The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-06
In THE BALANCE.
Sidney Bells Trial Drawing to q
Close.
Argument Will BE Commenced This Morn
ing-The Prisoners Appearance in Court.
Result of Experiments With Pistols.

The usual crowd of morbid spectators
thronged Judge Murphy's courtroom yes
terday to feast their eyes with sight OF
Jacobson's supposed murderer and weigh
hrs chances Of life or death according to
their understanding Of the testimony.
Throughout the day the most disinter-
ested person in the room was the prisoner
himself, who smiled and smoked and
chatted at all times that the court was not
actually in session. For man in his posi-
ton he seemed thoroughly careless and in
different, without in any way affecting that
air of bravado so common to the criminal
class.
When court opened in the morning the
prosecution continued to put in its rebuttal.
A diagram of the jacobson house was first
introduced, and its correctness proved by
Officer Russell. Then Witness Q'Breu told
the jury the time taken by the cars on Cali
f0rna street to run between certain desig-
mated points. and also his estimate of the
time it would take to walk from other des-
ignated points in the vicinity of California
and Webster streets to the scene OF the
tragedy.
EXPERIMENTS WITH PISTOLS.
Captain Lees gave an account of expert
ments made at the jacobson house on
Thursday night for the purpose of showing
the effect OF the pistol shots under the con-
ditions testified to by witnesses and to dis
prove the contention OF the defense that
jacobson was shot within his own house.
He stated that for the purposes Of the
experiment men were placed in the posi-
tons which the witnesses swOre they Occu-
pied on the night of the murder, and three
shots we're fired, two in the house and one
outside. AS tar as he noticed the shooting
did not attract any attention in the neigh
b0rhOOd, and no one came upon the scene
except those posted to note the extent Of the
noise produced.
On cross-eXaminatiOn the witness ad-
mitted that Mr.. Henley had asked permits
sion to make a similar experiment for the
prisoner, but that Chief Crowley refused to
give his consent on the ground that he had
no authority to do so.
After Lieutenant Runcie, U. S. A. had
testified regarding the sound and flash of
pistol shots fired under certain conditions,
w. j. Shreye was called 10 the stand to be
examined regarding the experiment at the
house. 1t was he who did the experimental
shooting. He first fired his pistol in the
back parlOr with the muZZle pressed hard up
TO the dummy. Tie second shot was fired
at distance OF six inches, and the third
shot he fred outside the house, the muZZ!e
of the pistol, as In the first instance, being
pressed into the dummy.
WHAT WAS NOTED.
J. D. Cassidy, a witness to the expert
ment, testified that he stationed himself at
the corner of California and Webster streets.
He heard the shot fired on the street and
saw flash from the pistol. The noise
sounded like the explosion of a Chinese
cracker under 4. persons foot.
a. CaSselN, another of the experiinent6Ts,
stood on the southeast corner of California
and Fillmore streets when he heard a signal
as agreed upon, bat noShots. When the shot
was med outside The house he heard noise
like that made by pOp-gun. Did not see
fash. nor could ne distinctly see the corner
of Webster street.
Phio Jacoby also took part 10 the pistol
experiments and stood a block distant from
the jacobson house. He did not hear the
shots fired in the house, but heard the out
side shots, which made but slight noise.
He did not see any fash, nor could he see
the corner of California and Webster streets.
After other witnesses had given teSti-
mOny to the same effect a recess was taken
until IN the afternoon.
DETECTIVE HoGAN's PERSONAL.
On the reopening of court Detective
Hogan was examined with regard To per-
sonal signed Ed" which appeared in one
of the daily papers, aud stated that lie in
serted it for the purpose Of locating Smith,
alias Graham.
Campbell Bells pal in several of his mis-
deeds, was then recalled and denied cate
gorically all of Bells allegations as to the
purchase and ownership of the club and
pistol introduced in evidence. He also de-
MED the previous statement that he in-
dnced him TO have these on his person on
the night of his arrest
William j. McNegh, theatrical agent
for the " Wigwam and twenty other thea
ters," was called to fix the date Of engage
ment OF Ida SiddOns at the house men,
ha of nj, TOD a ,sra-o
ruled. but it subsequently, appearing that
the prosecution desired to snow that the
actress filed five or six weeks engage
ment instead of contradictiug something
sworn 10 by the defendant, the objection
was sustained and the witness dismissed.
This closed the case on both sides and the
court adjourned until this morning, when
argument will be begun.