The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-09
when he had drank excessively"

The witness said that after the shoot
ing, he himself had reformed and not
taken q drink since March 10. He
drank with Wilkerson the night Of the
dance at Silver Lake.
Samuel McKelvey related the Incl
dent at Valencia, when the two meu
were to have fought. He was on th-
depot platform when Robert Wilkerson.
took Bragg by the arm. told him he
was deputy sheriff and searched him.
Then he told Bragg he would arrest
both men if they fought. Bragg re-
piled that he did not want to fight and
wanted the trouble settled some other
way. WilkerSon did not find gun on
Bragg at the time of the search.
Robert Alexander testified that after
the trouble at Valencia, Bragg never
went to the town without companion
or making an endeavor to get some
one to go with him. On former occa-
sions he had gone alone. In February,
Alexander heard the defendant refuse
to to a dance which Wilkerson ex-
pected to attend. Alexander frequent
ly went to Valencia with Bragg. Here
the boys teased him and told him to
watch out that Wilkerson might be in
town. On one occasion, Bragg was
told that it was a good thing he had
brought a bodyguard with him, as
Wilkerson was about to ''land" on him.
1t is probable that Bragg himself will
pe Iu0 ldSI WlIIl6SS CdtSO ny LAC QO-
fense. He will be permitted to tell OF
his fear of Wilkerson and his knowl-
edge of the mans prowess as a fighter.
He can also relate incidents which
reached him relative to the murdered
mans battles which could not be told
by other witnesses. Bragg's examina-
tion may occupy the greater part of
day. He will not be called to the stand
until late this afternoon or at the OPEN
ing of court Saturday morning.
Big Crowd in Court.
From Holton to Dover came stream
of witnesses Thursday afternoon who
told a jury in Judge Dana's court OF
Frank Wilkerson's general reputation
as a bad man. Thirty witnesses were
used by the defense in the David Bragg
case to show that little whisky
aroused in young Wilkerson an ardent
ambition to do battle. These same wit
nesses said that Wilkerson never dis
eliminated between q gun, knife, club
or slung shot and seldom relied on his
fists to carry home victory.
There were persons in the stuffy
crowded court room who were still
carrying the scars of a personal en-
| counter with Wilkerson, but these
souvenirs were not displayed before the
| jury Judge Dana said the defense
could not reopen all the personal en-
counters in which the murdered man
| took a hand. He mentioned that to let
! down the bars would keep the state
| busy till Christmas proving alibis for
| the dead man and that in the course OF
a few weeks the jury would forget
| what David Bragg was on trial for.
Sitting in the court room alone with
| his attorneys, David Bragg is one OF
| the coolest persons connected with the
case. Bragg is hundreds OF miles from
relatives. His mother is in Alabama
| She started for Topeka to attend he1
| sons trial. At Dallas, Texas. she
n oft Clr 0f r1aTalVSfS 7nC
is not expected to i've. As youus
Bragg sat in the court room Thurs
! day. he received news that his mother
could not be with him through the tria
| of the case.
Possibly Bragg showed greater inter
est in the testimony of Dea Patton
his sweetheart. than that of any
witness called in the trial of the case
Sometimes the eyes of the witness and
the prisoner met, tnen Miss Pattor
would transfer her gaze to the Jurors
Miss Patton related fight after fight
| of which WilkerSon had told her. He
had impressed upon her that he was a
bold bad man and she said that at
times she herself feared him. After
ilkerson had told of his record as a
fighter, the young woman related the
incident to Bragg as the two sat in the
parlor at the Patton home one evening
last winter. On cross-examination, the
| woman could not find a very good ex-
at the time of the inquest and pre-
Iiminary.
Foster remembered being in a crowt
| with WiIkerson as Bragg passed with
son remarked that he would give any
one a dollar who would whip Bragg;
and If no one wanted the money, he
would whip him himself before the
night was over. The witness did not
know whether Bragg heard this state
ment.
Mrs. Dwight Patton was used by the
defense to impeach the testimony OF
Frank Snoddy. She recalled that Snod-
dy took her home after the dance
She heard him remark that Wilkerson
| offered a dollar if anyone would whiI
the defendant. On the slandFfor the
| state, Snoddy denied that he heard
Wilkerson make this statement.
Frank Lytle said he ate dinner a.
the Wilkerson home the day of the
killing. He sat beside Frank and
smelled liquor on his breath.
John Mcclure recalled 6 converse
ton with Wilkerson Christmas day
1910, in which he stated to MCGUIRE
that he would like to get a ID good
smash at Dave Bragg"
Earl Moore said he was within three
feet of David Bragg the dav he called
for the revolver at the Glidwell home
He was certain that had Bragg told
Matte Glidwell he expected 20 kill any,
one. he should have caught the conver-
sation.
The night of the fatal dance Frank
Foster said he went to a livery barn in
Silver Lake with Frank Wi1kerson
where the latter bought pint of whis.
key. He saw Wilkerson take three
drinks that night and thought he wa:
| a bit too jubilant.
BASEBALL WEATHER,
| Western League.