Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-09-16
I0WANS count
COST OF KEtr:'iis ) s.
MURDER TRIAL
Montgomery County Citizens
Must Pay Fully Fifty Thou
sand Dollars for Proceed
ings Against Minister.
BY EDWARD BLACK.

Red Oak, Ia, Sept. 1s.-(Special
Telegram. )-The ak murder trial will
cost Montgomery county thousands
of dollars
| Some of the estimates of the prob
able cost the taxpayers of Mont
gomery county go as high as $4,000.
1t is not hard to find persons who
believe the jury will disagree. Attor-
ney General Havner said that in such
an event there would be seven more
cases against Kelly.
The present trial is based upon an
Indictment mentioning only the name
of Lena Stillinger, although the trial
in fact has to do with the Staying OF
eight persons.
The opinion prevails here that if
Kelly's guilt or innocence should
not be determined by this trial, it
may be impossible to bring about an
other trial of the little minister.
States Strong Card.
The prosecution believes it played
a strong card when the Macedonia
witnesses testified that Kelly told
them details of the crime, in one in
stance an hour before the charnel
house at Villisca was entered, and
other instances extending to noon OF
the day after. the crime.
In its demand for conviction, one
of the questions the state will ask
is:
How did Kelly know upon his ar
rival at Macedonia that the ak VIC
tins had been stunned as well as
mutilated with the sharp edge Of the
AK"
Testimony of those who first en-
tered the house was that the victims
were struck on the tops of their heads
with the blunt part of the ak and cut
with the blade.
Another question will be:
"How did Kelly know on Monday
morning that the murderers had LETT
a watch on the floor of the room
occupied by the. Stillinger glrlsF
Those who firstZtntered the Moore
home testified to finding a watch as
described by Kelly.
Mansfield May Come.
Attorney General Havner stated
that the prosecution will build up its
case step by step; that the collapse
of the laundry evidence on Friday
was only temporary. Mr.. Havner IS
satisfied with progress OF the states
case thus far. ..
Attorneys for the defense hint at
some sensational testimony when they
get an inning. They have said they
will not only obtain an acquittal for
Kelly, but will disclose who were re-
sponsible for the Villisca crime.
The possibility. of "Bill" Mansfield
being summoned from Kansas City
as witness is one of the rumors.
His appearance would add zest to
the trial. He was the man who was
arrested at Kansas City by Detective
7. N. Wilkerson, who alleged that
Ralph Prinle, associate counsel Tor
former Senator F. F. Jones in the
Jones-Wilkerson scandal suit, went to
Mansheld's relief at the time of his
arrest
kelly has the mind of a boy" re-
marked Judge A. L. Sutton as he1
was walking away from the Mont
gomery county Jail where the little
minister is being held on a charge
of having committed The most grue-
some crime in the history of this
state.
Zone of the strangest things in this
case is that, if Kelly was guilty of the
crime, which l am convinced he was
not, how could he have served as pas
tor of a Congregational church at
Sutton, Neb., for a Year," added
Attorney Sutton. II saw" he con-
tinued, "Kelly's name on the church
at Sutton and heard him speak"
The trial will be resumed at 9 o'clok |
Monday morning when the state will
continue its testimony.