Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-30
SISTER I[SI|F|[S
AGAINST SISTER
KIN OF MRS. VAN HORN PUT ON
STAND sY STATE IN MUIR.
DER TRIAL
SAYS MRS. VAN HORN
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
Became Morose and Alarmed When
Subpoenaed by Sheriff to Appear at
coroner's Inquest-Identity Of Gun
Purchased From Mail Order House
Important Link in Chain Of Evidence.

Spctldi " L lliS'-iNSk'upiiNoii'
Mason City, April 30.-With the sis
ter OF the defendant on the stand late
yesterday afternoon, the state at
tempted to further force the issue that
Mrs. Van Horn was responsible for the
death of her husband. The witness was
Mrs Robert Hackett, nee Callahan. OF
Clear Lake. Her first testimony was
regarding the trouble between the de-
PENDANT and her husband prior to his
death. She told of their being sep
arated for about year and OF other
domestic difficulties.
Next the witness told of an attempt
made by Mrs Van Horn to commit sui
eide after being subpoenaed as wit
ness before the coroner's jury which
examined into the death of Chester
Van Horn. This story is one that had
not before been made public. The wit
ness said she spent the night following
the finding of Van Horns body with
her sister at the Van Horn home. When
she went there in the afternoon she
said Mrs Van Horn was in a seeming
ing unusual about the woman's APP
pearance.
When Sheriff Marsh came with a
subpoena for the inquest, however, the
witness testified the mood of her sister
changed. Mrs. Van Horn, according to
the witness became nervous and said
she did not know what she could say
if she was called to testify before the
coroner's jury. The morning Of the in :
quest, according TO Mrs. Hacketts tes-
e;- 1aI how
upstairs. When she got there she said
her sister had razor in her hand and
threatened to end her life.
Mrs. Hackett said she took the razor
from Mrs. Van Horn but that she again
obtained possession of the weapon in
the struggle that followed. She was
again on the point of committing sui
eide, stated the witness. when Ralph
Callahan, brother of both women. en-
tered the room. He took the razor from
his sisters hand. said Mrs. Hackett,
and she was taken to Clear Lake AND
placed under a Doctors care.
For the defense, Attorney Markley
asked few questions regarding minor
details in cross examination but did
NOT touch on any of the main points OF
the testimony and court adjourned
with Mrs Hackett still in the hands
of the defense's attorney.
Ladies Bring Their Knitting.
Before a court room crowded to the
doors. with ladies predominating in the
audience, some of them with fancy
work, the lawyers had their innings
yesterday, only four witnesses for. the
state being disposed of. During most
of tSs forenoon the jury was taken out
of the court room while arguments on
admissaSility of evidence were being
heard by the court. w. K. Null
ligan, OF st. Paul, hand
writing expert, was on the stand all
afternoon. He testified that the sig
nature David E. DeVera" on the ex-
press register, purporting to be a re-
ceipt for the revolver in question, was
that OF Mrs. Charlotte Van Horn. When
he was passed over into the hands OF
Markley for the defendant. the fight
was on. 1t was quite evident that the
lawyer did not think much of expert
evidence and every hook and crook to
trap the expert was used. Mr.. Multi
gan Is used to quite an extent by the
Pinkerton detective agency and is con
sidered about the best in the coun-
try. After going thru the small lette,
in the signature Of David E. DeVera
the attorney submitted signatures ga
lore and asked him to compare with
other writing and pick out the genu.
ine from the spurious. How we'll he die
It Is known only to the attorneys. One
of the peculiar features of the eXanin
alton is that IN the cross examination
the defendants attorneys made nt
reference to the two capital "Ds' uset
| in the signature. The attorneys foI
| the state as we'll as other handwriting
experts state they are Identical. Pho
| tographs Of the signature were used il
| evidence.
! If the defendant needed anything like
| fate to assist her in this trial it ha.
been hers. In this signature all tina
can be real plainly seen are tn
letters David E. D." The "eVere" il
covered by a heavy ink blot so tina
it can hardly be figured out.
Gun Important Link.
! And then if she did really purchas
the gun from the Chicago catalot
house, fortunate indeed is it that
mistake was made in the number o
the gun. The gun found in the dealt
grasp Of Chester Van Horn on tn
morning of Nov 90. and which ha
! been offered as evidence in this cas-
Is 1915, while the shipping bill and ex
press receipt shows that it was numbe
S615. It is claimed that the defend
ants attorneys have in their possession
revolver 1915. Where they dug il u
is not known. The revolver was pulle
out Of Colonel Rules grip today an
ar q time when it was thought it wa