Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-15
EMERSON WILL
INTRODUCED IN
MURDER TRIAL
Provisions State That in Case
of Death of Mother or
Son Entire Estate
Goes to Other.

Mt. Ayr, Ia, July l4.-(Specia!
Telegram. 1.-The will of the late
Charles Emerson, father of Roy
Emerson, now on trial for the muir
der of his mother, Mrs. Kate Emer-
son of Creston, Ia, May E, was in
troduced Monday. The will pro-
vided that the income of the es-
tate be equally divided between
the mother and son. but in case of
the death of either one, the entire
income was to go to the other.
This will was introduced by the
prosecution in an endeavor to show
an additional motive for the al
legged crime, and also to show that
there might havet been frequent
quarrels between Emerson and his
mother concerning money matters.
Court Bars Suit.
Thomas Beaumont, clerk of the
court of Union county, and Willis
McCandless, clerk of the court of
Ringgold county were called and
testified as to the care Of the diff
ferent objects held as evidence,
among which was the suit of clothes
said to have been worn by Emerson
at the time the crime was commit
ted. Strenuous objection against in
Producing the suit as evidence was
made by attorneys for the defense
on the ground that its possession
had not been traced from the day
the suit was sent to the cleaners
until the present time. The objec-
ton was upheld by the court.
Walter Matlock, embalmer for
the Emerson undertaking firm, was
recalled to the stand to testify as to
the value of the Emerson estate. He
testified that on the day before the
crime was committed, he was called
into the private office by Roy Emer-
son, who showed him a list of fig
ures on the back of the envelope,
the approximate value of the es-
tate, and which totaled $4,000. He
said Emerson had deducted $4,000
for indebtedness but remarked Il
guess I'll have plenty Left
Tells of Blood Stains.
DR.. H. M. Stanley, who has an Of
flee across the hall from the work
room of the Emerson undertaking
esta blishment, on the second floor,
was called and told of his examina-
ton of the workroom floor, follow
ing the finding of the body at the
foot of the elevator shaft. He told
in detail of the tests used to de-
termine whether the stains found on
the floor were blood or not, and
stated that he found bloodstains on
the floor of the room. on the edge of
the threshold of the door to the ele-
vator, at the foot of the elevator and
on some rags found in an old barrel
near the foot of the elevator shaft.
He also stated that he found blood
stains in the sink in the work room.
He said he found no blood on the
casting with which the state claims
the blow was struck, but explained
that the metal Of which the casting
was formed, is of nature which will
not retain blood stains like the other
objects mentioned.
Coroner's Testimony Damaging.
James Mckee, coroner, testified
10 conversation he had with Emer-
son about two weeks before the
tragedy and the last time he talked
with him before his mothers death.
In speaking of his mother, he tes-
tilted Emerson said:
What do you think of a mother
that would do everything on Gods
green earth to injure her son? She
must be crazy. I think she will COM
nit suicide. If she does. for Christ's
sake don't have an inquest"
lie testified that he was called to
the Emerson establishment by all
cmpioye of the concern and reached
the scene of the tragedy about $50
p. III. May E. He said he went to the
basement alone and examined the
body which he found lying on the
elevator platform where it had been
moved.
While examining the body he tes-
tihec Emerson and Dr. J. w. Coax
Icy came into the basement and
Emerson requested him not to hold
an inquest. He said he stationed
the sheriff and police to guard the