The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-03-18
Defendant Concludes His Tes-
timony This Morning With
out Being Shaken by
Cross Examination.
In HUSBANDS BEHALF
Wife Of the Defendant Called
to Stand This Morning TO
Testify to Husbands
Actions.


ed all yesterday afternoon By persons
interested in the trial of John A.
Lochhead for the murder Of Marian
SteidieY. many people standing 81 the
rear Of the court room when ali avail
able seats were taken.
Howard Ccnnable, of Keckuk, waa
q character witness for the defense.
saying that he had known Lochhead
for about twenty-five years and had
always regarded him as 2 peaceahle,
law-ahiding citizen
Herman johnson, q carpenters ap-
prentice. was the next witness and
told OF meeting Steidiey and VIC
man, driving toward SummityiIle,
about dark OF the evening before the
shooting occurred He declared thar
they stopped when they met him and
the woman urged SteidIey TO get out
Of the wagon and get him. Steidley
vas reluctant TO do so and the woman
kept urging him Sssidley declared
that il vas 100 close TO town. that be
vas afraid of the police. but the wo-
man said, You can stick a knife into
him. AT this the witness ran from
the scene johnson was subjected to
little cross examination.
Ed Spring. son Of the late Martin
Spring, who was TO have been ma
terial witness for the defense, testif-
ed that ne had attended the Oak
Grove school fer about ten years, and
that Ernest SteidIey had never been
pupil there 10 his knowledge. He
also identified an ear OF popcorn, which
he declared he had pulled from field
al the former Steidley home last Sat
urday. The object of this testimony
was not apparent and It was not in
troduced in the evidence.
The defense was then called 70 the
stand IN his Own behalf 10 finish his
direct testimony. He declared that
when SteidIey came al him he
thought that he could not safely re
treat and fired to stop him Loeb
head testified that he told Sheriff
C-immins that Steidieg came 2. him
with an axe. Crimmins, in his test
mony declared that the defendant
had told him that the affair had hap
pened SO quickly that he did not know
hon It had occurred.
The witness also ssid that he had
heard of Steidley's quarrelsome dis
position
Lochhead said that Crirnnins asked
him for the axe and that they drove
back TO the house 10 get II and de
scribed the route over which they
drove to get 70 the house. This vas
the end Of the direct examination
As Assistant County Attorney Web
er began his cross-exanfnatior OF the
defendant, the court room became sill
ent. the spectators crsning their
heads forward IN an effort 10 get ar
unobstructsd view Of the man &C
cused. and hear each word. Lochhead
/ who had been entirely q. ease durtnE
! the e1amina.ion-in-chief, seemed Il
become slightly nervous al the begin
/ ming OF the cross-examihation, brii
soon controlled himself and answered
1 the questions OF the prosecuting after
ney In clear, calm tone
I Mr Weber dvelt upon the possible
motive Of the accused and fired many
questions az the witness Attorneys
for the defense objected TO the way
the witness vas handled b. the state
and asked the court to interfere, but
we're oyeruied and the witness wa,
allowed to answer.
I Lochhead admitted that he had OF
ten taken his gun when he went our
al night 70 see Who was on HIS farm
but denied knowing that the steid
leys we're on the place, the night in
question He again illustrated ths
manner in which the shooting occur
red, taking the position In which hs
said steidisy was standing and Attor
+ neg Mcaanus taking the position