Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-24
BENNETT /. DENIES
OFFER OF 500
MouLToN ARSON CASE HAS SOME
FUNNY INCIDENTS ALONG
y ,s WITH SERIOUS.

Centerville, Feb. 22.-Testimony in
direct contradiction to some OF that Dy
the state was introduced in the Moul-
ton arson case Wednesday. But IN
cross examination the state made some
telling impressions that somewhat
crippled the strong line Of defense
Court was enlivened during the day by
one witness being ordered from the
stand to jail for coming into the court
room drunk, and another got scared
when his answer was objected to as
the opinion and conclusion of the wit
ness and the Judge remarked in
somewhat positive tone that 1T may
go out" The witness thought the re-,
mark was addressed to him and made
run for the door, but was stopped by
the sheriff before he made his disap-
pearance and was brought back amid
a roar Of laughter from the audiene &c.
John H. Derker was the man sent to-
Jail. It developed later that he had
been suffering some ailment and had
taken a large quantity of medicine,
which may have added his brain
somewhat /, He-is to appear to. answer
for contempt. Hs .
When the state got hold of William
Bennett, who had testified to seeing
Ray Replogle, witness for the state,
steal grain and -four from the elevator
he was confronted with an alleged
statement,of his in theApresence Of the
county attorney and a Centerville con-
stable that Mr.. Croft had offered him
500 to set fire to the elevator. This
he denied. He did admit that half
hour after quitting the employ of Mr..
Croft last April he returned to the
elevator with a revolver he had pur-
chased down town ito find out who
had been doing me dirt" gs IN IL. 49,, }
Mrs. Jane Smith testified that she
had seen Mr.. Croft using his type.
writer at home different evenings and
Elmer Smith said he had i. seen Mr..
Croft driving toward home with his
typewriter in his buggy several times.
This was for the purpose Of showing
that he made it practice to take the
machine home and his doing so the
might of the fire was not unusual. g.
Mrs Jennie Horn Allen said she
was staying at the William Bennett
home the night of the fire, which. was
in the Ray Replogle neighborhood, and
she was awakened by hearing Clar-
.ence Sewers call Ray three or four
times with no response, and that shesI
had been at the fire ten minutes be-
fore Ray came, with his wife, and the
building had then fallen in. The de-
Tense is trying to- show that Replogle
pretended to1 be asleep. Two wit
nesses testified during the day, that his
reputation for truth and veracity was
bad. r. S.F:S nj
Mrs. Matilda Tharp told of seeing
Mr.. Croft start as if going home from
the elevator about Z o'clock the even.
ing of the fire. @&
E. N. Darnell said he blew the
whistle at the round house as soon as
his attention was called to the fire.
John H. Derker said there was con-
siderable material in the elevator the
day before the fire and while working
there that day he didn't see the Hen
'dons haul away any lumber.
Ed Barnes told of seeing Ray Rep
logic get five bushels of shelled corn
from the elevator a few nights before
the fire, on cross examination saying
it was corn picked up outside that had
spilled in loading car. %
4 Edgar Peck testified to Selling tim
othy seed to Mr. Croft after the fire
and putting it in the Holbert barn.
Sam Richardson, Wabash agent,
said he was at the elevator about $3.50
O'Clock the evening before the fire
when it seemed to be we'll stocked
with material.
Charles McSweeney, who worked at
the elevator for ten days before the
fire testified likewise.
IS Frank 5Wray said that Mr.. Croft |
wanted them to lead the car of corn
they shelled the day of the fire, but
they were tired and wanted him to let
them wait till morning and be con-
sented' This is the car shelled in
transit, which the state claimed was
kept in the elevator for the purpose Of
a portion of it being hauled away in
the night before the fire.
$50 ~ Ar Enidenoie ,of Couoh;na