been caught earlier, Is
now directed toward the administra-
ton and Its political sponsors. 1t is
said that this sentiment will be no
ticed at Louisvilles next municipal
election.
The whole thing is very entertain
Ing to Joseph Wendling-as much as
to any of the enormous crowd of
the morbid who are jamming the
criminal courtroom. The audience
doesn't dare laugh, but Vending
bursts into Jolly giggle every time
the prosecution thinks 1t has made
point against him. II you went into
the courtroom you'd have a hard
time picking out Vending from the
Eroup OF lawyers that surround him.
The lawyers are more concerned
about him than he is about himself.
He is a very handsome young man,
with flowing locks. His wife; who
sits behind him. appears old enough
TO be his mother. She is very
plain. patient and forgiving woman
as she must be, for she has remained
loyal to her Joe" who. when he fed
Louisville, went west and became
engaged to marry country girl.
Vending. handsome, suaye and de-
bonair. never was slouch at love,
and his conquests have been numer-
Gus.
In his direct examination Wend-
ling, speaking in broken English, de-
tailed his coming to America, his
employment In Louisville and his du-
ties around st. Johns church. He
denied any knowledge of the murder
OF Alma Kellner. and said he got
blood on his clothes when he shot
himself and that the blood on the
knife came when his brother-in-law
used II to trim his horses hoof.
Vending was shown the bicycle
trunks on which City Chemist Rob
bins found bloodstains. On direct
examination Vending said the blood
must have come when he had fall.
Cross-examined he admitted he had
not ridden bicycle for eight years.
Though he claimed he left Louisville
because Of his wife's Jealousy, he ad.
I'd ed they had been getting along
bet er than usual at the church.