Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-29
PURCHASE OF WEAPON WITH
WHICH VAN HORN WAS SHOT
IMPORTANT LINK.
STATE WILL SCORE STRONG
IF BUYER IS IDENTIFIED
Express Receipt For Mail Order WeaP
on Shows Mans Signature. While
Witness Says Woman Called For II
Conflict Of Evidence Regarding
Special to Times-Republican

Mason City, April EFF the state is
Horn closely with the purchase of the
revolver found in the hand of Chester
Van Horn, her husband. on the morn
ing of Nov. 20 last. the concensus Of
opinion is that strong case will have
been made against the accused. But.
Will they?
\ battle is sure to come when the
state commences to call witnesses to
testify as to the purchase of the re-
volVer from the Chicago catalog house.
Already law books are being piled upon
the desks of defendants attorneys.
The state feels a little weak along this
line but they have put together the
best they could and they are hopeful
that Judge Edwards will admit what
evidence they may have TO offer The
revolver was purchased, according to
the report. early in November. One
signing the name Of Daniel E DeNere
ordered it from Mason City to be
shipped by express TO Mason City.
There is no one according to any and
all information obtainable, residing in
Mason City, Cerro Gordo or adjacent
counties by that name. Whoever
ordered and secured the revolver. If
they wanted TO keep it secret. could
not have had the hand Of providence
play more fortunately for them. When
the revolver came some one came TO
the express office and signed for it.
The signature came well down in the
book and so close to the worn out
fold that only Daniel z. De" can be
seen and that is not as plain as the
attorneys wish. The state has secured
some writing of Mrs. Van Horn and
there is an expert here who will testify
that the signature OF Daniel Z. De-
we're on the express record is the writ
ing Of Mrs. Van Horn. Witnesses will
| testify that Mrs. Van Horn came down
from Clear Lake on the day of receipt
of this package. that she returned to
| Clear Lake and had in her possession
when she got off the interurban a
similar package. 1t is upon the adj
INSTABILITY of testimony as above that
a contest is to be made.
| Thus far the state has endeavored
to prove that when Van Horns body
was discovered on the morning of
Nov. 20, that the covers were smooth
! and unruffled in any way They
| were able to do little better than that
! on the cover question, two witnesses
! testifying that the elbow of the right
| hand was covered by the bed quilts.
| If this is accepted it does away largely
with the question of suicide and in
| Simultaneous death as argued at the
opening by defendants attorney.
Conflict of Eyidenee
! There will be severe conflict of evil
dence on the Whereabouts of Mrs Van
| Horn on the night when the alleged
| murder occurred. The defendants at
| torney announced at the opening that
| Mrs. Van Horn was al the home of her
parents all the time the night of Nov.
! 10. She got supper, attended TO her
J sick father. and retired about II
! o'clock. Two witnesses for the state
| testified TO the contrary A. W. Yer
! berg says that he came from the farm
| that night and that on his way to Clear
! Lake he passed Mrs. Van Horn driv-
/ ing a single horse. riding in a top
/ covered buggy. With her was some
| one he took to be a man. The man
! had on fur coat. grey colored. he did
| not see him we'll enough to recognize
| him. This was about $50 at night
| and she was driving in the direction
| of the Chester Van Horn farm. Robert
| Fletcher says that ne saw her the
| same night driving in the same direc-
I ton and thinks that it was about 9
| 0 clock. She was driving. man was
| sitting by her side, he did not know
who it was. They were right under
a street light when Fletcher saw them.
| Mrs. Nell Lambertson testified as TO
| some writing she witnesses Of Mrs.
/ Van Horn. Mrs. Teed had also re-
| ceived postal cards from Mrs. Van
| Horn and she knew Mrs. Van Horns
| handwriting and said that the cards
! We're in her hand writing. This is to
! be used later in an endeavor to estab-
| lish that il was the defendant who
| signed the express register book which
| receipted for the gun in question.
Tells Of Domestic Troubles.
J Mrs. iced also enlightened the jury
| on the trouble existing between Mrs
| Van Horn and her husband. She said
/, that it was more than a year in dura-
| tion during all the year of 1913. When
she left him she went into town and
lived with her parents. Mr.. Van Horn
patched it on the farm. Once Mrs
Van Horn had told her: my husband
is no good" Mr.. and Mrs. Van Horn
got to living together again in June
1914. He bought an automobile anG
they were out riding frequently after.
Mrs CroZier testified that Mrs. Var
Horn came down from Clear Lake or
the 1905 car on the afternoon of Nov
"a p Il Patterson testified that iIt
was agent Of the American Express
Company then and during the moor
hour the package was receipted for
the signature being Daniel E. DeVere
To the best of his belief il was {
woman who signed for the gun
Deputy Sheriff Harry Knapp testified
that Mrs. Van Horn had called hin
in several times to talk over the case