Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-12-06
mot GUILTY." IS
M'DAN|EL RULING
Jury Exonerates Prosecutor of
Wife Murder Charge in
Hour and so Minutes.
81 WILL SEEK MURDERER"
A Free Man, Accused Official
Declares He Will Bring
Guilty to Book"

ST. JOSEPH. Mo-. Dec. Oscar
d. Mcdaniel. prosecuting attorney of
buchanan county was acquitted by Il
jury in the criminal court here today
Of the charge of having murdered
Mrs. Harriet Moss Mcdaniel, his wife
The verdict of eXoneration ended one
of the most sensational trials ever
held in western Missouri. The Jury
reported at 6:25 after having delib-
Grated just one hour and fifty min
utes.
Mrs. Mcdaniel was found beaten
and dying in her bedroom near mid
night of July IA. Two of her three
children, sleeping in an adjoining
room, had not been awakened by the
attack on their mother.
McDanicrs Contention.
Mcdaniel said he had been called
downtown by fake telephone call
shortly after II O'Clock, while his
wlfe was still alive. Returning home
he engaged in a pistol battle outside
his residence with an unseen assail-
ant. After several shots had been
ilred the prosecutor said he went into
the house to get another weapon and
found his wife unconscious, lying in
a pool of blood. She died next day
without having been able to say any
thing concerning the affair.
1t was charged by the prosecution
that the home life of Mr.. and Mrs.
Mcdaniel was unhappy, that she had
been considering a divorce and even
had consulted detectives concerning
a plan to watch" her husband. The
defense endeavOred to refute this and
claimed that the murder was the
work of enemies of the prosecutor,
who desired revenge for his vigor-
Gus campaign for law enforcement.
-Four Ballots Taken.
Four ballots were taken by the Jury
In reaching its decision. Thomas Cole
man, the foreman, announced. Nc
Daniel broke into smiles at the verdi
let and his mother kissed him.
Il think ! have the descriptions of
the men who committed the murder"
Mr.. Mcdaniel said in his office in the
county building few minutes after
the verdict was announced. He drew
from his pocket memorandum sheet.
Anyhow / have enough evidence
against certain persons to make me
believe / soon may catch those who
killed my wife, he added.
To Prosecute Murderer.
i Ht prosecutor Sdiu ne INTENDED 10
devote most of his time to trailing
the persons he believed guilty of the
crime. He declared, however, that
he would continue his duties as pros
ecutor until January /. when his new
ly elected sue >etsor will take office.
About fifty criminal cases are on the
docket now and Mr. Mcdaniel de-
clared he would try at least one of
them-a murder case in which q
woman was beaten to death.
Personal Passion in Case.
Judge Strop's argument for the de-
fense occupied more than five hours.
When he concluded Attorney General
Barker made the closing argument fer
the state.
Mr.. Barker told the Jury that he had
been instructed by Governor Major to
assist in the prosecution of Mcdaniel.
The governor knew all of the coun-
ty officers were friends of Mcdaniel
and so he ordered me to come here,
Barker said.
personal passion" was injected
into the case by the defense. the attor-
ney-gcneral declared.