The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-03-07
Evidence
of State
Is Brief
Witness Who Testified He
Saw Main Enter Swayne'S
Store Is Contradicted
CHARACTER is PRAISED

CUEHAIIS, March THE
Main. Swayp~ murder trial N
drawing TO Its close today. but
interest continue. undated. and
another large crowd filled tho
courtroom st the opening.
The state formally rested Its
ease late yesterday to the e,i-
dent surprise of the jury and
spectators.
The defense opened today with
the Introduction Of u group Of
prominent King county and
lewis county officials. all Of
whom testified TO tho high r~pu.
tsiion Of Main ~ n Law abiding
citizen.
The defense scored it, frs, victory
when II riddled the testimony % Rob
ert Hodge. witness for the state. who
declared yesterday that he had seen
Main enter tho Swaync store on the
afternoon of the murder. by the ties.
umony OF ". q. Peters, city en-
xtn~er OF ChrhailH.
showed a diagram and distances In
tho vicinity OF Hodges home and
Swayne's store,
Barrcd Vision
Tn. map showed there was dis
tAnc. OF 8ss feet from the place
Iiodg. had stood when he sayH he
saw Main enter the back door OF the
murdered mans store. The map
also showed there wcr. obstrucuons
in the line Of vision from tho place
where Hodgc stood and the plac.
where he said he saw Main. These
were is-foot cedar tree with
bouRhs reaching near the ground. a
picket fence three and half feet
high. an old fence rail. and posts
Peters testified these made II impoH.
Eble 10 zee person cieariy at the
rear Of the Swayne stort
Tho character witnesses were ~
u. Coffman. chshalls banker. Al
fred Lundln. prosecuting attorney OF
King county. Judge \. W. Frater, Of
the superior court OF King county.
and Hugh NJ Caldwell. corporation
counsel Of Seattle.
All testified 20 having known
Main for from Q TO IS years. and
said that during that time he had
always borne the highest reputation.
Bore Good Reputation
Coffman was questioned as 20 the
character Of Mrs Sadie swayne and
stated that she had always borne an
ideal reputation for chastity.
Later witnesses established com.
plete alibi for Main. The prosecu.
ton showed that the murder &C.
CURED between and $40.
w. r. Jones said he was in Mains
office from 10 sos. Mrs. W. ".
Emery. a prominent citizen Of Napa.
vine. accounted for his whereabouts
from go to 5:25. Milton Ashton said
he saw Main in the pool room from
sos 20 $50 John Pouison said he
had access TO Mains woodshed for
the last three years and had used
Mains tools during that time and
had never seen an AK there Of the
kind described in the states test.
mony
The defense. thru W. =. Jones. ac-
counted for Mains whereabouts
from 10 Sis the day OF the muir.
der. January 6. lie said he was in
Mains office that afternoon. The
prosecution had shown by It's wit
nesscs that the murder occurred be
tween and $40.
Upon adjournment nj o'clock
Wednesday afternoon. Judge
Samuel White. assisting County
Attorney Allen In the prosecu.
ton Of Oscar X. Main. charged
with numbering Fred II. Swayne
at Napavine. on January 6. an
nounced the state had com
plcted its testimony.
only n dozen of the 30 witnesses
summoned were called.
The state wove it's main web OF cir.
cumstantial evidence yesterday aft
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