Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-17
TIE HALLEN MURDER.
FOURTH DAY OF THE PRELIMINARY
EXAMINATIoN.
A Large Number Of witnesses Examines
Conflicting Testimony-Taking Of
Evidence Closed.

Conflicting estimony-Faking Of
Evidence Closed.
The examination in the case of The People
VS.. Beveridge and Dematti was resumed yes
terday morning. There was large attend
ance during the day and much interest was
manifested in the case as it approaches its
close. No testimony whatever has been
offered or given in the case tending in any
manner to implicate Dematti, and the reason
for his being included as a defendant seems
as much mystery to the spectators generally
as the question of who committed the murder.
The guilt or innocence Of defendant Beverage
was very freely discussed by numerous groups
about the Courtroom and vicinity, and it is
evident that if the Justice should have any
difficulty as to his proper action in the pre-
misses he can readily receive timely aid from
legions by simply intimating his willingness
to receive advice in the matter The drst
witness yesterday was Frank Foster of Sac
ramento, who was called to sustain the char
acter of defendant Beveridge.
a. J. vERMILYA
Was the next witness, and in his testimony
said: | held the inquest, as Coroner, of the
murdered man Hallen. There were some re-
marks at the time of the inquest about bury
ing the body there by the cabin, but Mr.
Beveridge said no. he would see the body
taken into town; that he desired to have a
post nortem held and get the bullet; that ne
thought the pistol could be found that it was
shot from, and he also wanted to give this
man a decent funeral. Beveridge brought
the body to town and was present at the post
mortem examination. The remark was made
by some one at the inquest advising to burn
the clothes. 1t was made by parties outside
the cabin, but could not say who. | took
down the evidence at the inquest Mr.. Bev-
eridge was the only witness. | read it over
to him ana to the jury, and MIR. Beveridge
said it was correct. The remainder of his
testimony was repetition of what has al
ready been given by other witnesses.
John Gerber, G. Lagos, William Burtels.
Martin Kesler, a. Grafmiller and 7. Cook,
were next called and examined to sustain the
character of defendant.
Not all of these showed the necessary
acquaintance with the general reputation of
defendant in the neighborhood where ne
lives, to come under the rule for competency
to testify character, and one of the witnesses
amused the audience by saying that 'Ven-
ever yer tou't hear man cussed over among
hees neighbors, you may think he's coot."
JOSEPH DEMATTI,
One of the defendants, next took the stand.
He is an Italian, and his testimony was in
part given through an interpreter, but por-
ton of the time he could make himself under
stood. He testified that he had worked for
I- fOr oh
about the man buying 800 sheep of Mr..
Beverage; all that the man took had
Beveridge's brand on them, and no other
brand. L know Charley Hallen never had
any trouble with him, and very seldom saw
him.
At this point the attorney for defense
turned abruptly to his witness and said,
50 What did you kill HIM for p To which De-
matt replied, without waiting for his inter
prefer, and with unassumed establishment,
"Who? ?"
Question-Charlie. Answer didn't
know as [ leeled helm.
Q.-Dldn't you have anything to do with
killing him? A-Who, me .?
Q.-Yes. A. with much positiveness and
surprise II no keel helm at ALL
Do you know who did kill him? A.
| don't know at all.
Odd you have anything to do about it :?
A.-No. sir | don't know anything about
it. | no keel helm. | no do anything about it,
At the close of this answer the witness. APP
parently entirely disguised with the insinua-
ton, as best he could understand its mean
ing through half-hidden language to him,
turned himself quickly to one side in his
chair, as much as to say, The idea Of such
a thiDgw His manner of answers would
have assured the most skeptical Of his truth
fulness and innocence of any knowledge or
completely in the crime. In reference to af-
fairs on the day the murder was discovered,
witness said | was in Monsch's stable early
Saturday morning, and Beve,idse, who bad
just returned from looking after Charlie, told
me to put the two horses in the spring wagon
as quick as [ could, and he helped me. Mr..
Monsch came soon after and took the team,
and went for . Justice, and Mr. Beverage
there I went in and Mr.. Beverage close to-
gether We looked at Charlie, and l saw the
HOLE IN HIS HEAD
Here pointing to the back of his head). We
didn't move anything in the cabin. After
FIVE or six minutes | went and tended to the
sheep all day, and Mr.. Beverage remained
watching about the cabin. Just at evening
we went down home, and Mr. Monsch and |
afterwards returned and stayed all night at
the cabin. In the morning we went home
again, and Mr., Beverage came to the cabin
and stayed till the Coroner came. | never
told Thomas Steel or any one else that it was
good enough for Hallen that he got killed,
nor that thought it was a tramp who killed
him. On Friday evening. when Mr.. Bev
eridge had been gone all the afternoon for his
sheep, he came home when we were eating
supper, and said he didn't know the reason
why Charley left the sheep alone and that he
never did so before. Said he broke open the
cabin door to let the dogs out, and didn't
think Charley was inside, for the door was
locked on the outside He said he went to
his bed and felt of his blankets, but Charley
was not there.
ROBERT FINCHER
Was again called to the stand and said that
when he was at Ionsch's on Friday morn.
ing he saw some horses in the field over the
lagoon and thought they were mine, but
when [ got upon the hin | saw they were not,
and turned and went direct to Makee's. The
reason for this testimony was that the direc-
ton Fiucher took from Monsch's was towards
Hallen's cabin, which was some three miles
away in that direction Makee's house was
in same direction as Fincher's from Monsch'sl.
MRS. MARTIN MoNscH
Was recalled, and said that Mr.. Fincher
came to their house on Friday morning, lit
tie before 8, and, remaining but a few mo-
ments, left in the direction Of Hallen's cabin.
| supposed he was going to get the sheep and
separate them, as / knew there were sheep in
the pasture that belonged to him. | saw he
did not take the sheep, but went over the
fence, and l did net think any mo1e about it.
Should think it was near a quarter of a mile
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