Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-09-30
WITNESS Goes;
PLANS DISTURBED
ABSENCE OF GRACE HASTINGS
PUTS TEMPORARY BRAKE
ON M'GiLL TRIAL TODAY.
CASE IS CONTINUED
Court Grants Request to Permit Hear.
Ing to go Over Until the October
- Term; Hint Of Interference.

Judge c. w. Vermilion granted a
continuance until next term of the
| case against Glenn McGill about 1880
this afternoon after motion to that
end had been argued and the resist
ance made which consumed about an
hour of the session since noon The
indictment returned by the grand jury
charged criminal offense on the per-
son of Lille Van Trump by the de-
PENDANT when they with Grace Hast
ings and Harry Moon are alleged to
have been motoring In the vicinity OF
Bear Creek nearly two months ago.
The absence of Grace Hastings from
the city after the case was set for
hearing is the cause for the continu-
ance as she is regarded Bly, the state
as it's strongest witness.
A few weeks ago a similar motion
made by the defense was denied by
the court as the state at that time was
ready for trial at the time set for hear
ing. Since then however, the witness
claimed by the county attorney as
most essential to the prosecution OF
the case, has disappeared from her
home and her whereabouts are I'M
known.
.-rs- Woman ls Accused. r'-se
The motion for continuance asked
for by the state includes affidavits by
the county attorney, the sheriff and
deputy sheriff. The former aftiant re-
lates a conversation purported to have
been held between the mother of Miss
Hastings, Deputy Sheriff Morrissey
and the county attorney. In this the
girls parents are reported as saying
that her daughter had been requested
by numerous persons to leave the city
in, order to avoid giving testimony at
the trial. Among those referred to as
having called upon the witness for this
purpose, Viola Wellman was named
The affidavit states that, the husband
Iof Mrs. Wellman is a business part
ner Of the defendants father. Mrs.
her daughter left home Monday for
parts unknown to her, An excerpt OF
the girls testimony before the grand
Jury Is included in the affidavit.
The other aff1davits show that sub
poenaes have been in the possession
Of the sheriff and his deputy for Grace
Hastings calling her to appear In n
district court September and also
September 29. The former was served
and ignored by the witness and the
latter has not been served because Of
the inability of the officers to locate
Miss Hastings. An attachment for the
girl also issued. s.
Counter Statements Made.
Upon the resumption of court this
afternoon the counsel for the defense
presented a resistance to the motion
for continuance and read affldavits
from Mr.. and Mrs. Wellman. denying
the allegations contained in the aff1da-
Wit of the county attorney relative to
pcrsuading Miss Hastings to leave the
city as well as that referring to Mr..
Wellman and the defendants father
being business partners.
Afidavits of Gilbert McGill, the faith
err Of the defendant, in which the
health OF his wife is shown to be i'm
paired since the indictment was re-
turned against her son: also from at
torneys 10 Jaques and ]. A. Lowenberg
lii which the testimony Of Grace Hast
ings before the grand jury as alleged
IL, the Steck affidavit Is criticised as
being incorrect, and one from H. S.
Merrick showing the business relation
of Mr.. Wellman and Mr.. McGill were
likewise read by the counsel for the
defense. t& - f.. ..ite's ast
ri, Mother Difficult Witness.
Mrs. Ada Hastings. mother of the
girl who has absented herself from
the city since last Monday. was called
to the stand and proved a difficult wit
ness for the prosecution to get much
information from. She was questioned
in confederation OF her purported state
ment to Mr.. Steck and Deputy Sheriff
Morrissey Saturday. She admitted hav-
ing called at the Wellman home after
the sheriff visited her, and to have
asked Mr.. Wellman where her daugh-
ter was located but did not learn This
admission came after denial that she
had been at the Wellman home. She
said she did not know, where her
daughter is nor just what time she
left. .s.ra.E ~. sy...s. W. sf..4.