Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-06
HATTIE WOOLSTEEN.
Continuation Of Her Trial
for Murder.
HER ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.
Bruises and Wounds Found on the
Body Of DR.. Harlan at
the Autopsy.

parCment NO. yesterday uioEnlhR,
Attorney Wells requested that Judge
Cheney would allow the jury to re-
tire, as he wished to make state
ment which it would not be proper
for them to hear. Upon an order in
accordance with the request being
given, Attorney Wells said:
In view OF the fact, your honor,
that statement has gone abroad to
the effect that Hattie Woolsteen, on
Sunday last, attempted to commit
suicide, I deem it my duty, at her re-
quest, to tske this opportunity to pub
Gcly denounce the report, that the
reporters representing the press of the
city may have Miss Woolsteen's de-
nial of the report. She wishes to en-
phatically state that she did not make
such an attempt, neither was she
found in helpless condition with a
cord, handkerchief or anything else
about her neck. The report is utterly
without foundation, and as it might
have tendency to affect the trial by
GQrOW1QK AL lupIOpcT lSlt OA uCA
case, make this statement.
The District Attorney replied that
he knew nothing OF the report until
Wednesday noon. As to its truth he
did not pretend to say. He had dis.
covered one thing, however, which
he deemed it proper to mention. II
had been reported that notwithstand.
ing the order OF the Court excluding
witnesses, Miss Minnie Woolsteen
who was witness in the case, had
been allowed to occupy the cell with
Miss Hattie. He had applied to Sher-
if Kays and after informing him that
Miss Minnie was a witness in the
case and calling his attention to the
improperly. he had promised to not
allow the thing to occur again.
Attorney Stephens protested against
this, applying some very strong
remarks to the District Attorney.
He saw no improperly in the Sheriff
permitting Miss Minnie to occupy the
lonely cell with her sister in her
hours of trial and thought man who
had any heart would not make such
objection.
The Court stopped further e1-
preston on either side by
stating that he had allowed both sides
to have ample opportunity to place
themselves on record in the different
newspapers. AS for the report of the
attempt at suicide he could not con-
ceive how it could affect the Court, the
jury, or the trial. AS for the witness,
Miss Minnie Woolsteen, being ex-
cluded from her sisters cell he would
exonerate the District Attorney from
all blame by saying that he had heard
of the action the Sheriff had taken,
and on his own responsibility had
ordered that such a thing should not
be allowed. 1t was clearly improper
and unheardof, and could under nc
circumstances be permitted. 1t was
not presumed that there was any col
fusion between the defendant and the
witness, but this was done to pre-
vent any proba bility of such thing
JOHN MALCOLM.
The jury was recalled, and John
Malcolm being sworn, testified: re-
side in Compton, and am merchant.
/ remember the fact of the Barley
barn having been burned in October.
I am the man appointed foreman of
the coroner's jury to hold an inquest
over the body found in the ruins OF
the barn. I found a body in what
was the northeast corner of the barn.
It was badly burned, the limbs being
nearly burned off. 1t was lying face
down and the clothes under the body
were not burned. We picked up the
clothing, and in one of the pockets
discovered letter. We also found a
collar and sleeve button. The head
was badly burned, but had not crum-
bled to pieces at the time it was first
discovered. l no iced a hole in the
skull about the size of my little fin
ger. ARTICLES exhibited and identi.
fied.)
Cross examination The first thine
the jury did was to examine the tody
We carefully examined the upper part
of the remains before we disturbed it
/ inserted my finger in the hole in the
skull. When we turned the body
over that side of the head crumblec
away together with a considerable
portion of the body. | think the
flesh of the body and that OF the ex
tremities was connected underneath
by the skin. l saw the remains mex
day in box at Lyman's harness shoE
at Compton.
DR.. j. NJ. DOWNS,
OF Compton, being called, testified
made post-mortem examination on
q body found in the remains of the
Barley barn, on the Sth of October
1887. In company with several parties
I went to III. Lyman's harness shop
where. found the charred remains o1
q body in a box. The extremities
were burned off, the back burned and
the sides and top Of the head charred
to a crisp. On the breast discovered
cut apparently made by a sharp in
etrument. 1t was on the right side o
the breast, commencing near the
clavicle and extending down about
six inches. There were several
bruises on the chest and right arm.
am of the opinion that the bruises
were inflicted before death; in fact
tnCy COulo uCt ldN6 Dceu ulauC
after, as the blood was coagulated and
clotted, which could not happen after
death, as there would be no circula.
ton. In the brain l discovered much
clotted blood. The bruises on the
right breast we're such as would OF
could have been made by blunt in.
strument, such as hammer or such
article. noticed the jaws, and that
two or three teeth were gone. Two,
think, on the left side and one on the
right were absent.
Dissemination Blood will no
localize after death, because the circu
lation is stopped. The bruises were
all about the same size, perhaps ar
inch in circumference. The entire
remains were cooked, no part being
in q natural state.
AffaPnnnn Eass1nm