Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-17
Another Murder Trial Results
in Nothing.
Wong Ark's Lawyers Probably
Secure a Disagreement.
The Proceedings at the Trial
Yesterday.
The Man on Horseback-Attorney Guthrie
Closes His Address for the Defense.
District Attorney McLachIan Gets
Personal in His Argument-No
Agreement Last Evening.

The Wong Ark murder trial was con
cluded yesterday in department six of
the superior court and went to the jury
at 3 :45 o'clock in the afternoon. At 8
O'Clock last evening no agreement had
been reached, and at IL O'Clock the jury
was locked up for the night. tits feared
that some obstinate juror will prevent a
verdict being reached and that the re-
suit of the past weeks labor will come
to naught.
When court assembled yesterday fore
noon, District Attorney McLachlan
arose and moved for continuance of
one day on the ground that new and
important evidence had been discovered
which would have decided bearing on
the case. The mysterious imam on
horseback whe Officer Rohn swore
assisted him to carry Goot Cue into the
house after she was shot, had been
heard from, and had offered his services
to the prosecution. Mr.. McLachlan
produced letter from this new witness
and was about to read it when the de-
tense objected, both to the reading of
the letter before the jury and the intro
duction of the testimony. The court
asked to see the letter and after reading
it denied the motion for continuance
The testimony which the prosecution
wished to introduce, Judge Shaw said,
related to an occurrence which hap
pened after the killing, and he would
therefore have to deny the motion. The
letter read as follows, the envelope being
postmarked "Azusa, June 15, 1891 :"
To the Chief of Police of Los Angeles City:7
DEAR SIR: l see by the papers that
some persons are endeavoring to mystify
the true state of affairs as regards the
murder OF the Chinese woman, Goot
Cue. l will say that / was one who
helped carry her in the house in COM
pany with a police officer. If can be
OF any service to you L can be found at
the kelsea camp in San Gabriel cafion,
or will be at l19 North Truman street
on Saturday, the Goth instant.
Yours truly, j. j. ROPER.
1t will be remembered that Yen Took
and Hook Moy swore that they assisted
Goot Cue into the house and that Rohn
did not arrive till some minutes after
ward. Rohn's testimony was to the
effect that he and the man Roper carried
the woman in the house, and though
strenuous efforts were made by the pro-
secution to find the man on horseback,
in order to corroborate this statement,
they were unsuccessful until yesterday.
After this matter had been disposed
OF, Attorney Guthrie took the floor and
continued his address, which was COM
menced on Monday afternoon. He laid
la ctr ha ato+ 1f
Wong Ark that he had paid Bevan and
Rohn to allow fan tan games to run, and
took occasion to "burn up" the officers
for attempting to swear a mans life
away. As long as the defendant paid
the officers money every week they were
his friends, but when he stopped yield
ing up this blood money they swore that
they would get even and they were do
ing so in this trial.. Attorney Guthrie
closed his speech at IL AS and recess
was taken till O'Clock for lunch.
At the reassembling of court in the
afternoon District Attorney McLachlan
took the floor and spoke from 15 till
$3.50. The district attorney made a
brilliant and telling address and handled
the opposing counsel without gloves.
He took up The point made by the
attorneys for the defense that the Chi
nese witnesses had Eot had the benefit
OF consultation with counsel
when they testified before the
coroner at the time of the in
quest, and made capital of it
in way that startled the lawyers on
the other side. "Judge Hatch's China
man," said he, chad not had an oppor-
tunity to talk with a lawyer when he
told the judge that he saw Wong Ark
shoot Goot Cue, or he would not have
been so indiscreet as to make known
that fact. Attorney Guthrie is too fat
or he would have walked out to Judge
Hatch's place before breakfast and told
the Chinaman what to say"
''That's an insult, SIR" said Mr..
Guthrie Indignantly as he bounded to
his feet, but he was suppressed by the
court, and the district attorney con-
tinued.
Mr.. McLachlan dwelt at length upon
the evidences of intimidation that had
been made manifest during the progress
of the trial, and said that if Leu Took
had not been afraid of his life he would
have told true story, and not denied
all that he had told the officers. Attor-
ney Hardesty interrupted Mr.. McLach-
Ian numerous times during the progress
of his speech until he was ordered to
keep quiet by the court, and the district
attorney then proceeded uninterrupted.
The address was unanimously decided
to be masterpiece, and evidently had
great effect on the jury. Judge Shaw
took occasion, after the adjournment of
the court, to congratulate Mr.. Nc
Lachlan on his effort.
The instructions to the jury from the
bench were rather lengthy, and occu-
pied about fifteen minutes in the read
ing. They appeared to be more favor
able to the defense than the prosecu-
tion, and dwelt particularly upon the
question of reasonable doubt. The
jury were ordered to acquit Wong Ark
II there appeared to be reasonable
doubt that he was not in the opium