The record-union., 1895-10-25
BARBER CHRIST AGAIN UNDER FIRE.
His Examination for Wife Murder Has
Been Commenced.
Witnesses Tell What Occurred on the
Night of the ShootIng-The
Defendants Nerve.

on the night of the 18th Of the present
month. was commenced before JUSTICE
Davis in the Police Court yesterday
afternoon. A large crowd had asseiii,
h1ad in the courtroom in anticipation OF
sensational developments, but they were
disappointed.
Tba defendant was apparently COOL
and collected, as he has been ever since
the death of his wife, when ne cIalins
was due to the accidental discharge OIL
his revolver He had a copy OF the les-
timony taken at the Coroner's inquest
and he followed it closely as the VII
nesses were testifying.
W. C. Hart and wife, who nave CUT
quite a figure in the case, were present
during the proceedings.
Christ was defended by Hiram w.
Johnson, and City Attorney Brown anu
Assistant District Attorney j. Z. Jones
conducted the prosecution.
DR.. /. II. Haight, the first witness
for the prosecution, TESTIFIED thal Oh
the night of the shooting CHRIST caIne
to his house and asked him 10 go oNeI
fo the defendants to see the latter ,
H-ifa Christ said he thought he had &C
cidentally shot his wife. Witness ala
SO and found Mrs. Christ dead lie TOOK
charge of the revolver and turned II
over to Thomas Ely. Christ was per
fectly cool. There was poor Oh pIoOo
near the couch on which 1t IS pfeSulI4eu
Mrs. Christ was sitting Wheh sIe "o9
shot. The blood had the appearance OF
having been spread, as though some
thing had been drawn through It, CHRIST
took The riStOl from the desk ana Illus
trated to the doctor how the shoouns
occurred. according to his version OF the
affair. When the doctor was ABOUT 10
leave his residence to go TO ChflSt ;
house he told the detendanL tildl ne
would get some ammonia. CHRIST re
plied that he did not think it would 60
any good as he thought his wife was
dead. Christ said the revolver fell from
the desk and was discharged either
by striking a round Of chair OF py
falling on the floor ~
He said his wife assumed sitting Pc
sition after she was shot, and that ne
then laid her on the floor and straight
tened her limbs Christ appeared 10 be
in a dazed condition and did not know
what he was doing, when on one occa-
sion he stepped over his wife's body
Christ said he was about to lay the re-
volver on the corner OF the desk Wheh
1t fell to the floor. He said II was
custom with him to lay the revolver on
the desk every night
DIR. Haight said Christ was unusually
cool and deliberate. The doctor Sald
he had never seen anything like IT in
his life.
The furniture and carpet which were
in the room at the time Of the shooting
were taken down. to the police station
Yesterday and rearranged in the jury
room. adjoining the courtroom. The
contents of the room consisted OF three
chairs, q table, a sofa, carpet ana
rug and the desk from which Christ
said the revolver had fallen. The rug
was Immediately in front of the sofa.
There was a spot Of blood on it and on
the carpet there was much larger
The doctor described in detail the
condition Of the room in which Mrs.
Christ's body lay when he first en-
tered He took charge of the revolver
because he thought Christ might Kill
himself.
DR.. G. A. White, County Physician,
testified to having performed the au-
topsy upon Mrs. Christ's body, and de-
scribed the nature of the wound IN Mrs
Christ's head BY means of diagram
DR.. White showed where the powder
from the revolver burned into the face
A diagram of a woman's hands was also
shown the doctor. The head and arms
were both represented as having been
Dowder-burned, and the doctor said
fhev correctly showed the condition OF
Mrs. Christ's head and hands. In order
TO cause the powder-burns the revolver
would have to be held at distance
rather less than twelve or fourteen
inches from the head. The bullet nred
from a revolver discharged by falllnS
on, the floor the doctor said, would not
cause q wound such as was made by
tha bullet which caused Mrs. Christ :
death. It also would not have the range
that the bullet took in Mrs. Christ $
head The bullet took almost direct
line backward and downward. The
honey distractions to the bullet Were
driven before it If the distance had
been greater the bullet would not have
been broken to pieces Because the
powder marks were so numerous and
close together appearances Indicated
that the weapon was held close 10 the
head.
were not possible that the weapon in Or
del to have caused the powder marks
could not have been held two feet
away.
DR.. White replied that he did not be-
lieve il.
Christ's attorney said that the reply
was not in response to his question
The witness said he had made eX-
periments on previous occasions on
which he based his opinion that the
weapon bod been held close to Mrs.
Christ's head. For all practical pur-
poses the experiments justified him in
concluding that the weapon was dis
charged at close range.
Mr.. Johnson became indignant at
this reply. and intimated that for all
practical purposes" for the purpose Of
hanging Christ the doctor would adhere
to his statement concerning the expert
ments he had made. Il don't want this
man guessed to the galloWs" said
Johnson, and / insist upon categori-
cal answer.
Justice Davis held that Or. w hlte
reply was sufficient
Thomas NJ. Eby, Revenue Clerk in the
State Controllers office, testified that
Christ came over to his (Eby's) uoor
and said that he thought he had killed
his wife. Witness asked Christ If he
had secured a physician, and he replied
that he had not. Mr.. Eby then advised
Christ to go for a physician. CHRIST
walked to witness house leisurely and
left in the same manner. He did not
state how he killed his wife. DR..
Haight gave witness ChriStS revolver.
Christ explained to the Coroner that
his wife was following him from one OK
the rooms into the one in when the
shooting occurred. and that when they
got into the latter room he took the re-
vClYer out of his pocket and was about
TO place it on the desk when it fell off
and was discharged either by striking
the round Of a chair or the floor.
Coroner George II. Clark testified 10
having gone to the scene OF the shoot
Ing and making an investigation OF the
affair. Christ told him at the house
that he was about to place the revolver
on the desk when it fell, and striking
something was discharged. At con
Versation held in Chief Drew's office
shortly after his arrest Christ said that