Birmingham age-herald., 1894-10-09
Charged With Poisoning Her Hus-
 band at Bessemer.
EXPERT TESTIMONY ONLY
Was Introduced Yesterday-Im- portant Points Decided by
 Judge Wilkerson.

with the murder of her husband, Gsorge Belts, in Bessemer last April, was begun in the criminal court yesterday afternoon.
 When court convened quite number of curiosity seekers were present, but the greater mum Der left by the time the jury had been completed.
 Mrs. Betts was dressed in mourning, and was accompanied by her mother, Mrs. Lockhart, and her brother-in- law, Dr. Edins, of Illinois. Mrs. Betts' little child, daughter of about years, was with its mother until the trial began. when its grandmother took it.
 The selection of the jury began about 2:30 and had been completed at 3:45.
 The following twelve men were selected to serve on the jury: A. B. Thomas. c. M. Dean. H. B. Jolly, J. M. Wood, Lewis Parsons, J. E. Alley, Johnson Vines, J. Galloway, Jesse M. Epperson, A. B. Fain, B. M. Sharritt, William R. Goodwin.
 The jury was selected in this manner: l.. D. Meeks was excused by the state; A. B. Thomas and 0. M. Dean were accepted.
 w. J. Prowell was a member of the grand jury which framed the indictment and the court excused him for cause.
 Ii. B. Jolly was accepted and J. H. Crumble excused by the state.
 J. M. Wood was accepted and the de- fense excused A. B. Waldrop. James Macon wouldn't convict on cir cumstantial evidence and was excused for cause.
 c. c. Howton was excused by the state and c. c. Smithson by the defense.
 A. l.. Glasscock and J. A. Sharp were excused by the defense.
 Herman Fletcher had a fixed opinion as to the guilt or innocence o. the defendant and the court excused him.
 George Rugetstein was excused by the defense and z. T. Carwile by the state.
 LS~is Parsons, J. B. Alley and Johnson Vines were accepted.
 the guilt or innocence of the defendant and was excused.
 J. Galloway wes accepted.
 T. B. Afford was opposed to hanging on circumstantial evidence, and the court ex- cused him.
 John w. Herring had a fixed opinion as to the k uilt or innocence of the defendant, and was excused.
 Jesse M. Epperson was accepted and w. J. Teasley excused by the defense.
 A. $. Fair was accepted, but the defense rejected Robert Forsythe.
 $. M. Sharritt was accepted, but l.. B. Hill opposed conviction on cilcumstantial evidence. He was excused. So was A. s. Early for the same reason.
 G. W. Milton was excused by the de- iense.
 William R. Goodwin was acceptable to both sides and he took his seat in the box, thus completing the jury.
 The solicitor arose and read the indict- ment, which alleges that Mrs. Zst ie Betts killed her husband by poisoning him.
 Air. Green for the defense pleaded not guilty, after which the witnesses were called and sworn.
 The state is represented by Solicitor James H. Little and Mir. l.. Y. Lipsco nb, and the defense by Messrs. Dan Green and Joseph Il. Montgomery.
 IT, O. WAJKER was the first witness called. HeIsaid he knew George Betts, who died last April. It was about o'clock in the evening when he died. When witness saw Betts he was iying on the porch. in couvusions, and later vomited two or three times. He lived Dnly short time, but before dying said he believed he had been poisoned.
 The statement about Betts' opinion that he had been poisoned was ruled out on mo- tion of the defense.
 Witness said deceased complained of pains in the stomach, and his eyes and arms were drawn up. Mrs. Betts was pres- snt and crying. She haIlowed to Mrs. Me- Gee to come to her house.
 DIR. ROPER.
 Dr. Roper was living in Bessemer in April and was practicing physician. He attended Betts. He had had some practice forty minutes before he died. He thought 1t was about 'olock when he went to the house, but wasn't sure. He found Belts lying on the porch suffering with great pain and in convulsions. The convulsions were followed by emissions. Death, he said, was caused by asphyxia-convnlsions of the muscles shut of breathing. This was the result of poison, the symptoms of which witness believed resembled those produced by strychnine more than arsenic. Strychnine, he said, acts quicker than arsenic aud produceo peculiar convulsions. Belts vomiled soon after Dr. Roper got there. MT. Walker, Mrs. Betts, Mrs. Mo- Gee and MT. Sievens were present. Mir. Owens went with Dr. Roper. Witness thought 1t was about 7:45 D. in. when Betts died, though it might have been later. He injecied morphine hyperdemicaIly three times at Intervals of about fifteen minutes, but 1t had no effect, an indication that Belts had bean poisoned with stry Chnine or arsenic.
 On cross examination Dr. Roper said he gave betts hot water to make him vomit.
 W. L. RUSH.
 MT. Rush is a druggist and filled two prescriptions for Betts in the afternoon be- fore he died. Neither prescription had any poison in it..
 W. H. LEWIS was druggist, and about ten days before betts' death sold Mrs. Betts some nor Phlne pills. month or two prior to that he sold her either some Rough on Rats or some rat poison, he didn't remember which.
 DIR. 8. E. CARSON.
 pr. carson is a practicing physician, and Betts' death saw the body. He took the 'tomach out and gave it to Cnrnner Dusen-