The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-05-16
The Griffin Trial.

Yesterday was the third day of the Grit
fin murder trial in the First district court.
The courtroom as on the preceding days,
was densely packed during the progress of
the trial, and the interest in the proceed
ings seemed to be hourly growing.
a E. Roch, the last witness called
Thursday afternoon, was recalled. He SAID
he saw Griffin fire the second shot. AS
Griffin stepped back from the center of the
room he saw Charley Turner fire one shot
at Griffin. He saw Hamer's revolver ex-
amined, and did not believe it had been
recently discharged.
Charles Turner, the colored porter in
Maden's saloon, testified he saw John
Hamer step up TO Griffin, who was talking
with another party near the center OF the
room, and ask him to take drink with
him. Griffin mumbled few words, and
without any provocation, began shooting.
Saw Hamer reel and Stagger toward the
south side of the rsom and exclaim, my
God, Pm ohot through the heart" Wit
ness denies having shot at Griffin.
On cross-examination attorney for the
defense, Arthur Brown, asked Turner how
many penitentiaries he had been in prior to
coming to Utah, The witness said he had
been in the Colorado flock up'' for slipping
knife under fellows vest during the
progress of a 'krap' game. ALI the
answers given by the "nigger'' as he is
called, were of similar character and for
time 1t seemed necessary to clear the
court room to avoid laughter. He was the
coolest witness on the stand.
The first witness called after Turner was
Al. G. Emmerson, who was in the saloon at
the time of the shooting and was an eye
witness and who also received a wound in
the foot by one Of the bullets. He was &C
- -l.-F1 H.
ceased, John Hamer. He was in the
saloon several times during the evening
and saw Griffin return after he had gone
out the first time. He saw A. Z. Wash
burn step up to the defendant soon after
and say: "Jim, understand you have q
gun. l want to show you that l haven't
any, and began pulling his coat for that
purpose. AT this moment the shoot
ing began. He heard the first shot
fired and then turned around
and saw Griffin fire the second shot Wit
ness then saw Hamer fall to the railing on
the south side of the saloon and exclaim,
s'My God, I'm shot through the hearts
The deceased was carried out of the saloon
by Will Young and Washburn, to what was
called a horse stand, erected in front of the
saloon. Witness heard eight shots fred.
When Hamer was carried out of the saloon
he saw Hamer's revolver lying on the
ground, but hadn't seen him with it in his
hand.
Officer William Brown was the next
placed on the stand. and told how he re-
turned the revolver with which the shoot.
ing was done) which he had borrowed, and
where the bartender placed it after it was
returned.
Jack Phillips, another eye witness to the
ARRAY, was then called. He said he went
TO the saloon somewhere near midnight,
and went into the wine room, where he
found John Hamer. Griffin came along
presently and offered to bet $50 on the re
suit of the election. Hamer said that was
too small, and said he would put up sl00 or
those conditions. Washburn put in an ap-
pearance soon after and got into difficulty
with Griffin and slapped him in the face
Witness saw four shots fired, and sale
there might have been more, but he didn'i
see them. He said Griffin fired the first
shot and the three succeeding ones.
Before the shooting he saw Washburr
say to Griffin "Ihear you have gun but