The Sentinel=record., 1916-11-28
TRUCKER HOME NOT BROKEN UP BY HIM
Husband of the Woman With Whose Name He Had Been Connected Took the Stand and ENonerated Him of Any Connection With His Domestic Troubles.

ot. Jcsepn, MO, NOV. Zt.-1ne de- fense with the introduction of 36 wit. nesses in the crifinal court here to- day continued attacks upon the states attempt to weave web of circum- stantial evidence against Prosecutor Oscar McDaniel, on trial on the charge of having murdered Mrs. liar riet Moss McDaniel, his wife.
 Attorneys for the accused man de- voted their principal efforts to an
 endeavor to show that Mcdaniel had
 been harp in his home life, and that
 he had borne a reputation for "hon-
 esty, morality and general good citi- zenship' in St. Joseph and Buchanan
 county.
 Practically every witness during
 the day testified that the accused
 man and his wife had never quarrel | ed In addition, evidence was brought
 out which defense attorneys declared | seemed to overthrow the states the I ory concerning the screams heard be-
 fore II o'clock the night of the mur. der, the time the prosecutor says he
 returned to his residence that night 1 from town. and the testimony given
 by R. A Hartley, head of local de- | tective agency. Hartley declared on the stand he had been visited by Mrs. i Mcdaniel in regard to employing him
 to watch her husband
 Two methods were used to attack Hartley's story. One was the intro duction of L. C. Gabbert, defense coun- sel; Paisley Mcdaniel, brother of the accused man, and s. s. Hull, an at torney who testified that they had overheard Hartley tell Judge Strop
 chief Of MdDaniels attorneys, and others in the court room last week that he had sought employment from the prosecutor but had been refused. The second was the introduction of seven witnesses who testified that Hartley's reputation was bad"
 The attack upon Hartley was fol lowed by testimony concerning the reputation of the indicted prosecutor Nine men, some farmers from the dis trict in which Mcdaniel was born, and business men and public officials from both St Joseph and Buchanan county, declared his reputation was good
 The introduction of the character witnesses brought a dramatic touch when Dr. C. R. Woodson took the stand Judge Thomas F. Ryan, the trial judge, previously had announced that only eight character witnesses would be allowed Following the eight. Judge Strop announced in court that Dr. Woodson had come from the hospital to testify for the prosecutor, who he had known since McDaniel was a boy. Judge Ryan permitted the gray-haired man to be be helped to the stand to relate that he had known nothing but good about Mcdaniel, his parents, and his grand parents
 Defense attorneys tonight said they considered the strongest noint made during the day came with the testimony of John Krucker, St. Jo- seph business man and divorced hus- band of Mrs. Dagmar Trucker. Her divorce petition was filed and grant cd the day Mrs McDaniel was fur dered, the accused man having acted as Mir. Truckers attorney. Mfr Krucker testified that Mir. McDaniels name had not been mixed up" in the causes that led to the divorce, and I that he had no suspicion, and held none now, that the accused prose cutor had any part in his domestic diff faculties. Orestes Mitchell, who was Mrs. Kruckers attorney, said that in | his conversations concerning the di- vorce with both Mrs. Krucker and her husband no mention had been made of Mcdaniel. Both he and Mr. | Trucker said MdDaniel had advised
 against the separation,
 | The defense during the afternoon also attem. ted to tear down the tes- tifony given by Mrs. Wilheimina Her. mann, states witness that she had been awakened by screams she iden tified as those of Mrs. McDaniel be
 fore II o'clock the night of the mur
 der , ,... ,,.