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All evidence lo be submitted in the Coulter murder trial had been presented when court closed at six o’clock Friday afterncon, and according: to the opinion of best informed attorneys, a new recordwas accordingly set for speed in a Jethro Meek farm, said that hegle had the gun pointed up in the air when he pressed the trigger. He did not think Beagle was intending to shoot at Coulter. attacks PRICK DEPOSITION-. Martin Dixon, a tenant on theens**i:Ii.■ •n-a-tisutalistilic5.a.ita,igirUr.0s.murder hearing in the Decatur ^Circuit Court. From the start there ha been a rush on both sides in matter of presenting evidence. Not a delay can be accredited to either side, for counsel representing both the State of Indiana and the defendant, Samuel Coulter, worked rapidly as a result of previous careful preparation.Coulter was the last witness the defense used, and the man who is on trial for his life remained on the stand for an hour, telling’ his story of the events on that fatal night, his acquaintance with Frank Beagle, the victim of his revolver fire, how he feared bodily harm, and of the repeated warnings he had received of what the Kentuckian would “do for him.” Coulter was not submitted to much of a grueling on cross examination by the State,but was forced to go over events in bis past life, his association in the liquor traffic and the like. •TEI.I.S OK PREVIOUS TROUBLE.Coulter said the first trouble between himself and Beagle was brought about by Beagle pouring beer and throwing peanut hulls about the floor of a place run bywas present at the time George C. Price and Frank Beagle had a conversation at Sandusky, and that nothing was said by Beagle that he was going to kill Coulter. Price’s deposition, it will be recollected, was to the effect that a week previous to the shooting, Beagle had told him that he had a gun purchased solely with which to killCoulter, the big s of a-b Dixon became badly confined when lie was cross-examined by the attorneys for the defense.James E. Mobley also contradicted the testimony of Wood Ketch um and asserted that on Monday following the shooting Ketchum told him an entirely different version of the story.Mort Beagle, a brother of the dead man, denied the allegations made in the Price deposition and testified that his brother had made no threats against Coulter in the presence of George C. Price.UNDERWOOD LAST WITNESS.James Underwood, of the night police force, was the last witness used in the rebuttal of evidence.He said Coulter told him just afterthe shooting that he had gone to the mayor’s office to find the police lum. A short time after this inci- ail(1 f-iled to locate them. Ac-dent the men got into an argument cording to Underwood, Coulteragain out in the street in front of Coulter’s place. At this time Beagle grabbed up a couple of I.ricks and threatened to throw’ them at Coulter.After describing the shooting in the alley near the old express office in which he declared that Beagle filed the first shot, Coulter on cross examination disclosed events in his past life.DEFENDANT Al.SO KENTUCKIAN.Coidter said he was forty years of age and was born in Kentucky.The Blue Grass State, it appears.said, J went south on Broadway to Railroad street and then east by the Eagles’ building. Beagle fired from me at the mouth of the alley, and it was then I fired three shots in return.”Saturday’s DailyFollowing a complete survey of the Coulter murder case, on trial just a week, in which the attorneys for the prosecution and the defense pleaded for nine consecutive hours, the jury took the case and retired at a little after sixo'clock. Instructions, read to is the place of nativity of both the them by Special Judge Alonzodead man and the defendant. He admitted to .some trouble in Kentucky, and said lie had been arrested once on a charge of assault and battery. Coulter testified that at the time of the shooting he was engaged in operating a “blind tiger, and he said that at times previous he has engaged in the saloon business, managed a hotel, and tended bar for other saloonists.ST AT IC K EG A N R K15 UTT A LCoulter concluded liis testimony and left the stand at 3:45 Friday afternoon, and after court enjoyedBlair, were brief, pointed out and made clear to them their duty as jurors. They were enlightened as to how the law’’ governed certain evidence and shown clearly and concisely how’ they must proceed when they began the task of making a verdict.The matter of concluding the evidence came with rather an unexpected rush yesterday afternoon. Samuel Coulter, the defendant, was placed on the stand last by his attorneys, and his testimony | and cross examination only consumed an hour. The State, in itsa11tifda short recc-s, the Slate began the , . . ,.... . . 4 ; rebuttal of evidence, was particu-rebuttal or evidence at about 4 ’, , , .... ,. .o’clock.John Greer, on whose farm!Frank Beagle was employed, was the first to take the stand. The! gist of his testimony was that Beagle was quiet and peaceful all:senthe time he worked for him. The defense attempted to inquire if Mr. Greer knew of several previous fights that Beagle had engaged in,but Mr. Greer only knew of his having a quarrel at one time withJUhie Waybi ight in Sandusky.Robert F. Donnell testified that be had known Beagle since 19U'. and i!i * do id mail's reputation wasgood. ){■- then gave a song do-of the3 »r.-;. larly brief, and merely examined ; witnesses to show Beagle’s character. It was decided before court adjourned that the pleadings must be confined to nine hours, four and one-half hours on a side, and Judge Blair announced he would open court at 8:15 this morning. He intimated at the time his instructions would be short.OPENS FOR STATE.When William F. Robbins, deputy prosecutor, who made the opening argument for the State, started to talk this morning, the court room was, even at that early hour, jiimmcd by an eager, ex-j pedant at d morbid throne. The*irPMeek. Cl* a!U*nvlt;:. h'thiO60 YEARS* EXPERIENCEfe1script ton « : tno morald«.,kv ua*hlHtth.od. The tr..ti-ia,,dk,,KV ke«n »ercas-mon.- lt;:f Colli..,I.us Su’wat t, j 'K ui' »-ml n ti o'clock, when ilRobison, Sunuui'j Meek. Henry Mo- izirgo and others was simii.u' and, , - , * j merely as *.o '.uc •;; lt;.i ca.tna l a c 1Beagle.DENIES KETCHUM SPOILED AIMDavid Smiley, of Nortousburg,Bat tholoiuew county, was an important witness for the State in its rebuttal. He testified that he was in the doorway at the Coulter place when Beagle fired the shot in front, He said that Wood Ketchum did not knock* ■ was merely out of the question foranother person to squeeze into theroom.DECLARED COULTER CHANGEDSTORY.Mr. Robbins talked only for forty-five minutes, but in that short space of time he covered many points in the trial. He first read the murder indictment and points of law governing such cases. He insisted this was a suit in which the State, as plaintiff, and Coulter, as the defendant, the prosecution had had many obstacles to overcome. The State of Indiana has no business associates or partners and no persons to swear for their interests like a defendant in a murder trial possesses. He charged that Coulter had changed his story in his testimony about seeking for the police previous to the fatal shooting from the one he told on the night of February 13lh. If Coulter ever was in clanger of his life at the hands of Frank Beagle it certainly was not after Beagle had left his place, contended Mr. Robbins. The deputy prosecutor’s pleading was effective, forceful and decidedly to the point without the usual dramatic features.ARGUED AGAINST A COMPROMISEVERDICT.Rollin Turner who talked first for the defense, in a splendid appeal of an hour and nine minutes, dwelt at length on the subject of “reasonabledoubt”,and on a juror standing by his convictions. He appealed to the jury if there was a single man in the box that beffevedCoulter should be acquitted, not to compromise on a verdict but to stand by his convictions. Mr. Turner made a general review of the points the defense had broughtout in the trial,the weakness of the State’s evidence.and rehearsed the several threats Beagle had made against the life of Sam Coulter. He dramatically closed ' his argument with au appeal for his client on behalf of bis old father, . the daughter and the grief stricken wife.FORCEFUL and POINTED.John W. Craig talked just fifty-four minutes in beba1f of the State, but his pleading was forceful, to the point and exceedingly impressive. He did not attempt to defend Frank Beagle and made no effort to convince the jury as to his character, whether it was good or bad. He dramatically insisted that it was just such places as Coulter testified to operating, that were solely the cause of Beagle getting drunk when he came to Greensburg on that fateful February night, and that if Beagle was vicious it was because of the fact that he had been drinking. Mr. Craig said it was immaterial as to who fired the first shot, and that if Coulter was not without fault he was not entitled to a self defense plea. He was careful to explain the 1'reasonable doubt” theory and cautioned the; jury to reason together with the evidence,pleadings and instructions of the court when they go to their room to frame their verdict.AGAIN EXHIBITS BLOOD STAINEDCLOTIIES.Mr. Craig held up to the view of the jury, the blood stained overalls worn by Beagle on the night he was killed. He bore especial stress on the fact the three holes in the gory garment entered from the back, one over the right hip and two in the left leg. Mr. Craig said thissiderable review of the State's evidence, and in this took occasion to take a rap at Deputy Prosecutor Robbins. He said that if it cameto a question of veracity between Don Rader and William F. Robbins, he (Hamilton) most assuredly would believe Eon Rader first.*A MAN OF PEACE.Attorney Osborn, who made the final pleading for the defense,talked for two hours and seventeen minutes. A skilled criminal lawyer and clever, versatile orator, he painted many a dramatic scene as he carefully went over the events in the case. His powerful appeal for his client was based solely on that of self defense and Coulter being justified in his act. He showed that during the twelve years Coulter has resided here, he has been associated in the liquor business and iuterests and he had been a man of peace. Mr. Osborn's talk was exceedingly impressive and he also insisted that the jurors not compromise in making a verdict.CLOSED FOR STATE.T. E. Davidson, conceded to be one of the most polished orators in Indiana, made a complete review of the trial during his three hours and twenty-one minutes speech, Mr. Davidson possesses considerable dramatic ability along with his legal attainments, and he used them to marked effect this afternoon. He insisted that the S‘nte bad proven beyond a question of a doubt that Frank Beagle had been maliciously murdered. He brought considerable stress to bear on the previous trouble the two men had, charged that Beagle enr tered Coulter’s place that fateful night not knowing Coulter run the place, and that if Sain Coulter had not followed him the murder wrould not have occurred. Ac-cordingto Mr. Davidson’s opinion, Beagle was tracked down and shot to death. At the conclusion of his very brilliant pleading Judge Blair proceeded to charge the jury.CHARLES FRANKS TODAY BEGAN HISCharles Franks, whose suspended sentence of two to fourteen years was revoked Judge Wick-ens, began his service for the State of Indiana at the Jeffersonville Reformatory this morning. Sheriff DeMossleft ou the 5 o’clock train and liad turned his prisoner over to the Reformatory officials before nine o’clock......PLEASANTLY SURPRISEDThe Rev. George E. Swartz,pastor of the Main street M. E.■of this city, and also at the Blue River chapel and Toner’s chapel, both located west of ShelbyviUe, was pleasantly surprised by about forty-five members of his churches, including a number of persons from Marion, when they met at his beautiful home in St. Paul to assist him in the celebration of his thirty-eighth birthday. The evening was spent very etijoyably in games and music. Mr. Swartz received many beautiful and useTrade Mahkb Designs Copyrights c.Anyone wwllug a Pkotch nmldoncrlntloii maj Quickly ua'wUlti our opinion froo wli Invention ta probablyaside Beagle’s arm and that Bea-ua'-orUiln our opinion froo whot hnr ann ta |irobab)v patentablo. Couitutinlr-a-ttona strictly coniktoiittril. HANDBOOK on I’Atoutt *ent froo. Oldest neouey for ftucurlng; patents.l’atonta takon throuph Mann Co. reeoiTQ rpeciat notict. without chnrizo. iu tlidScientific American.A bandiomely flln§tr*telt;1 weekly, I.arrest circulation of any HrJotttiflo journal. Term*, $3 a* Sol U by all newsdealer*.New jutorton, D.C.le and that all body from the1vuiupi\mi \ri fan7 nuuui.lt;year; four months,fit* WaihlBxton, D,evidence there bullets strike Bea had entered hisback.RAILS THE PROSECUTOR ON HUSVERACITY,Frank Hamilton spoke for an hour and fifteen minutes in behalf of the defendant, his pleading being broken into by the noon hour. He repeatedly asserted that the State bad utterly failed to introduce evidence to prove guilt, that Coulter doesto prove his innocence, for complete lack o f against the defendant should vote an acquittal.Mr, Hamilton resorted to a con-fnl gifts, namely a number o was convincing » beautiful and eatable cakes. Thehad been three guests left late, all wishing Mr.Swartz many more such happybirthdays. — 3 h el hv v i 1 le News.Coulter’snot have and thatevidencethe juryAlva Reed and wife and Chic Reed and wife, iu Alva's Ford, drove to near Burney lliis morning to get some of the fine finny tribe from Cliffy creek.Mrs, Win. Brinker, of North Carver street, received a message this morning announcing the death of her nephew, Kibie Goodwin, at Waldron. The deceased is survived by a wife and two children.besides a number of other relatives and friends, The funeral»will be held at the Baptist church, Tuesday atj2:30 p, m.
Newspaper Details
Greensburg News
Greensburg, Indiana, US
Fri, Apr 23, 1915
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 19 Oct 2019
Other Publications Near Greensburg, Indiana
Greensburg Review
Greensburg New Era
Greensburg Decatur Press
Greensburg News
Greensburg Daily News and Greensburg Daily Review
