Alma record., 1918-01-10
HEARING BEING
HELD IN ITHACA
Hearing of Albert EichOrn Was
Started Tuesday and Will Be
Finished Today.
BREnNAN'S HEARINC IS NEXT
Hot Fight Looked For At His Hearing
With Kelly - Sesrl Assisting
Smith-Johnson Comes Last.

The hearing Of Albert Eichorn,
charged with the death of Miss Bea-
tr;ce Epler of this city on the night of
cluded and the Ithaca man will be
bound over to circuit court TO stand
trial after three days hearing before
Justice Salter in the circuit court
room at Ithaca The hearings of j. F.
tBrennan and Mrs. lnez Johnson fol-
1ew. That of Brennan starts first.
morning.
The hearing was started Tuesday
morning. and during the forenoon of
that day S. II. Epler of this city, was
called TO the stand and told about how
be had found the body, by the side of
the road near his home on Grover
avenue, on the morning following the
tragedy.
He was followed by County Coroner
viii n Ludwig, who told of the con-
dition of the body when it was found.
The first thing in the afternoon
Gertrude, the thirteen-year- r-old daugh-
ter Of Mrs. Hiram Gibson, was called
10 the stand by the prosecutor, who
was assisted by Ex-Circuit Judge
Kelly S. Scarf. The girl told the
court of the knowledge that she had
of Inez Johnson, Albert Eichorn and
j. F. Brennan prior 10 the time Of the
tragedy, and told the court that fol-
lowing the fire in her home shortly
before September that Mrs. johnson
o1 L.. L..
Holiday Park for three days and that
Eichorn visited her twice during that
time. She told of her meeting Brennan
at the Johnson home and how he had
been introduced as Mrs. Johnson s
cousin. She also told the court that
she knew Beatrice Epler and knew her
voice we'll.
She then went on to tell the court,
! under the restoring Of Kelly S.
tSearl, how she had gone 10 bed that
t$'ening about 1880. Shortly after she
vent to sleep, but later in the evening
was awakened when her father banged
VA door. Just as she wske up she
claimed she heard him say, 1--WE a
notion to put them all out DOORS"
She also claimed 10 have heard the
voices Of Eichorn and Brennan and
stuck to it that she recognized tte
voices of the two, although she did
not remember what they said. She
also claimed TO have heard 1neZ John
son say, C damn you Miss Epler,"
to have heard scuffiing in the room and
then TO have heard Beatrice Epler
scream twice. Later she claimed to
have heard her scream, when the party
had left the house, and was out near
the road.
The cross questioning Of the attor-
neys for the defense failed 10 shake
the story Of the little thirteen -year-old
girl in the least. She stood the skill
full questioning well, making fine
impression with the great crowd that
xas in the court room.
During the course of the afternoon
the. officers were forced to clear the
court room of all spectators who could
not find seats, because Of the great
strain of the overweight on the floor
Of the room The weight caused the
floor TO sag and cracked the plaster
in the Offices Of the county clerk and
the register of deeds below. 1t was
then decided that during the following
Gays of the hearing that everyone who
copld not find seats should be barred
frfn the court room, because Of the
dahger involved, from an over strain
On the floors of the court room
Wednesday morning Mrs. s. u. Ep-
len was called TO the stand to identify
some of the wearing apparel OF the
murdered girl, which had been found
on her body torn badly on the morning
following the tragedy. Coroner Lud-
wig was then called back to tell the
condition Of the garments when the
body was found.
This was followed By an attempt BY
the defense TO smoke the prosecutor
out and get into the fine points Of his
case. He was called to the stand By
the defense and sworn in. Questions
were thrown at him in regard to mat
ters pertaining to the case, which he
wanted TO hold for the trial to come
later and he made an appeal TO the
court, which ruled that Ora l.. Smith,
the prosecutor, did not have to give
this matter up 10 the defense.
A subpoena Was then issued for Mrs.
Hiram ellison, whose confession made
possible the arrest Of the four who
sre charged with murder. II was
quickly served and she was put on the
stand by the defense. The questioning
of the defense brought out the partic-
,lars said to have been in the con-
fession which she had made to David
lBeaudry. Charles Powers and Mr.. and
Mrs. s. II. Epler, about month ago.
She went into the events of the
evening and told of the party coming
to her home about $3.50 in the evening
and she fixed the time Of departure
at from l0:30 10 11:OO o'clock. About
half hour after Inez Johnson, Miss
Epler, Albert Eichorn and Joseph +.
Brennan arrived, she claimed another
couple came to her home, and were let
in by Mrs. johnson. She said the man
CONTINUED on Page Four.)