Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-26
TRIAL OF DR.. LEON.
Charged With the Murder of an
Infant Child.
MISS BEACH PLACED ON THE STAND
She Tells of Her Connection With
the DEPENDENT. -
A WDED COURT ROOM

| In the trial of DR.. Edward Leon for the
i murder of the infant of Miss Estelle E
| Beach on the 31st of October last, as the
| result of an abortion alleged to have beer
| performed by him on the young woman
| two days previously. the examination OF
| the first witness for the government, DIR
Raymond T. Holden. was concluded after
The Stars report closed yesterday. The
physician explained at great length the
| mode of performing an operation by the
use of instruments, and upon cross-exam
| ination by MIR. Cook he stated that the eff
| fects of an abortion was not infrequently
caused by drugs, blows and sometimes by
accidents. He could not tell just how this
abortion had been brought about in the
| first instance.
DR.. VIM. c. Woodward. the District
| coroner, was the next witness sworn. He
| testified that on the 31st of October he
| learned of the case from the health officer
| He at once called on Miss Beach. and as
the result of what she told him he secured
through Inspector Hollinberger, the arrest
of DIR. Leon. Witness saw the child after
it had died, and took it to the morgue
where. by direction of witness, DR.. E. NJ
Schaeffer held an autopsy on it, after which
an inquest was held by witness. From
| Miss Beach witness received a prescription
| which he afterward had filled. ~ Hs
The witness was not asked to tell wha,
the prescription called for, and he then de.
| tailed with great minuteness the manner OF
| obtaining abortions, directly and indirectly
DIR. Edward NJ. Schaeffer. the assistan,
| to the coroner. testified that he made an
autopsy on the body of the child, and dis
covered that it had lived, but just how long
he could not state. Premature birth was
undoubtedly the cause of the infants death
Mrs. Annie V. Kahn, a midwife, was the
| last witness of the day. She attended Miss
| Beach and stated that both the mother and
| child suffered from commissions. Every
thing was done to prolong the life Of the
| child, but Ii was too young to live, dying
| from premature birth.
| At the conclusion q Mrs. Kain's testi-
| mony the court adjourned until this morn
| ing.
Miss Beach on the stand.
Another packed court room marked the
opening of the third day of the trial this
morning. 1t had been rumored that Miss
| Beach would be the first witness called
| today, and the crowd was in a high state
| Of expectancy. The rumor was soon con-
| firmed by the district attorney calling "Es-
| telle Z. Beach"
In response a woman dressed I'm deep
| mourning took the stand and was sworn.
| her face being covered with a short black
veil. Before she had uttered a word Mr.,
| Cook requested her to raise her veil The
| court directed her to raise IL far enough to
| leave her mouth uncovered, but that did
not satisfy Mr.. Cook. He declared that he
| wished to have the young woman's face
wholly uncovered. There was much. he
| said, in the glance of an eye, and he wish
| ed to be able to note all such matters.
Il think, remarked Judge Cole. that
| she has raised her veil high enough" and
| Mr.. Cook sat down.
Miss Beach in clear voice and in a
very self-possessed manner then proceeded
| to give her testimony. She stated she was
eighteen years of age, and that in Sep
| TENDER last she first became aware of her
condition. Then, despite the almost con-
| slant objections of the defense, Miss Beach
stated that she called at the Office of DR.
| Leon, whom she pointed out in court, first
on the 1ith of October last. She told him
OF her condition and asked him IL he re-
/ lieved women. He answered that he did
| and in reply to her inquiry explained that
his charge was $40. She then left him
/ That she did several days later and she
was about to explain, in answer to the
| district attorneys inquiry, when and how
| the alleged operation was performed, when
| witness was about to describe an instru-
ment not averred to have been used.
Judge Cole thought that the witness could
| go ahead, and Miss Beach then went on Il
| describe the manner in which DR.. Leon per.
| formed the abortion on the 10Th of October
| last. explaining that she paid him $40 for his
services. He gave her a prescription, tell.
ing her to have 1t filled at a certain drug
| store. She did not have il filed, and after
ward gave 1T to Coroner Woodward A
paper around a bottle was then identified by
Miss Beach as the prescription handed &c
| her by the prisoner.
| To Mr.. Cook Miss Beach stated that she
did not know Annie Moran, but knew Kate
! Songster by sight. Never went with the
latter to any place. She stated that she
| first went to see a d.. Linman, a druggist
] n 4 - who told her RI 90 IN Ilr
Leon. Miss Beach then detailed, with grea,
| Rainuteness, how the operation was per-
| formed by Leon, and again stated that she
| paid him $40 Immediately after il was done
| Half of Ii was given to her by Mr. finch.
| e., and the rest by her father and sister.
Mr. Cook having asked Miss Beach If shs
had appeared before the grand jury. Dis
t-ict Attorney Birney objected to the cues
ton, contending that it was immateria
whether she had or not.
MIR. Cooks Argument.
1t was. urged Mr.. Cook a most material
question, for, he argued. the Indictment
alleged, in the first count that the opera.
ton of abortion was performed by the use
of a pin, and in the second count IT was
alleged that it was done through the use OF
an instrument to the grand jurors tIn
known. First. explained Mr.. Cook, the
grand jurors stated that they did know tn.
nature of the instrument USED, and then they
stated that they did not know. Numerou.
authorities were then read by Mr. Cook
which he claimed sustained his contention
that where it was possible for the grand
| jurors to ascertain all the facts as to the
instrument they could not say in a count
| that matters were unknown to them which
they should have known
| Judge Cole thought that the question
could be answered, and Miss Beach stated
/ that she did not appear before the grand
jury and was not summoned. Those an.
sWers, explained Mr.. Cook, he would make
| use of later on, and he then asked Miss
Beach II she had not been in the hands
OF the district attorney since she had re.
| covered from the operation. She answered
| that she had been summoned to appear be.
| fore him, and had made a statement tc
| him. She had also been taken to identify
DIR. Leon at the jail
| Il now" said Mr.. Cook "call upon the
district attorney to produce the summons
| for Miss Beach"
And the district attorney" remarked
Mr.. Birney, declines to do So"
| We'll" replied Mr.. Cook, I'VE will see
about that later on"
| Very WELL" answered Mr. Birney
| The court closed the matter by ordering
a recess then Q2:1O until / o'clock
| After the Recess.
After recess Miss Beach resumed the
stand and after a few unimportant an
swers to Mr.. Cook, she stated that parties
representing DR.. Leon had seen and talked
with har hont he On