Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-04-10
sENsATIoNs FoR CURIOUS IN
M'cAsklLL MURDER, TRIAL
At WATERLOO.
STATES CASE CONCLUDED,
DEFENSE OFFERS TESTIMONY
MecaskiiI's Gun Exhibited in Court
and Timid Ones TrsmbIs at sisht Of
Formidable Looking Wsapon-cero.
nsr and Members Of Phillips Family
Occupy Day on Stand.

the district court, the state rested it.
case SO far as direct examination i!
concerned. and the defense opened it!
case today. The fight to establish tn,
course of the bullets was resumed
Tuesday and one of the importan
points gained by the state was secured
when Coroner Waterbury, cross lex
amined as physician and surgeon, ad-
mitted that the bullet wounds in Phil.
| lips leg and abdomen could have beer
made If the first shot had been fired by
man lying on the floor with Phillips
bending over him just as we'll as tho
Phillips was standing erect and had
his knee raised. The doctor also ad-
! mitted that the course of the second
bullet from the gun to when 1t entered
the breast bone could not be absolutely
established by the direction of the
wound thru the body as shown by the
probe, provided the bullet had been
DETECTED by the breastbone.
On redirect, however. DR.. Water
bury stated a bullet fred upward could
not be DETECTED downward by the
breasbone. If it was DETECTED at all
1t would be detected upward and to one
side or the other. he said. but in re-
Spouse to an inquiry by the attorney
for the defense the witness stated that
IL Phillips was bending forward when
the shot was fired the breastbone might
have DETECTED the bullet downward.
MorbidIy inclined Satisfied.
Those who were looking for the
gruesome and sensational were not dis
appointed and the morbidly inclined
had plenty Of opportunity to satisfy their
curiosity.
The first sensation came during the
morning session when the sheriff pro-
duced the 3s-caliber revolver with
which ]. T. McCaskill shot Henry Phil
lips on that fatal day last November.
The weapon. entered by the state as
Exhibit 3d." is anything but a tame
looking instrument Of death. Jurymen
who examined It, even after 1t had been
unloaded, handled it gingerly and when
it was first produced from the inside
pocket of the sheriff's coat there was
general ducking of heads all over the
court room.
Nervousness was manifest on many
faces until the sheriff had removed the
cartridges. Even then the sight OF the
weapon. known to have been the In
strument with which human life was
taken. caused shudder to pass over
MANY while those less timid gazed upon
II with that lingering gaze which marks
the morbidly curious.
The second sensation of the day
came when the sheriff. with pair OF
nlvers. removed a bullet from one OF
the cartridges found in the revolver
naffPctlN
safe one there were those who doubt
less expected an explosion and nervous
ness was again at high pitch.
Bloody Clothes Shown.
Rut 1t was not until after dinner
that those attracted daily to the court
room by morbid curiosity were enabled
to feast their eyes upon the most SEN
sational exhibit so far produced. rms
was the bloody garments worn by UNI
fortunate Henry Phillips the day he
lost his life.
Saturated with blood and perforated
with bullet holes, the garments were
duly entered as exhibits while the large
audience that filled the court room
looked on with bated breath. Necks
werec raned in all parts of the room.
Well dressed women We'd with street
loafers to get a good view of the gar
ments with the scarlet stains. Here
was indisputable evidence Of murder:
cardinal indications Of a crime. Morbid
curiosity gazed and gloated and was
satisfied.
Young Phillips On Stand.
Frank Phillips, son Of the slain farm
err, was next called. He told about
finding the bullet on the dining room
floor. 1t was foot southeast of the
stove, he said.
On cross examination he said he
could not tell how far it was from the
mark where it struck the wall. He
thought it was southwest. 1t was very
little south Of a right angle line from
the bullet mark on the Wainscoating.