Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-07-13
OUTLINE or STATEMENT MRS.
MARIA PORTER is EXPECTED
TO MAKE.
srArE FINDS ANOTHER
VALUABLE WITNESS
lastais Collins. MeAIlistsr, Slayer Of
Jonathan Dark, Found in Arkansas-.
Attorney General cosson Outlines
principal Points in States Case
Nearing Opens Today.

& Bedford, JMly lS.-With the arrival
u Attorney General George Cosson,
ana the expected appearance of Mrs.
Maria Porter. the principal witness for
the state. the stage was set today for
the hearing Of the sensational charges
against four aged Iowans charged with
the murder Of wealthy cattleman
nearly q half century ago.
Chief interest centers In the story
Mrs. Porter is to tell, and her remark
able recital Is expected to be about
% follows:
I'VE were living down there BY the
Huntsman and Osley places near Siam.
was q girl OF Is years and lived
with my mother and two sisters. one
Of my sisters was married to Jonathan
Dark, who was one of the members OF
the gang who afterward was killed
when he came to kill me. I was the
only living witness to their crime out
side their own gang. This was in Sep
tennber Of 1868. We lived in little
log cabin.
"one night saw nve men. the four
vho>are now under arrest and another
man who now Is dead. crowded to-
4ether. They were telling Of the COM
ing OF the cattle buyer with his chest
81 gold to buy 500 head Of cattle. A
night or two later my married sister
became sick. Her little baby was cry
ing and was very fretful. told her to
go to bed and I would take care OF
the baby. I took the baby and quoted
It. was alone in the little house, the
rest were IN bed. There was no light
In the cabin.
'All OF a sudden I heard voices out
side the cabin. went to the door to see
what the disturbance was. 1t was a
very bright and moonlight night. The
fort in from of the cabin made a black
shadow over the front Of the cabin. l
noticed that the voices were coming
nearer, 80 I slipped over into the sha-
dow and waited. Thru the darkness
there came the gang. They passed
very near the cabin. They were carry
Ing the body Of man. could see his
feet dangling and swinging from the
knees Is they carried him by. They
had him wrapped up in quilt. They
were going right past the house.
didn't dare move, I was afraid they
would see me.
Girl Witness 10 Threatened.
-Four OF the men were carrying him.
two had his shoulders two others were
carrying his legs. another one Of the
gang was driving the wagon along. Just
rs I thought they were safely by.
Jonathan Dark looked up and saw me.
And turned on me- Holding onto the
body with one hand, he pointed the
other hand at me and said. D d.,
you. have notion to wash my
hands in your blood. If you ever say
anything about this. &c anyone, nc ell
will do it. do you understand?
Then Dark said to the other men to
dump the body into the well or carry.
him and dump him below the hill. l
don't know which they did, but the
next day the we'll was filed up. Dark
told my sister that he had to fill the
well or the children would fall in. Dark
took charge Of the chest of money that
tho cattleman brought in the wagon,
and when they came back from carry
Ing the money they said they would
divide the money later. I don't know
what happened to the boy. never saw
him.
Saddle Bags Were Filled.
The next day all Of the men were
back on the ground. They went down
into the hollow. They were all there.
'OnO man CdIIl0 WIFI SdUUlcDdSS LulAs
While they were in the hollow saw
Dark carrying the big chest; it was a
big load for him, strong as he was.
in . short time Dark brought
quilt to the house. 1t was covered
with blood. He told US he had killed a
beef over to Huntsman's and said he
had carried q quarter OF 1t in the old
quilt; that is how 1t came to be bloody.
But ! know; Dark knew I knew and
treated me cruelty.
I'm few months I induced my
brother to move down into Missouri.
wanted to get away from all this. That
left Dark and his wife in possession
Of the old cabin. Down in Missouri
We lived very close to the James boys.
We got acquainted with Them Some
how they knew Of the buried money.
Frank James made q trip to Siam.
Two days after the murder. Frank
came up to our house in Missouri.
Frank liked me and liked Frank
Frank told mo TO be on my guard as
ram nei lec WITH