The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-11-24
Crowd in Council Chamber
Cheer Policeman When
He Wins Acquittal.
MANY WITNESSES TELL
OF COURT YARD ROW
PatrOlman Says He Holds No iii
Will Against William kOcher
Stories Disagree.

quilted last night of the charge of
smuggling VIM. kocher without provo
cation, after the City Council had
heard the testimony of the witnesses
for the plaintiff and the defendant. OF
the six councilmen present, Gire voted
! for IN acquittal and one for convic-
ton. Congratulations from all sides
were extended Talley following his dis
charge.
4 large crowd attended the hearing
as the charges had aroused general in
terest. The verdict agreed upon in
i executive session of the council was
received with a loud applause.
The charges were the result of an
attack upon Kocher on the eve of the
election. There were about eight wit
nesses on each side. Most of them
were eyewitnesses to the incident and
they corroborated each others state
nlentS.
The first one to be examined was
kochcr, who was represented by the
City Attorney Whitelaw. He went in
to details as to his encounter with the
policeman. He was put through q
rigid cross-examination by Harry f..
Alexander. counsel for the defendant,
after giving his version Of the rumpus.
kochcr testified that he was on his
way home from the Republican rally
which had taken place in the Common
Pleas Court at the Courthouse. A he
passed the crowd that had gathered
on the Courthouse lawn, where the
Democrats were holding meeting
some one shoued in favor of President
Wilson. "Hurrah for Hughes" the
witness said he shouted. How about
Wilson and his politics in Mexico ~
Kocher yelled. | was then approach
ed By Mercer Wilson, who asked nc
to keep quiet" began the witness.
Il answered him, that felt at lib
erty to shout all | wanted to. ] also
added that the Democrats had made
so much noise when the Republicans
were having their meeting in the
courtroom, that the windows had to BE
closed"
Objection on the part Of the defend
ants counsel eliminated this feature
of the incident relating to the inter
ference of Mr.. Wilson. In describing
the attack made by the policeman, Mr..
| Kocher said:
"Talley came at me with MS club
raised over his head, and told mo |
would have to go with him. ] asked
him to explain why and he hit me with
such force that | went down. | got
up again, only to be slugged twice
more. The blows stunned me for a
while, but when I recovered I%told
Tallev that l would have gone to the
station with him, had he explained
why, but that | objected to being treat
ed like a dog"
He then told of being taken to the
police station: having his wounds
washed and dressed later by phys
ician. He also said that no charge
had been placed against him and that
TaIley himself declared when his par
| tv reached the station that there was
nothing against him.
On cross-examination Kocher adj
nlitted that he had drunk two glasses
of beer but repudiated the charge that
he was under the influence of liquor.
He admitted that he tried to grab the
policeman's club when he approached
/ him. but denied that he offered amy
resistance when Talley asked him to
come with him.
Attorney Alexander then asked him
if it were not true that he threatened
/ to beat the policeman to death. and
he witness replied that he had not. He
also denied that he said he would give
Tallev five dollars. if he would take
his star off and fight him like man.
/ On further questioning he made the
concession that he had used one, vile
word, but said that no ladies were near
when he did so.
/ When asked who got up the petit
ton signed by 4 number Of citizens,
asking the removal of Talley from the
police force. he answered it was gotten
up by citizen on his own initiative
and that he had nothing to do with
this petition.
The defendant was the main witness
in his own behalf. He said he asked
Kocher, whom he heard using profane
language in the presence of several
women, to step aside. "My reason for
this was, that | wanted to settle the
matter without any further argument
and without any disturbance. kocher