The herald., 1894-03-27
FELL LIKE a THUNDERBoLr.

Another Account of Mrs. PRImer's Sem
satiOnsf Testimony.
FRESNO, March 26.-The most sensa-
tional testimony in the Heath trial was
put in today. 1t fell like thunderbolt
upon the defense and brought in the
name OF Reel B. Terry, then city sttor-
ney OF Fresno, who was seen and recog-
nized as he Was escaping from the
scene of the murder.
From time to time during this trial
the prosecution has put in evidence
showing that two men escaped in a
buggy from the place of murder. One
is now identified. The manner in which
the testimony was introduced was as
sensational as the testimony itself.
Four deputy eheriffs cdne into court
carrying a bed on which lay woman
pale as a corpse. She was in the lest
stages OF consumption, and could
scarcely speak above a whisper. Her
bed was placed in front of the Jurors. 1t
was Mrs. Cora Palmer, who lives six
miles south OF Fresno.
Last Friday she sent word to the at
torneys for the prosecution that che had
something she wanted to say befors dv-
ing, as she had only few more days to
live. The story she told on the STAND
was as follows:
II brought my husband to Fresno for
the 2:30 train on the morning of August
20, 1892. took him to the depot and
started home. While passing along N
street, two blocks east and one block
south of McWhirter's residence. met
two men in buggy driving furiously.
stTho~x oil SaA -
but by sudden turn they passed by
me. l recognized one of them as Reel
B. Terry, but did not recognize the
other. They turned the corner and
dashed north along Calaverae street.
''Just as passed them | cav a burn
ing object in the dry grass. and | saw
them throw it second before / met
them.
81 saw the fire was kindling in the dry
grass by the street and 1 sprang out of
my phaeton to stamp it out. l had
partly succeeded when my horse started
to move on. saw bunch OF rags burn
ing and caught them up in my hands,
and as / caught the lines to stop the
horse | dropped the rags in my phaeton
and put out the fire. When got home
l found mask and handkerchief partly
burned"
Here the witness produced them.
Heath nearly tainted as he saw the hand
kerchief and on it the name of K. S.
Heath. Some of the last letters were
partly obliterated by the fire. He trem.
bled violently and shook the heavy desk
against which he leaned. The mask was
a black one, half burned. Nothing has
been seen in the course of the trial to
compare with the excitement when
these exhibits were held before the jury.
At O'Clock this afternoon, when the
court reconvened after the noon recess,
such throng was in attendance that
the doors had to be barricaded. Mrs.
Palmer was croes-examined by W. w.
Foote. whose questions were very search
ing, attacking the testimony on every
side. She maintained her story and
gave further particulars on several points.
Several times rest was taken, and at
O'Clock the witness complained that ehe
was exhausted. But in few minutes
she proceeded, and in answer TO ques.
tions said that r. B. Terry when she
passed him had straw hat on, with a
black band. She was unable to describe
his companion further than that he was
not Chinaman. This same buggy has
already been traced by other witnesses
mile further north than the point where
the witness saw it. One witness had
seen it within a block of where Mrs.
Palmer met it.