Alma record., 1918-12-12
FEATURE Of CASE
IS MRS. gibson
Nerve Racking Cross EXamina.
tion Fails 10 Shake Story
OF Alma Woman.
On THE STAND FOR HOURS
Mr.. and Mrs. Epler, Parents az the
Slain Girl, Tell Story to an
Interested Jury.

Wlth the jury for the John r.
Brennan murder case completed
Thursday the prosecution Immediate
Nv set forth matters which II expected
to prove in the case TO show that
John F. Brennan was guilty OF the
murder which had been charged
against him, and this was followed
by the statement of the defense,
which made It evident that an at
tempt would be made 10 show that
there was grave doubt as TO the
identification of John r. Brennan as
the man who was with Albert Eichorn
on the night of the murder Of the
Alma girl. Beatrice Epler
The introduction Of evidence by the
prosecution was started before Judge
Moinet in the Clinton county court,
and under the rigid cross-eXamination
of the attorneys for the defense,
three of the witnesses made admis-
sions which might be considered as
damaging the case for the prosecu-
tion 10 some extent, in that their ad-
missions might cast a shadow OF
doubt as to whether or not Brennan
was with EichOin ON the night Of the
murder
The witnesses were Mrs. Franklin,
who was Treva Sanderson at the time
Of the murder a year ago; Mrs. Mag
gle Flansburg, who saw Mrs. Johnson
and the Epler girl talking in front of
ehe johnson home on the night of the
murder, and twelve-year-old Louis
Losey. who lived next door 70 Mrs.
johnson on East Superior street at
the time of the murder.
The stories which the three told
were practically the same as those
told during the trial Of the Eichorn
case, but under the grilling cross
examination they made admissions,
which may have materially damaged
their stories in the eyes Of the jury.
Dr. Thomas J. Carney Of this city,
who examined the girl following the
discovery Of her body; Ida Losey, a
sister of Louis Losey; and Mrs.
Frank Carnicon were other witnesses
Friday. They told substantially the
same stories which they gave at the
Eichorn trial.
Thursday, after the completion of
the jury, Charles Hooper, the lad
Who discovered the body of the Epler
girl in the field near his home the
morning of September 5, 1917; DR.. l.
n. Brainerd and Or. Smith, both of
this city, who both examined the girl,
after it was found, were placed on
the stand for their stories, with
which readers Of The Record are
already familiar, from the reports Of
the Eichorn case some months ago.
The principal witnesses Of Satur-
day where Mr.. and Mrs. s. ii. Epler,
the parents of the SLAIN girl, whose
stories from the stand brought tears
TO the eyes of many Of those who
packed the court room at st. Johns
Struggling with their pent-up emo
tons, both of them had hard time
IN getting through with the testimony
which they had to offer.
Monday the prosecution put Its
star witness Of the Eichorn case on
the stand, Mrs. Hiram ellison Of this
city, and she assumed the center of
attraction and was subjected 70 a
grilling which took the greater part
Of two days.
The defense made every effort TO
shatter the story told by Mrs. Gilson
but every attempt on the part of the
attorneys fighting for Brennan was
repulsed by the woman, who stood
sp well under the attack which was
constantly sent in her direction.
In the court room Monday William
smith. attorney for the defense,
asked Brennan 70 stand up, and then
asked Mrs. Gibson If she recognized
him as the man. She was positive
in her declaration that Brennan was
the man with Eichorn.
Her veracity was attacked in the
,ffort TO force her into damaging ad-
missions, which however did not
come, the attorneys failing to shake
her in the least by this line OF at
tack.
Mr.. Smith reminded her Of her
early statements in which she i'm
plicated Dennis Welch Of this city,
Dorsey Bush and others. as witnesses
at least. Of the Epler girls murder,
according 10 the News Courier Fir
ing questions at the woman as rapid
ly ~ she could frame the replies.
the following colloquy took place:
Mrs. Gibson. isn't il true that
everything you have said here is n
pure he?"
NO" was the reply.
Didn't you tell these things be
cause somebody told you to pat them
INTO the story"
NO.
who told you 70 put Dennis welch
into the story"
Nobody"
who told you 20 put Dorsey Willis
Bush into the story ?"
Nobody"
who told you to put John
r. Brennan into the story" shouted
Smith as he reached his climax