The morning call., 1891-05-06
In THE BALANCE.
Sidney Bells Trial Drawing to a
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 a sight OF
Jacobson's supposed murderer and weigh
HIS 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
cha,ted 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
introdu, ed, and its correctness proved by
Officer Russell. Then Witness OBrieu told
the jury the time taken by the cars on Cali
fornia 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 thu
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-
tions which the witnesses swore they Occu-
pied on the night of the murder, and three
hof ra1 fun in tra
outside AS tar as he noticed the shooting
did not attract any attention in the neigh
borhoOd, and no one came upon the scene
except hose posted to note the extent of the
noise produced.
On crOss-examnatiOn the witness ad-
mitted that Mr.. Henley had asked permiS-
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. Shreve was called 10 the stand to be
examined regarding the experiment at the
house. Ii 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 a distance of six inches, and the third
shot he fred outside the house, the muZZ!e
pressed into the dummy.
WHAT WAS NOTED.
J. d. Casselly, witness to the expert
ment testified that he stationed himself at
the corner of California and Webster streets.
He heard the shot fired Oh the street and
saw a flash from the pistol The noise
sounded Ike the explosion of Chinese
cracker under a persons foot.
a. CasselN, another of the eXperiineGt5rs,
stood on the southeast corner Of California
and Fillmore streets when he heard signal
as agreed upon, bat no shots. When the shot
was med outside The house he heard noise
like that made By pop-gun. Did not see
flash, nor could ne distinctly see the corner
of Webster street
Philo Jacoby also took part in the pistol
experiments and stood 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 flash, nor could he see
the cOrneTOt California and Webster streets.
After other witnesses had given teSti-
mOny to the same effect 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, and stated that he ini/
serted it for the purpose Of locating SMITH
alias Graham.
Campbell, Bells pal in several Of his
deeds, was then recalled and denied
gorcally all OF Bells allegations as .
purchase and ownership of the clu
pistol introduced in evidence. He N
MED the previous statement thatl
duced him to have these on his ~
the night OF his arrest.
William j. McNeigh, a theatril
for the "Wigwam and twenty OF
tiers" was called TO fix the date 0
ment OF Ida Siddons at the hid
toned. The defense objected and
ruled, but it subsequently, appel
the prosecution desired to snow
actress filed five or six weeks
ment instead of c0ntradictiug Sd
sworn 10 by the defendant, the
was sustained and the witness dsm
This closed the case on both sides
court adjourned until this morning,
argument will be begun.