Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-19
M|DAN|[L TRIAL 70
Be- sensational
MISSOURI PROSECUTING ATToR.
NEYoN TRIAL CHARGED WITH
WIFE MURDER.
WILL SEEK TO SHOW
ENEMY COMMITTED CRIME
Nc Daniels Actions Before Death Of
Wife Indicated He Feared His Own
Life Would Be Sousht-Second Day
Of Trial Brings Large Crowd to
Court House at ST., Joseph.

| u. SSNSN-~
| day of the trial of Oscar d. Mcdaniel
| prosecuting attorney Of Buchanan
| county, on a charge Of numbering his
wife, indicates the intense interest II
the case. The court room was packec
today by spectators, including friends
and enemies of the lawyer and others
attracted by mere curiosity.
Story Of Crime.
The murder of Mrs. Harriet Moss
MCDANIEL, wife of the prosecuting at
torney of Buchanan county and the
daughter of family socially prominent
was one of the most sensational crimes
that has occurred in Missouri in many
years. Battling to the police and de
tectives, fraught with numerous clues
{none of which pointed strongly to the
murderer) and stirring st. Joseph as II
seldom has been, the case reached its
climax when Oscar D. Mcdaniel, the
womans husband, was indicted
charged with the killing.
Mrs. Mcdaniel was attacked and
meaten as she lay asleep in her home
the night of Friday, July IA. She died
a few hours afterwards without having
resained consciousness. Two of her
three children-one years old and the
other s-were asleep in room adJon-
ing thir mothers but were undisturDeo.
Prosecutor Mcdaniel said he hao
been called away from home on a rake
telephone call, purporting to come from
his brother in an uptown saloon. AS
he returned, he was met by one or more
Of the supposed murderers and. IN the
darkness outside of his home, engaged
them in a revolver fight.
The deed at once was placed at 'he
door of men who had been prosecuted
by Mcdaniel and who had sworn VEN
geance against him in numerous let
tiers received shortly before the murder
Concerning one of the letters, he salo
to a friend few hours before his wife
was found beaten and bleeding:
Ever since I received that letter, !
have been carrying a revolver, and am
especially careful II do go out al
night never to be alone. and am
avoiding all alleys and questionable
places. 1 have even thought Of a body
guard but decided II was not neces-
sary."
coroner's jury was unable to NIX
blame but on Sept. "a, Bart NJ. Lock-
wood, special prosecutor, former school
mate of Mcdaniel and his lifelong
friend, basing his action upon the find
ines OF private detectives, swore out
warrant charging first degree murder
against MCDANIEL. In jail, the accused
man protested his innocence, declared
that the action was political frame
up" to injure his campaign for re-eiee-
ton and that the only result would be
the blackening OF his wife's and his
own names.
The testimony MIR. Lockwood had un-
covered was presented to grand jury
and after two weeks of consideration,
an indictment charging murder in the
first degree was reached. Mcdaniel was
released on bail of $50, 900 and speedy
trial was demanded so that his name
could be cleared before the election.
The evidence against Mcdaniel which
resulted in the indictment was briefed
by Mr.. Lockwood. before the judge who
admitted the prosecutor TO bail, as fol-
| lows:
Testimony has been given the grand
jury that on the night Of the murder a
scream was heard coming from the
| MCDANIEL home about 1914 o'clock al
| night. That scream was positively rec
ognized as being the voice of Mrs. Nc.
Daniel. And a few minutes later, Nc
DAME! was seen coming from his home
and running down the steps of his from,
porch
MeDaniers Version.
This is in direct variance with Mr.
MoDaniers version, which is that thu
murder did not take place until nearly
midnight. He returned home, so HI
says, from a lodge meeting about 1,
o'clock after having driven around thu
city in his motor car and left fifteer
minutes later to answer the fake call
! He came home again about midnigh
| and, while alighting from his motor car
was fred upon. He returned the fire HI
said, shooting from the protection o
his motor car. After emptying his re-
!o."c-, he ran into the house and fount
his wife unconscious. The police thel
were called. Two diamond rings hat
been taken from Mrs. McDaniers hant
and revolver and small amount o
money were missing.
| The state will attack this story, &C
coriing TO MI. lockwood. and an at
tempt will be made to prove, 1t is un
derstood. that the fake telephone cal
OF which Mcdaniel spoke was not made
The indications are that the prosecu
ton will endeavor to prove that his re-
lations with Mrs. Mcdaniel were no
Of the happiest. The accused man ha-
said repeatedly that no husband AM
wife ever were more congenial than h
/ and his and, in this. he has been SUD