The Altamont Saturday from Altamont, Kansas • 1

THE ALT AMONT SATURDAY ITEM. VOL1 'ALTAMONT, LABETTE COUNTY. KANSAS, SATURDAY jNOVEM HER 14. 1890. JNO.

13 ELECTION AT HE. of murder in the first degree. On the following Monday morning Asbell was sentenced to the peni- tentiary for one year and then to Election day at this place open ed up cloudy but by noon the sun HE AS8ELL CASE. After delay longer than was anticipated, the case having been advanced on the docket, the supreme court has handed down a decision in the Asbell murder case, of this county. On Tuesday January 28, 1896, Mrs.

Emma Angeline Asbell wifeof Marion Asbell, was found had seemingly dispelled the fog and made the atmosphere quite heavy rain fell accompanied by rolling thunder and vivid lightning. During the night, however, the wind changed to the north and Wednesday morning opened very raw and chilly. The work of the election board was very slow on account of the number of tickets and candidates, and it required almost incessant work from 6 o'clock Tuesday even-until 4 on Wednesday morning to count the vote. It seemed like a never ending task without sleep, but time brought an end. The Democrats and Populists carried this township for every candidate on their ticket with the exception of road overseer, in second district in which Mr.

A. I. Ross was elected. By some means the Populist in the cellar at their home, which is located on a plateau at the foot I of a high mound on the west bank I of Labette creek, about sixteen hang. A motion for a new trial was filed and overruled.

'An appeal was then taken to the supreme court and in the decision of affirmation the supreme court says: "It is earnestly insisted that the verdict is not sustained by the evidence. After a careful reading and consideration of the same we are united in the opinion that the testimony sustains the finding that the defendant committed the offense as charged. The relations which existed between the defendant and Maggie Whitehouse, as well as between him and the deceased, furnish a motive for tha commission of the offense. The testimony makes it very improbable that it was a case of suicide, and there is much in it which tends to connect the miles southeast of Altamont. She was lying on her back, on the wet dirt floor of the cellar, her head to the south, the right arm extended, and just out of reach of the hand lay a revolver while the body was cold in death and blood was ooz- pleasant.

The polls were crowded at the opening hour, and until noon men stood in line and waited their turn to get into the booths to exercise their right of franchise by wrestling with a ballot as large as horse blanket. It was a jam and a rush. We never witnessed an election in which people were so anxious to vote. Everyone voted as if they had a load of responsibility which they desired to unload, and after seeing the ballot deposited safely they seemed to breathe freer, or in the laguage of the "Immortal J. the "Pressure was removed." While the crowd jostled, pushed, pulled and tread on each others toes to get into the polls there was no loud talking or quarreling.

Good-natured jokes were bandied back and forth and the acrimonious part of the campaign seemed to be entirely forgotten. Several votes were challenged but in most cases the parties took it without making any demonstration of bitterness and swore in their vote. Although the town was crowded no fights occured and we did not hear of a dispute that got to the point of requiring interference to prevent trouble. defendant with the killing. His conduct before the death of his wife and his conduct immediately after the body of the deceased was found tends to support the finding of the jury." Asbell is by the law of this state now an inmate of the peniten tiary for life.

The editor reported the trial of this case for the Kansas City World and St. Louis Republic, and published a full history of it from the opening statement to the verdict and sentence, illustrated with pictures of the girl, Maggie Whitehouse, the attorneys and court officers, and if any one desires to read the the entire trial we still have a few copies which can be had at this office at 5 cents a copy. No murder in Southeastern Kansas has attracted so much attention since the days of the Benders. A feature upon which reflection THE ASBELL HOME WHERE THE MURDER WAS COMMITTED, From a photogragh taken after the murder. The picture of Asbell, the murderer which is also shown, was taken about three or four years ago but is a good likness of him.

ing from a bullet hole behind the right ear. A coroner's jury was called and returned a verdict of murder. On Saturday following the murder Asbell was placed in jail and Maggie Whitehouse, his step-daughter, was arrested with him and taken care of by the sheriff at home. At the preliminary ex ticket was printed following the Democrat county ticket. The Democrats had not held a separate township convention and were sus-' picious of it.

When the polls closed the Republicans filed a protest with the board against adding the Democrat and Populist vote for township officers together. When the vote was counted it was found that out of sixty-seven Democrat votes only eight had voted the township ticket which followed their county ticket, the others having switched over to the township ticket on the Peoples Party ticket, giving it a clear majority without i would do one good was the comparison between those who cast their first ballot for president and those whose gray hair and impaired vision proclaimed to the er that the span of life was almost spread, and in some instances that borrowed time was being consumed. We do not mean for you to reflect on the party lines on which they cast their ballots, but on the approach and passing of a generation. The ballot which was 24x36 inches in size, containing eight tickets, was so cumbersome that all the time allotted by law was re-qired to mark it, but every voter seemed disposed to spend all the time necessary to make a thorough job. In anticipation of a big vote and knowing the size of the ballot the township trustee had an addition built onto the ballot box, and even then its capacity was taxed to the utmost capacity.

In the evening when the polls closed a heavy cloud came up from the southeast and for some time a amination such damaging testimony was produced, such as shoeing that Asbell and the girl had been ciminally intimate, that the, mother knew of it, the neighbors suspected it, and that it was impossible for the mother to break it up, all of which was brought out by the girl's own testimony, and Asbell was sent to jail without bail to await the action of the district court. When the case was called in the district court Asbell 's attorneys tried to have it postponed but with-success. Accordingly on Monday morning February 24, the trial opened, consuming an entire week, and the jury brought in a verdict at about 10 o'clock Saturday night EMMA ANGELINE ASBELL, The murdered woman, mother of Maggie Whitehouse and wife of Marion Asbell. The picture of the murdered woman which is printed in this issue is made from the only one in existence, taken before her death, and we drove sixteen miles and walked four miles, taking a photographer with us, to get it. We had a picture taken when the physicians had the body taken up for examination during the trial but did not have it engraved because this one was a truer" copy.

adding the eight Democrat votes to it. The National ticket was elected by the Republicans and the State by the Democrat-Populists which will enable all sides to ratify a little. It is a good thing to have the election over as many were inclined to get very bitter, even with neighbors and relatives. We hope to see things get normal..