Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-02
EVIDENCE SHOWS
MAN BOARDED JIT
Two of States Witnesses Say He Was
Armed and Resembled Elmer
LIE Reffe.
DEFENDANTS RELATIVES TALK
Sister-In-L and FatFer-Tn-Law oil
Defendant in Murder Case Take
the Stand.

the Stand.
Evidence Of the state today in the
murder trial in progress IN circuit
court tended to show that Elmer lie
Rette, the defendant, boarded the jit-
bus Of Edward Zerbe at o'clock on
the night that the latter was murder
ed. Two witnesses declared that a
man of lie Rette's size and appear
ance got into the automobile just be-
fore Zerbe drove from the City garage
in East Moline
One Of these two men, John Dom
mich. a neighbor Of Lon Prater, at
whose home lie Rette and his wife
were staying, declared he saw a man
attired in brown overcoat running
towards Sixteenth avenue with a shot
gun He said he saw him get into an
automobile which had Just started
Dominick said when he first saw the
person running, he was proceeding at
a point about four doors from the
Prater home.
Garage Man Testifies.
". Fl. Dial. proprietor Of the garage,
testified that Zerbe had secured a sup
ply Of gasoline at his place of bust
ness just before 8 o'clock at night,
and started out saying that he had
another trip to make. He said that as
the machine started he saw man run
and jump into the car. He said the
man carried shot gun. When asked
by the states attorney if the person
had any resemblance to lie Rette, he
declared that his build and appear
ance were very much similar 10 the
defendant
Lon Prater, father-in-law of LIE
Rette. took the stand this morning
His important testimony was that lie
Rette had not eaten that night, and
had left the house at 1880 O'Clock. He
said he next saw the boy about 10:40
o clock and that he had come into
the room with his hat on. He said he
went with Mr., and Mrs. lie Rette to
the railway station when they boarded
the train at midnight.
Borrows Shotgun.
The first decided steps of the state
IN weaving the net OF circumstantial
evidence around lie Rette came during
The progress of the trial yesterday aft
7rnoon, when after numerous witness /
IS had testified as to the time of the
murder and the finding of the body, !
States Attorney Thompson called |
George Sargison to the stand. Sargi- I
son had loaned lie Rette the shotgun. /
Another coup for the state was the
evidence of Mrs. Edna Lyons, who, /.
although a sister of Mrs. Lillian lie
2ette, the wife Of the accused. offered
evidence which greatly strengthened /
he case for the prosecution.
SargisOn declared that on the Sat
Irday afternoon before the murder /
vas committed that LIE Rette came to /
lin and asked TO borrow the shotgun. |
lie said that the gun was in good con-
lition at the time that it was loaned .
or he had cleaned it only three weeks /
lefore, He declared that it had not
)een used in the meantime, although
e Rette's attorneys in cross examina-
ion had tried to bring out that the
'un might have been tempered with.
'argison adhered TO the story he told
nder direct examination. however.
Identities Weapon.
It was during Sargison's testimony
hat the shotgun was introduced in
he evidence. He identified the gun
0und at lie Rette's home in East Mo
inc as that which he had loaned lie
Iette. Mrs. Sargison. mother of
ieorge, took the stand following her
on and stated that lie Rette came to
er home and borrowed the gun. She
sserted that she was home all the
me and that no one could have en-
sred the closet where the weapon was
ept and tempered with IL She de-
Jared that it was in good condition
hen it was turned over TO lie Rette.
When the cross examination of the
oman was over, States Attorney
thompson declared to the court that
le next witness he would call was
e Rette's sister-in-law and that II
light be with difficulty that testimony
ould be secured FROM the defendants
alative. Mr. McCaskrin jumped to
IS feet and asked the court to stop
r thompson declaring that the
atements should not be made before
e jury. The court. however, did not
terpose. Mr.. Thompson asked the ,
'urt to call the witness but his honor
d not respond
Relative Unfriendly. !
Mr.. McCaskrin declared that while ?
e state charged that LIE Rette's sis :
r-in-law, Mrs. Lyons, was unfriendly g
the state, the contrary was true, ,
I'd he asserted that it likely would
found that she was unfriendly to r
3 defense. .
Mr.. Thompson called Mrs. Lyons a $
ort time later and she wasted no r
ne in getting to the stand. Her ap- +
arance in the witness box seemed to =
-ensify the interest of lie Rette, and
fact all Of his relatives who were =
a group near him. During the dis 7
= Of ha Oh - I