Year: 1870

WEST UNION, Iowa, July 5.


Court met pursuant to adjournment, Al


2 o'clock p. m. to-day.


James Davis was called and sworn, and


testified as follows:


My age is 4s, reside in Mendon town
ship, Clayton county Iowa l am and
have been for sometime past acting sheriff
of Clayton county have been acquain
ted with the prisoner, Andrew Thompson,
for some Is years past; he lives in Mono.
ma township, Clayton county, Iowa he
lives II miles from McGregor the distance
from South McGregor to the landing at
Prairie du Chen, is about miles-to
North McGregor mile. Twas at the Iris.
oner's residence one year ago last May to
arrest Thompson l did not find him at
home that day went there and arrested
him the next morning about s o'clock we
went there about noon the first day dur
ing this time | stayed portion of the
time in the woods and in Monona was
hunting for Mr.. Thompson during this
time-placing men at the various crossings
and by-roads, portion of them remained
in their positions for about l2 hours, when
they were relieved and others took their
places a part of the country around
Thompson's place is prairie and part very
thick groves there ARE groves north of his
house. first saw him in his brother-in-
laws house about o'clock p. IN. Sunday
morning. He lives about quarter Of a
mile from Thompson's place. His clothes
looked as though he had been wading in
grass and dew-looked wet | had 2 men
stationed at his house all night. At this
time had little conversation with him s.
he got into the buggy and went with me
to Nc Gregor had some talk with him
on the road to McGregor; he asked what
we wanted of him at McGregor; told
him that Mr.. Bergman, the Marshal of Nc
Gregor, had in his possession warrant
for his arrest we offered to stop and read
the warrant to him he said he did mt care
to have it read, that could tell him what
was in it l told him that the warrant
charged him with murder he said, "If
had known that would not have been
here;" then asked him where he would
have been he said, 81 would have been
in some of the groves or sink holes around
home; told him we would have had 200
men in the woods before this time, and
that we we're about to send to Monona to
get two boys who had lived there, to scour
the sink holes in your vicinity he said he
was well acquainted with that vicinity .and
could have remained there six weeks with
out any fear of being found the night be-
fore was very dark, and he told me that
he was frequently upon one side of a tree
in the dark while our boys were on the
other side; he said he had been dodging
our boys; that he had seen portion of
our boys in the afternoon that at that
time he was in the grove east of the brush
fence saw a trunk at McGregor and
some pictures think they are the same
articles saw here in court; first saw it
near Bass's warehouse in McGregor; saw
the prisoner pass in and out of McGregor;
| saw the prisoner and his father leaning
against some bannisters they were the
first men who told me that the trunks had
been found it was about six days after
this that arrested him the prisoners
father in the prisoners presence talked
with me who they thought the trunks be-
longed to; they said they must belong to
Mrs. Iaggerty and her family the old
man expressed fear that the family had
been destroyed, and whoever had killed
them had got q good "bi." of money l
asked him if the woman was woman that
would be likely to destroy herself in fit
Of insanity or throw herself in the river.


The defense objected to anything furth-
er in that direction, which objection was



subsequently had conversation with
the prisoner, and think he told me that he
had taken her from Potosi he said he had
seen her often, once after she moved to
Prairie du Chien-had visited her once |
am acquainted with the banks Of the Mis-
sissippi river opposite Cassville and on the
eastern side followed rafting there for
two years am also acquainted with the
Jaco slough it is about one mile from
Cassvillc to the head of Jaco slough
know the location of Juco Island it is
formed by the dividing of the waters of the
the south line Of Clayton Co.
strikes the Mississippi river about miles
south of Buena Vista. Witness here .poin
ted out the Jaco Island and slough on the
map Of Clayton county. This slough and
Island, as appears by the map, is about 2
or miles north of the south line of Clay
ton county, Iowa l have seen steamboats,
and RATS pass through Jaco slough; Bulls
Head is about miles from McGrcgor it
is four or five miles from where the priso-
ner lives Is miles from there to Postville
via Monona from there to McGrcgor it is
about % miles.


Cross-examined. - (The witness here
marks with the letter "K," Cassville on
the map and also points out Prairie du
Chen, upper and lower town.. 1t is about
Is years since RATED on the Mississippi
river have been there frequently since l
have not taken an unusual interest in this
prosecution have felt an interest in
keeping the prisoner; l think l did say
the other day that thought this trial a
damned farce when witness for the State