The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-11-14
JEFFER|Es CASE
A WEAK one
Evidence Yesterday Was All Favorable
to Nowata Editor = County
Attorney Testified.

teen witnesses have so far given eyi-
dence in tn trial of H. o. Jeffries charg-
ed with the murder of Mrs. Irene Go
heen his advertising manager April
20. Yesterday 10 witnesses were on
the stand, including County Attorney
w. V. Thraves of Nowata county who
is prosecuting the case. So far but
little evidence has been introduced
that in any way connects the prisoner
with the case, and in each instance so
far it has been such evidence as would
surround men around whom no sus-
picion exists. Prosecuting Attorney ].
]. Howard of this county has been ad-
ded to the list of attorneys for the
state.
Register of Deeds, I. b. Campbell,
testified to hearing Jeffries state the
woman had probably met with foul
play, conversation which occurred
prior to the finding of the body. An
other witness j. H. Good, overheard
a conversation in a Nowata restaurant
In which Ieffries stated that the muir
dered woman was one of the most fas-
cinating women he had ever known,
and that he saw letter shown him
from Goheen, the husband of the dead
woman in which she stated that JEFF
fries was hard to get along with, that
he was high tempered, overbearing,
and advised her husband to stay away
from Nowata.
County Attorney Thraves minutely
outlined the scene Of the killing and
all the details Immediately after the
body was found. He stated that the
buggy tracks were those of a rubber
tired buggy and that Jeffries owned
such buggy The horses tracks show
led that the horse that pulled the buggy
lin which probably Mrs Goheen went
to her death had shoe off of the front
foot, j. S. Foster measured the shoe
prints worn by the man who evidently
did the crime and also the shoe prints
of the woman. He described minutely
the position of the body and all details
of the place where it was found.
It was Fosters son who first found
the woman murdered.
An effort is being made by the state
to secure the attendance of Goheen
who, Monday was in Trinidad, Colo
So far he has not appeared.
The defense stated with a good deal
of apparent belief that Goheen will
not appear and they court his appear
ance. Up to the present time there has
been no evidence either direct or cir
cumstantial that connects the defend
ant with the killing of the woman that
would not throw suspicion on a score
or more of other men residents of No
wata The state, however claims that
two Of their important witnesses can
not be secured one of whom is prob
Iably Goheen4
During the course of testimony of
County Attorney Thraves this evening,
Attorney o. L. Rider presented him a
letter which was addressed to N. S.
Walpole of Pueblo. Colo, postmaster
OF that city, in which the county attor-
ney said, This is to appraise you Of
the fact that in the course OF the next
few days. you will be called upon to
|give your deposition in behalf OF the
defendant, H. O. Jeffries, charged with
Mrs. Goheen's murder The purpose
of the depositions are to attempt to
show in some manner that Len Goheen
was in Nowata or thereabouts at the
time of the murder, when in fact by tes-
timony, he was in Pueblo at least one
thousand miles away. In order that
you might not be misled, we take this
means of advising you of the facts. A
representative from this Office will
probably call on you in the next few
days for the purpose Of further inform
ing you as to the time and condition
of affairs relative to the murder
The county attorney admitted the
contents of the letter.
The defense tonight stated that At
torney General West instructed the
county attorney of Nowata county to
delve into the entire matter several
times during the day Judge Hudson
insisted that the immaterial matters
which heretofore had been introduced
be eliminated and that the evidence
connect the defendant with the case
and that counsel be more cireumspect
as a great deal Of matter has crept into
the case that had no bearing on it.
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The fire department was called out