Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-17
Gun WAS TAKEN
FROM WITNESS
EDISON KELso, FORMER EMPLoYE
OF CROFT SEED CO., WAS
ARMED.

Centerville, Feb. 15.-A sensational
incident connected with the Hendon
arson trial from Moulton here yester'
day afternoon was the removal by
Sheriff Dowis of a revolver from the
person of Edison Kelso, an employe
Of the A. G. Croft Seed Co., who was
+; called as a witness in the case now IN
progress Hearing that Kelso carried
a gun the sheriff searched the witness
and found big revolver and several
extra rounds OF ammunition which ne
took from the witness, who was out.
| side<of the court room in the hall, all
witnesses having been excluded from
the court room during the trial Mr..
Kelso had made no display OF the
! weapon and told the sheriff that he
carried it because he feared that some
one would harm him. Sheriff DoW1s
assured KelsoNhe was among civilized
people and need not fear
| During the time the investigation in
to the Croft elevator fire Kelso had
fight at Moulton with John Replogle,
states witness. who was held for
assault to do great bodily injury, but
later released by the grand jury. 1t
is alleged that a dummy knife was
used by Replogle and that the fight
was trumped up affair. One witness
found some liquor and carried a mild
jag into the court room, but was
promptly taken to the cooler and later
sent home.
What is considered as damaging
evidence was submitted by the state
which called James NJ Evans, form
Ell employee of the Croft company, to
identify sacks of timothy seed found
by the deputy state fire marshal on
the Hendon premises at Moulton as
the same as some he had seen in the
elevator before the fire and which ne
noticed had been removed. The de-
Tense tried hard to discredit this wit
ness in cross examination by insinu-
ating that he had mercenary inter
est IN the matter. Witness retorted
by saying Croft had offered him 500
to leave town. , lly
Witnesses were introduced to show
the alleged transactions of selling
contrahand timothy seed at West
Grove. H. j. Southern testified to buy
ing twenty-six sacks from William
Hendon on August ID, between and 8
O'Clock in the morning, paying check
for them at $3.50 per bushel,~ deduct1ng
one pound off each bushel, as seven
sacks Of the timothy was dirty.
H. ]. Gleason testified to buying
twenty-one sacks of seed for $283.57
between Z and o'clock on the morn
ing of August IA, paying by check and
having to make mark. Witness test1-
fled that William Hendon gave the
name of J. H. Hendon, and that James
Hendon gave name of John Smith and
referred to Hendon having sold to
Southern, and that both told of living
near Dean.
Doc B. Bybee testified to seeing the
Hendons hauling the seed to West
Grove on the dates given. Chas.
Yates told of being in West Grove and
seeing William Hendon there In
Southern's office when the seed was
contracted for. Many minor points
needed by the state to make it's chain
Of evidence complete were brought
out. r5-a.
It is the general opinion that the
case is making good progress, but
there are many witnesses yet to ex-
anime. Many of the witnesses are
from Moulton and the hall in the
court house is usually filled by those
in waiting.
8 The first woman witness in the case
was Mrs. Charles Ward, who lives near
the Hendon place, and testified to
seeing the Hendon boys haul three
wagon loads of something to their
home on the evening and night before
the fire; Mrs. Ward was on the front
porch where she often slept during hot
weather. She declared that when Jim
Hendon and an attorney for the de-
Tense called to see If she would testify
to the Hendon boys being at home
when the fire broke out; Jim said he
would do something to her If she
didn't so testify, and that they said
she had better be at court; but de-
PENDANTS counsel got her to say that
the interview was friendly one and
thot possibly Jim was only Joking.
Counsel provoked laugh when he re-
called to her mind that the visitors
said she had fine looking baby and
that it favored it's mother. =
THE MIZPAH OCTETTE