Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-01

Of the court this morning. H n Nc
1 Caskrin In one OF these instances ac-
cused the states attorney of conduct
| ing his case through the newspapers
! Another came when the defense ask
/ ed right TO reserve It's opening state
ments until the state had concluded
/ the presentation Of its evidence. A
third occurred when Mr.. McCaskrtn
asked that the trial be stopped because
I the state had refused to turn over the
report of the coroner's inquest.
States Attorney Thompson in his op-
ening statements recited the chain Of
evidence which he declared would
prove lie Rettes guilt He asserted
that the time Of the murder would be
| fixed as shortly after 10 O'Clock at
night through people wko saw the ma
chine standing in the road near where
1t was found the next morning He
asserted that the state would prove
that the shooting was accomplished
with 12-gauge shotgun. No. shot be-
ing used That there was an abrasion
on the forehead of the jitbus driver.
when his body was found in the road
between Watertown and Hampton the
next morning, and that smokeless
powder had been used
lie Rette Gets Gun.
He asserted that lie Rette had lived
in East Moline during a period of be
tween three or four years. and that he
made his home Just before the shoot
ing with is father-in-law, Lon Prater.
831 Seventeenth avenue. He said lie
Rette had been out Of work for some
time and that when he did work that
he earned only So to SIS week. hard
" sufficient to support himself and wife.
He said that on the Saturday night be-
fore the murder that lie Rette had Dor
rowed a shotgun from George Sargf- /
son, and that when he secured it he
told Sargisons mother that he would F.
buy some shells 10 use. after she asked F..
him if he wanted ammunition for the
weapon.
Enters Zerbe's Machine.
The prosecuting attorney said for 7
the state that lie Rette left the house +
at BIS o'clock the night of the muir /
der with the shotgun and got into .
Zerbe's machine, and that at midnight
he left with his wife for Marseilles .
after returning home after IL o'clock /
that night Mr.. Thompson said that
word was sent TO Marseilles the fol-
lowing night to arrest lie Rette but that
a search of q week in the small town
n Igf hut J., -
been hiding.
The states attorney also declared
that when arrested in Marseilles shot
gun shells we're found in his pocket
and when asked where he got the
money TO get to MarseiIles he said that
his mother had sent him a IS bill, but
that later when asked where he got
the $50 bill TO buy his ticket to Mar
settles he declared an aunt had given
that to him.
When also asked, the states attor-
ney said. why he went to MarseilIes.
he declared that he sought work there,
but after arriving in his home town
he made no effort to secure employ
ment. The states attorney declared
that the shot gun was secured ar
Prater's home and that it was found
wadded with shavings Of rubber to in
dictate that it was broken. He asserted
that the owner turned the gun over to
lie Rette in good condition.
Reserve Statement,
He announced also that conclusive !
evidence, resulting from an expert +
ment made by officials would show ,
that the shotgun found at lie Rette's {
home was the one used in the murder ]
of Zerbe
When the states attorney concluded. ?
lie Rette's attorneys presented mo- I
ton that the court grant them the {
right TO reserve their opening state I
ments until the state had closed its S
evidence. claiming that Mr. Thompson
had not stated all the evidence that
would be introduced. The attorneys for
the defense claimed that they could y
not at that time make opening state =
ments because Of ignorance of the =
states case.
Mr., Thompson replied that the
counsel for the state had witnesses
from among the relatives Of lie Rette. -
ne declared I1aL ne pau great ulIH- .
Guilty before the grand jury in order I
o get them to testify and that the same :
occurred previously during the cor -
1ner's inquest He asserted that =
people of the state have TO fight hard :
o get any conviction in criminal =
Ease. without being further hampered y
by favors granted to counsel for the =
defendants. He said that the defense =
vas not entitled to the privilege, :
They know our evidence" said Mr.. =