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Say Dying Boy Made Different StatementsWitnesses Are Examined In t'ase Against Henry lettered, Charged With Killing His Brother.A greater part of the testimony in the case against Henry Litteral, charged with the murder of his brother, JeBse Littoral, was heard in district court yesterday. The state's witnesses were examined yesterday morning, while witnesses for the defense were heard in the afternoon. Court was adjourned at 5 o’clock until 9 o'clock this morning. at which time the remaining witnesses will be placed on the stand. It is probable that the case will go to the Jury before noon today.The dying statement of the murdered boy seemed to be the most interesting point brought out by yesterday's evidence. According to witnesses, Litteral made two statements as to who was instrumental In inflicting the wound which caused his death, and each time placed the blame on different persons. Several witnesses testified that early in the afternoon he made statements that would Indicate that Jack Loftus stabbed him, while other witnesses stated that just before his death he asserted his brother had wounded him.According to evidence in the case, the two Litteral boys had gone to the home of Jack Lioftus in Spring Grove on the afternoon of April 26, where they all began drinking. After they were somewhat under the influence of intoxioants the affair took place In which Jesse Litteral ustained his fatal injury.Litteral took the stand in his own behalf late yesterday afternoon. He asserted that he had had trouble with Jack Loft us and Miles Woods the night before the affray. He said lie had refused to assist them in a fight in which they participated with two other men. He stated that on Sunday afternoon he, in company with his brother and Miles Woods, went to the home of Loftus, where they all began drinking. After a few hours there, he said, Loftus approached him and asked why he had r.ot helped in the flght the night before. They had a few- words, and his brother entered the argument on his side. He s id as he was sitting near the door in the front room he was unexpectedly hit by Loftus and knocked out of the door, and that at the time he was hit the older brother had not yet been cut with the knife. He declared that he knows nothing of the stabbing, as he was rendered unconscious when he was knocked from the room.When questioned as to why he had left after the affair, he said he did not know anything until he had wandered three miles south of town. When he recovered his senses he decided to go to Oklahoma, where he had obtained a Job for the next day, he told the Jury.Litteral asserted that Loftus had approached him several times since they have been in the county Jail and asked him to plead guilty. Another Interesting feature of the testimony was a statement in which Litteral declared that Loftus had slapped him while they were in jail.Loftus' story of the Rffair is as follows: That they were all drinking, andthat the Litteral brothers had agreed to a friendly wrestling match. After the boys had engaged in a scuffle for a time, Jesse suddenly staggered and said he had been stabbed. Shortly after that he noticed a knife in Henry's hand.Upon the completion of the Litteral case, a grand larceny charge against Clarence Short probably will be called. Short is charged with having been implicated in stealing a horse and buggy from Hubbert Hubbard last May.It is probable that the short case will be completed early in the afternoon. If so, a forgery charge against Dode Dater, alias Frank McKay, probably will be called. Dater, it is alleged, forged a check on Iouls Price, a dry goods merchant here, for $21.60. The che-k was drawn on the Chicago Min ing Company and was signed Frank McKay.” Dater was bound over to district court at his preliminary on April 18 before R. C. French, justice of the peace.PCPlt;26
Newspaper Details
Joplin Globe
Joplin, Missouri, US
Thu, Sep 09, 1915
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Victoria M.
NA, 17 Mar 2025
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