The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-06
TSketehed IN q "CdU" artist.

he gained admission to the belfry. Then
he said:
81 went upstairs to the top of the landing
and stood on the top step there [pointingl.
When turned around l saw the body lying
over there in the corner
"You saw WHAT" asked Judge Murphy.
81 sew the body lying on the top OF the land
ing.''
Witness pointed out in the model where
the body lay.
"In which position was the head?" asked Mr..
Barnes.
ain this corner-the east side"
"What condition was the bodyT'
decomposition had set in.
''Was the body lying on the foor?" asked
Judge Murphy.
eyes sir"
How were the feet?"
"They were together and pointed toward
Bartlett street."
"The head lay to the east and the feet to the
west?" said the District Attorney.
ayes, sir"
GLOW were the arms?"
"They were crossed over the breast"
Glow was the head laid?'
"a little to one side, the face up: The head
was held in position by two blocks"
"Would you recognize those blocks If you
saw them again"
81 would"
81 hama you two blocks. Can you identify
them?"
'1eS. 1neSe are the DlOCkS. IQey nave my
initials on them"
Dickinson then began his cross-examin-
alton.
'wnen did you mark these blocks?" he said.
"About three weeks ago.
"And you found them on April 14T
eyes. sir"
"Were they the only two blocks on the upper
floor of the belfry?"
''There were Others"
similar to these?"
"NO, not exactly"
"Dld you examine them then7"
eyes, sir.
"were you at the church frequently during
the following days?'
'No, not often"
"Did great many people visit the church
on that Sunday?"
81 don't know"
Ibid not great many go into the belfry?"
There were few"
Chow many?"
az couldn't tell"
Several hundredW
"No. 1 saw fourteen or fifteen there once,
but they came down and l closed the door
"Do you know how long the door remained
closed?"
"No, SIR"
''Three weeks ago, when you marked the
blocks, where were they?"
'They lay in the same place."
''Did you recognize them?'
DYES
"Why?"
shorter than the other and one was wedge
shaped and had nail in it."
did you look at the other blocks?"
Eyes"
Are you aware that many people visited the
belfry?"
"How many times have you been to the
belfry since then?"
'About three times.
Gibson then told how he had left the
blocks in the belfry because he thought it
the duty of the Coroner to take them. He
had made written report to the Chief
about the finding of the body, describing
its position, etc, and he thought he men.
toned the blocks IN question. He had
found them in the belfry afterward, and
had marked them and taken them to the
Chief. He said in answer to more ques-
tons that there was a little dust IN the
belfry, but he did not know if there was
enough TO retain footprints. He had not
seen any footprints.
At this point Judge Murphy interposed
with the remark that he thought the de-
tense had gone deep enough with the mat
ter. Dickinson then objected to the intro
duction OF the blocks as evidence, as they
had not been properly identified, but the
court overruled the objection and admitted
them.
The District Attorney then took up the
leulrect examination:
What did you do when you saw the body in
the belfry? he asked.
:, | told the Chief Of Police and notified Mr..
Noble.
Mr.. c. G. Noble?
Yes, sir.
Did Mr.. Noble see the body in your presence?
Yes, SIR
Did he identify it?
Dickinson was on his feet in a moment
with an objection, as the witness, he said,
was not competent to testify to the iden-
titicatlon. The objection was sustained,
and Mr.. Barnes asked:
DID you know whose body was lying in
the belfry!"
Deuprey put in an objection this time,
on the ground that the witness was being
led INTO hearsay testimony. Gibson was
allowed to say that he suspected the iden..
tity OF the body. He then went on to tell
how he was present on the second plat
TORN form when the body was taken down past
belfry-door.
IBID anything besides the body attract your