Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-03-25
THE DOUBLE HOMICIDE
The States Witnesses Telling
What They Know of 1t in
the Long Trial
Case Opened BY the State---
Witnesses Excluded From
the Court Room
Interesting Cross-Examination
Progress of the Sensa-
tional Trial

Yesterday, Jhe jhlru day OF the jflal
Of David II. Long was occupied with
the taking Of testimony in behalf Of
the state. Court convened promptly
at $3.50 o'clock in the morning.
Before proceeding in the trial Major
Cole asked the court for rule eXclud-
ing all witnesses except the one on the
stand, from the court room while testi-
mony was being taken. The defense
offered no objection and the request
was granted.
The coroner and deputy sheriff were
afterward allowed to remain.
The defense asked that Stimson be
allowed TO remain with the defendant,
his friend, which was also granted.
Major Cole then proceeded to open
the case. He read the information,
charging the defendant with the muir
der Of his wife, Susan A. Long on the
night Of December 2, a separate in
formation having been filed against
defendant, charging him with the
murder Of Humes. He then proceeded
with the statement Of the case. The
state, he said, would show that the de-
fendant and his wife had been married
nearly twenty years. Trouble had
arisen between them and separation
ensucd. Reconciliation followed, and
they were again united for a time
Another separation followed and the
woman sought refuge from the wrath
of her husband i'm the home Of "a mar
ricd daughter On the "a Of last De-
ccmbcr the defendant entered this
daughters home and with malice and
premcditation shot down the wife,
firing three bullets into her body.
a ..I.r
tiOns-Ou To- the employment of pri-
vatc counsel to assist the state, and the
other To- proceeding under the infprma-
ton ON the ground that there had been
no prior proceedings against the de
fcndant, no preliminary examination
and no investigation by the grand
jury The court Ovcrrulcd both Objcc-
tiOns, and the examination Of witnesses
was commenced.
Frank Sewer, who was, at the time
Of the tragedy, "a police officer, and the
first person to arrive on the scene after
it toccurred, was the first witness sworn.
He said: 81 am acquainted with the
defendant. knew his wife by sight.
/ was out on Maple street about
o'clock in the evening Of the "a Of last
December, when / heard "a shot. !
then heard some screaming, and after
ward four shots fired In rapid success
sion, ! started for the place whence
the noise proceeded Immediately after
hearing the first shot, reaching the
door as the last shot was fired. It was
i'm "a double house on Forest street. /
tried to get i'm the front door, but it,
was locked. ! then went TO the rear
and went up the steps. The rear door
was open ! saw two persons lying on
the floor. Just as ! went up the rear
steps | saw someone disappearing in
the darkness on the opposite side OF the
house. The man was lying with his
head on the door sill and Mrs. Long
was lying about a foot or two away
The floor about each body was covered
with blood. | rolled over the the body
Of the woman and saw that she was
dead There was lighted lamp on
the table. The only person with the
bodies was young girl. ! telephOned
for DR.. Birney and the police officers.
/ saw bullet hole i'm the floor near
where the head Of Sus Long lay.
The next morning | found the bullet
under the house directly under the
hole. LThe witness then produced the
bullet. There was grease and blood
on it when | found it. There was a
wound in each breast Of the woman
and one on the top Of her head. She
was lying face down. The hole in
the floor was near where her head was.
The cross-eXaminatiOn, conducted by
Mr.. Lewis, was directed mainly 10 one
point, the direction Of the bullet inhict-
ing the wound on the head. The wit
ness, i'm the direct examination, stated
that the bullet struck the back of the
head and passed forward. In the
crOss-eXaminatiOn he said that he
could not say positively that this was
the case.
Coroner j. NJ. Warinner related on
the stand how he was called 10 the
house where the killing occurred, ar
irving there at IL O'Clock at night.
He called Major Cole down for calling
| him "DrU Warinner. lie said he
placed a man in charge Of the bodies
at the house for the night and removed
/ them TO his mOrgue In Fairhaven on
| the following morning.
During the crOss-cXamination Of Mr..
/ Wariuner there was a pause in the
| trial TO settle the question as 30
| whether or not jurors could take notes.
/ In the SwilOos case the court permitted
/ this. In this case l.. w. Nestelle was
noticed with his pad and pencil and
/ the counsel Of both sides raised the
question as to the legality Of a Juror
using notes. The court decided that
they could not and the notes were sur.
rendered to Judge Winn
Recess was then taken until
o'clock.
The seating capacity Of the courI
room was filled and many were stand
ing in the aisles when court convened
at o'clock. Many ladies occupied
seats in the rail.
DR.. Streeter, Of Fairhayen, was th'
first witness called. He said in sub
stance: / examined the bodie
on the morning OF December 3