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C H A R L E S   J   D O U C K, having been produced as a witness for and in behalf of the people and after having been first duly sworn, testified as follows:

DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. COBURN.

Q

Where do you reside?

A

Coopersville.

Q

How long have you lived there?

A

I have lived there 10 years.

Q

What is your business

A

I work for the H. J. Heinz Company, pickle business.

Q

How long have you worked for them?

A

Six years.

Q

What is your work, or your occupation consist of?

A

Oh I is taking care of the salting stations and shipping out and looking after three or four different houses outside of the pickle season; in the pickle season of course I just have the one to look after - - taking them in.

Q

What one do you work at during the pickle season?

A

Nunica.

Q

What others do you take care of out of season?

A

Well this year I have had Nunica and Coopersville and New Era and occasionally drop down to Hudsonville but that is not my regular station; once in awhile to Zeeland.

Q

In the year 908?

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A

The same ones, the same three places with the exception of Whitehall that I was to a few times, but that is cut out now.

Q

Where are your headquarters, what do you call your headquarters?

A

Why at Coopersville is mine.

Q

And in your employment, how often do you go to Nunica?

A

Twice a week if I haven’t any shipping.

Q

And on what days do you generally go?

A

Usually as a rule is to be there Mondays and Fridays.

Q

Now do you remember of being there on the 23^rd day of April 1906?

A

Yes, sir, I do.

Q

How did you go there

A

I drove.

Q

Drove from Coopersville?

A

Yes, sir.

Q

What time did you start?

A

Well sir we hooked up our team somewhere around three o’clock but we did not leave Coopersville until why it must have been in the neighborhood of half past four.

Q

And what road did you take?

A

We took the State Road.

Q

And whereabouts is this state road located?

A

Well sir it is the first road north from Coopersville and it runs through to Denison and then it angles off there to the Catholic Church and goes right on through across Crockery there to just a half a mile north of Nunica where we turn to go into Nunica.

Q

How far is it from Coopersville to Nunica?

A

Seven miles.

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Q

Do you remember passing anybody that evening?

A

Yes, sir.

Q

Do you remember passing the respondent, Bill Shimmel, that evening?

A

Yes, sir.

Q

Whereabouts were you when you passed him?

A

We were right west of Denison where Mr. McCarthy’s old buildings are there, the barn, and the house on the other side of the road.

Q

What is the condition of those barns?

A

Why they are old buildings no doors on them.

Q

Are they in use at all?

A

Well yes he puts stuff into them through the season, hay and grain.

Q

How was this person dressed this respondent dressed at that time, do you remember?

A

Well sir he had on a slouch hat, not a very good one, and his clothes were not very good with the exception of his overalls or whatever it might have been that he had on, they were dark colored; the rest of his clothes were dark colored.

Q

Were his overalls blue?

A

Yes, sir, they were blue, dark colored.

Q

Dark blue?

A

Yes, sir, dark blue.

Q

Did you speak to him?

A

No, sir.

Q

Which way was he going?

A

He was going east towards Denison.

Q

And he was west of Denison

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A

Yes, sir.

Q

At about what time of day was that?

A

Well sir it must have been pretty close to six o’clock.

Q

Where was he when you first noticed him?

A

Well sir he was coming right along side of the road where them little willows and brush is there.

Q

How did he have his hat?

A

He had his hat kind of drawn down.  He didn’t turn his face so that we could see him square.

Q

He didn’t look at you then?

A

No, he never spoke or looked at us.

Q

How far was that from Nunica where you met him?

A

Well sir that is just about three miles and a half.

Q

That is east and north?

A

East from Nunica, not much north, almost direct east.

Q

About how far from Denison?

A

Well sir I should judge about forty rods, it might be a little more

Q

It is north and west of Denison isn’t it?

A

Yes, sir, just a trifle.  That road angles to the northwest a little from Denison.

Q

Now you say it was about dusk that you met him?

A

Well it was getting along that way, yes, sir, for when we got into Nunica the lights were lit.

Q

Are you positive that this is the same party that you met?

A

Yes, sir.

Q

How long had you known this man?

A

Why I have known him ever since I was a small boy, that is I have seen him, I am not personally acquainted with him.