The herald., 1893-07-08
FOUR BULLETS IN HIS BODY,
But D. f. Richards Looked Very
Well Just the Same.
Mrs. Richards Gets Very Excited at
the Prosecutions Claims.
Antonio AguiIas on Trial-A Lively Epi-
sode - The Husband Tells the
Story of the Shooting and
What Lead Up to 1t.

d. F. Richards looked very we'll yes
terday afternoon in Judge Smiths court
for man who four weeks' ago had four
pieces Of lead pumped into him from a
38'caliber revolver in the hands of An
tonic Aguilar.
Aguilar, broad-shouldered young
man aged 20 years. with head that
runs up to quite sharp point, sat by
his counsel, Mr.. Farrel, and showed the
liveliest interest in the presentation OF
testimony that may send him to the
penitentiary on charge Of assault to
murder.
The empanelling of jury occupied
some little time, the jurors sworn being ::
G. M. Bell, George Gephardt, Ed Gird,
f. A. Hollenbeck, John Kennedy, Jas.
L. Lamptrous, James O. McInerny, w.
B. Morgan, A. Merria m, j. B. Owen,
Ernest g. Peck and Daniel Penman.
, Quite an exciting episode occurred
shortly after the trial began, which re-
suited in Mrs. Richards being led out of
the court room in high state of excite
ment.
Counsel for the prosecution, in an
opening statement, gave a resume OF the
facts which the testimony would dis
close. Amongst other things he said he
expected to show that, during the prog
ress of the trouble between Mr.. Rich
ards and Aguilsr, Mrs. Richards told
the latter to get pistol and kill her
husband.
When the attorney had reached this
point he was interrupted by Mrs. Rich
ards, who was sitting in the court Room.
She ia stout woman, and rising to her
feet she Hourished her arms and ex-
claimed:
"You're a 1iarl It's lie! It's a
lie"
The proceedings came to full stop,
and there was considerable confusion.
Judge Smith pounded on the bench and
directed the bailiff to remove the woman
from the room.
She was very reluctant to 60, and
looked a. If she would like to get at the
attorney. She went out very tractably.
however, when the deputy sheriff
reached her, and was taken to the wit
ness room.
As soon as everybody had quieted
down Mr.. Richards was called to the
stand. He is an inoffensiwe- looking
little man. 81 years old, and displayed q
tendency to incorporate all sorts of i'm
material details in his testimony, which
his counsel corrected from time to time
by instructing him to come to the point.
He said that the defendant had been
the cause of much mental and bodily
anguish to him. and testified that before
Aguilar shot him there were three occa-
sions on which the latter threatened his
fife. The occurrences all took place at
the residence OF his wife, near the cor
ner of KuTtz and Workman streets. II
was difficult to gather just what the ma
ture Of the trouble between tie two was
except that Richards said he ordered
Agui1ar from the premises and Aguilal
eeid he had just as much. right there as
he had. He defed Richards to put
him out. The latter swore out q COM
plant against Aguilar for disturbing his
peace and had him arrested. After he
was released he went right back to the
house and the witness excitedly de-
scribed how Aguilar Htood against the
barn door and dared him to put him
out. Richards said he did not feel like
accepting his invitation and went away.
Later he came back to the house and
sat on the front steps. He asked his
wife for glass of water, she being in
side. She passed him out cup and
said jeeringly that there was no poison
in it. Then he went In the house, and
his wife locked the door and put the key
in her pocket, telling him If he went
out he would have to go through some
other door.
''Then," said Richards with hurried
utterance, "my wife called to Aguilar
and told him to get his revolver and kill
me; that they had me now. l looked
about to see where could get out. as 1
realized, was taking desperate chances.
l went through side door, and as I
went saw Aguilar in another room at
q sort of table, eating, and he had a
revolver on the table by him. got out
OF there as quick as could"
a Richards seemed inclined to 90 into
the relationship between his wife and
Aguilar, but was pounced upon by
counsel for the defense before he could
speak, and admonished to stick to the
threats made against him. He specified
several times that the defendant had
threatened to kin him, and then gave
the circumstances of the shooting.
He was going along Second street
west, below Los Angeles. the evening of
June 7th, he said, when Aguilsr met
him and began to shoot. He was un-
armed and could not have shot him if
he wanted to do 80. He had clock in
his arms. He was hit by four bullets.
One plowed across the top of his head,
one struck him on the outside of the
right arm n@r the shoulder. third