Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1921-10-12
GAVE TESTIMONY
IN MURDER TRIAL
Gus: c: Johnston Of Willmar Offers
Valuable Light OH Murder i:
Case al Seattle !:

WV ~ A~0kS1S
Gus. G.. Johnston returned to Will.
mar Thursday. morning after having
served as a witness of the state in
the James E. Mahoney murder trial
whicht was held at Seattle, :. Wash =,
from Sept 20 until Oct. 1st Mr..
Johnston was one Of the principal
witnesses Of the state and his testi-
mony was a powerful factor in up
holding the state in its tixation of the
day when the murder was committed.
The defense sought to confuse the
state On dates contrary to the mass OF
evidence produced by the state. set
ting April Is as the date Of the crime.
Mrs. Dolores Johnson, sister Of James
Mahoney, the murderer. differed with
Johnston on the date when he: visit
ed the Mahoney's at Seattle. Ii Mrs.
Johnson has succeeded in prevailing
upon the jury that the date OF April
Is was the day when Johnston Wis
tied the Mahoney's much injury would
have been caused to the states evil
dence Mr. Johnston firmly testified
that April Is was the date when he
visited the Mahoney's and never
knew until later what transpired on
the 18TH
The Seattle Times is quoted as re-
,sI0ducing this testimony offered by
Mr.. Johnston:
Gus. c. Johnston. former brother
in-laW of MahOntV'a sister, Mrs. Do
lores johnson. testified to visit OF
Mahoney and his wife to the sister
and mother, Mrs. Nora Mahoney, the
night before the alleged murder and
OF Mrs. Kate Mahoney's statement
IL l. Il oI>$ Il
in st. Paul"
Tells Of Meeting Mahoney
"Gus.t:C. Johnston was recalled. He
Soap IAke, and of boarding Great
Northern train No. for Nillmar,
Mimi, his home He had talked to
Mahoney here April Is Of the pos
sibi!ity> of meeting them on the train
and looked for them on the train on
Monday but did not sec them.
Q. by Douglass. When did you
next sed Aiahonoy? A. In Willnlar,
Saturday, April %.
c. Describe the meeting. A. I was
sitting on q bench in the depot park
about 9:3 p. m. when | saw Jim Ma
honey 10 or Is feet away. | went
over and shook hands, and said to
Mahoney. "You'rd right OIL my trail.
I said "Where is the missus?' Ma
honey replied. She fell in company
with an old woman. They we're go
ing on to Boston and from there to
Havana"
@. Did Mahoney say what train she
was on? A. Number ,. Mahoney
said he guessed he would stay there
q couple Of days and then so on to
Seattle, but he would like to go to
Sioux City first. and maybe. start q
pool ha1I there Mahoneyj also said
he wanted to see the boxing bout be-
tween sDempsey and Carpenter.
O. Did he say he came on the $40
train? "A. Yes.
@. He told you he wanted to go to
'!2lsev4City to SEED the fight? A. Yes.
I've went toy THE e;Commercial Hotel
and he got (. room.
= Letter introduced
O. Did Nfahoney say. anything
showing he had been in ST.: Paul:
\. Yes. tho next day. We went tc
a fun aral and came back to the parl;
and sat on the bench and Mahoney
said Il thought you told me could
get q room in the st. Francis Hote
for ST." There was some converse
tion about that, and then Mahonel
pulled out letter apparently tc
prove that he had been there.
The letter was introduced in EVIL
'dence by Prosecutor Douglas ant
identified.
A. (continued)-I said to Mahone5y
81 don't doubt your word The Let
tar was folded so I could see it was
signed my Mrs. Mahoney.
Johnston said |MahOney said he
~ u
interest1l in a fertilizer company
here The following Monday Mahon
ey said he would go back to the coast
and he left.
Recognizes Checks
Johnston said ,Mahoney told him
Kate was going on east but he woule
head her Off in Boston. At 1870 a
10. Monday, April 25. the witnes:
said. he went to the station with Ma
honey to get a ticket at Willmar
MINI.
Jim pulled out a book Of traveller:
checks and I said that's the boo}
Kate had isn't it, And he answered
st is; sha only had four checks lef
and she gave it to me-
Johnston said Mahoney paid fo'
the tickets with the travellers checks
Summary Of Case
Makoney, who was 3S years old a
the time Of his arrest. last May, mar
ried Mrs. Kate Mooers, former wife
of a dentist, Last February 10. Sh*
was T2 years old and reputed to oW1
property here and elsewhere valued
at approximately $2C0,CC0.
Mrs. Mahondy was last seen alive
April Is, the state asserts. On tina
! day. in company with her husband
She visited Dr. Frank E. Wood. Sc
attic dentist. Dr. Wood later identi
fed the body found in Lake Unio1
as that of Mrs. Mahoney through
dental work he had performed TO-