The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-13
Commenced Yesterday in the
Township Court
FEW NEW FACTS ELECTED
The Strange Children Tell Again Their
Experience With the Cakes
Tho Expert Testimony a. to Polsons-Dr.
Schumacher Not Sure That strychnine
Caused Henderson's Death


room to the township court OF Justice
William Young was but natural in view
of the verdict that was rendered on Mon
day evening. The case OF the people OF
the state Of California versus Mrs. Eliza
beth Hara. the defendant charged with
murder was set for preliminary hearing
at 10 o'clock yesterday morning. A minor
civil suit, however, occupied the atten-
ton of the court throughout the morning.
resulting in the O'Hara case being post
poned until 2 oclock in the afternoon.
At that hour the defendant, an elderly
lady of kindly features, appeared in the
court room accompanied by several
friends. Within few minutes Judge
Young announced himself as ready for the
hearing thatmeans SO much to the woman
charged with the most henious offense
known to the laws of civilization.
Attorney Davis of Davis d Rush, the
attorneys for Mrs. o. Hara desired the ex-
clusion from the court room OF all Wit
nesses. The Assistant District Attorney,
W. L. Williams, expressed similar de-
sire. The witnesses in the case were all
sworn and then left the place where the
examination was being held to be called
one by one as wanted.
Little Eddie Strange was the first wit
ness placed upon the stand. In reply to
the questions asked by the assistant dis
trict attorney. Eddie told of his cutting
grass with Johnnie Henderson in tue
neighborhood of the O'Hara house and of
being given the poisoned cakes by his
cakes and of the quickly supe,vening
Illness all practically as given by him be
fore the coroner's jury and as already
published in the columns of this paper.
Mr.. Davis then piled the boy with ques-
tons and seemed to lay stress upon the
fact that at the time the sickle was bor-
rowed from the defendant, that the latter
handed it to him without the offer of
cakes or other tempting tid-bits. Further
testimony developed the assertion that
the LADY finger" upon being broken up
by the witness had in it several "pieccs
of white stuff This was looked for and
discovered after noticing the funny
of this white stuff according to the
boys testimony was about teaspoonful.
This the boy first stated, was bitter to
the tongue. Afterwards he said that it
tasted salty. In spite of the apparent CON
tradiction he insisted that he told Mrs.
O'Hara that the cake was bitter.
He told of his eating a cracker, hand
full of sugar, some pickles and half an
apple in the effort to remove the funny
taste" from his mouth and which was
caused by the eating OF the cake. He
then told of giving Johnnie Henderson
half an apple and that the sister, Estelle,
ate nothing of the cracker sugar, pickles
and apple which had been procured from
Eddie's and Estelle's home.
OF his own knowledge Eddie did not
know that his sister had eaten any of the
cookies that Mrs. O'Hara had given her
and which she in turn had given the
boys. Eddie Strange further testified that
the defendant had always been kind to
him and had frequently given him little
delicacies. This kindly. feeling had been
exhibited to other children also and at
various times. in which sugar, fruit and
rag babies had been distributed. Eddie
is bright and talks rapidly, his short,
quick answers frequently coming before
the last words of the question are uttered.
The defense had been trying to draw
from the boy something that would show
that the i'll effects in the one and the fatal
termination of the other OF the two boys
were caused by the eating of something
different from the cakes coming from the
defendant, though with no apparent sue
cess.
DR.. E. T. Schumacher, the physician
called in to attend Johnnie Henderson,
was the next witness called. He testified
as to the physical condition of the more
unfortunate boy, and expressed his belief
that he had died from strychnine poison
ing. Mr.. Davis, the attorney for the de-
Tense, Judging from his many questions,
was primed with very wide knowledge
on the science of toxicology, and soon
with neurotics irritants, strychnine,
nux vomica and brucene, had the witness
hesitating in his replies.
That little Johnnie Henderson had died
from poison was unqestioned in the mind
OF Dr. Schumacher but whether death was
brought about by strychnine or by bru-
Gene, or possibly by some other similar
poison he was not so sure of, after the
battery of scientific questions fired by
the attorney.
Little Estelle was next called to the
witness chair, but her youth and con-
sequent shyness in the presefiee of SO
many prevened her from giving any testi-
mony. AS the little girl became seated,
j. r. Rush, one of the attorneys for the
defense drew up his seat at the lawyers
table. As he did SO the complaining
Witness F. W. Strange, who occupied
chair next to him, suggested to Mr. Rush
that some of these lawyers deserve lit
tie strychnine. This brought from the
attorney to whom this was said vigorous
protest to his honor, who rebuked the
man.
Assistant District Attorney Williams
next called to the witness stand Mrs.
Elizabeth Hara, but the defense object
and the court unfolding the objection,
the defendant was excused and again took
her seat beside her counsel.
Alta Henderson. father of the deceased
boy, Johnnie, was called to the stand.
He testified to his coming home upon the
fatal day, only to find his boy dead
Under questions from Attorney Davis,
the witness stated that he had no i'll will
towards the defendant, neither did he
know of any difficulty that had existed
between the defendant and his dead son.
Mrs. Annie Leavis, an aunt of the dead
boy, testified to his condition as he was
taken to the buggy on the way home,
The spasmodic jerkings of the arms, the
rigidity of the lower limbs, the rolling of
the eyes and the frothing at the mouth
were all gone over with in detail and also
in pantomime. The prosecuting attorney
addressed to the witness an INQUIRY lead
ing up to the question of enmity between
the witness herself and the defendant,
and between the friends of the witness
and the defendant.
The question was promptly objected to
by Mr.. Davis and sustained by the court.
Assistant District Attorney Williams made
a defense of his position insisting unon
the necessity of knowing the motives in
order to promptly understand the action
by which two children had been poisoned.
and one of them fatally.
The question was in way finally COM
promised and Mr.. Williams proceeded with
the questioning. This developed answers
that told of personal trouble between Mrs.
Leavis and Mrs. O'Hara dating back three
years. At the time of the quarrel the Wit
ness testified that the defendant had called
her "a Protestant --.'