The herald., 1896-11-10
BRUTAL BARIHE[MAN HELD
His Preliminary Examination Is
Concluded
TESTIMONY OF MISS LORD
Sent to Jail Without Bail to Await
His Trial
A Night Session of the Police Court-He
Sent Note to His Wife to Meet
Him-The Testimony

nC ISoIililoiS
A night session of the police court was
held last evening by Justice Morrison,
when the preliminary examination of
John F. Barthelman who on the night of
Nov. Sd shot his divorced wife Mabel,
inhicting wounds from which she died
a few hours later, was taken up and con-
cluded. The matter had been set for
o'clock in the afternoon, but could not be
proceeded with on account of two other
felony examinations, which took up the
time of the court. AT o'clock, seeing
no prospect of getting at the matter,
except by night session or putting it
over for several days, by request of de-
PENDANTS attorneys, who want the case
pushed to trial as speedily as possible, it
was agreed to take it up at $50 o'clock.
At that hour the court room was
crowded with interested spectators,
many of them friends of the dead girl,
who worked with her in the store, and
others attracted by morbid curiosity
to see the cold blooded brute who had
deliberately shot down an innocent and
unprotected woman. Barthelman was
brought up and took seat directly be-
hind his attorneys, placing his back to
the spectators and facing the witness
chair. He was nervous and i'll at ease,
part of the time gazing directly and in
tently at the witnesses, then dropping
back in his chair, closing his eyes and
shading them with his hand, peering
out from under his half closed lids at
the magistrate, attorneys and reporters.
At the critical points of the testimony
when the killing was being described in
detail, he nervously tugged at his mus
tache. frequently consulted his attor-
neys, and shifted about in his chair,
seemingly feeling the concentrated gaze
of the eyes of the audience directed at the
back of his head.
Deputy District Attorney James con-
Quoted the prosecution, assisted by Davis
q Rush. the well known criminal law
yers. Mr.. James opened the case by Of
fering to establish the corpus deficit by
the testimony of DR.. Walter Lindley,
who had performed the post mortem on
the body. AS DR.. Lindley was not pres
ent, it was stipulated by counsel that his
testimony given at the coroner's inquest
should be considered as the same he
would give were he present. This testi-
mony was read from the transcript and
the verdict of the coroner's jury finding
that Barthelman had killed his wife Of
fered in evidence. To this the defense
offered a vigorous objection, but We're
overruled.
Miss Angie Lord was the first and
most important Witness being the only
person who saw the shooting She works
IN Stewards store and resides in Ver-
non. Mrs. Barthelman was an intimate
friend of hers, and she often went home
with her and spent the night. On the
evening of Tuesday, the Sd, She and Mrs
Barthelman left the store together at 6
O'Clock, and went down Spring street as
far as Second. About o'clock in the af-
ternoon Mrs Barthelman received a
note, delivered by a district messenger
BOY, written and signed by her ex-hus-
band, which read:
Il would like to have talk with YOU:
can you meet me this evening right after
o. CLOCK! If you can, tell on back of this
sneet where l can see you. l do not
want to go up to the house."
On the back of the note Mrs. Barthel-
man had written in pencil two words.
Meet me-" but must have given an
oral answer to the messenger, as she
came to the light well in the store few
minutes later and dropped the note down
to Miss Lord, who thrust it into her
pocket ''N'
When Miss Lord and the deceased
went down Spring street half way be-
thelman. Miss Lord left the two walk
ing slowly along and went over to a
Main street grocery store. She was gone
put a few minutes, and when she got
PACK to the corner of Second and Sprinp
her companion was waiting for her
Barthelman stood to one side. back on
the sidewalk, in the shadow. Thew
boarded a car when it came along. but
Miss Lord said that she did not know
barthelman had taken it too, until he
angnted at the same time they did at
the corner of First and Kern streets.
r, All three walked down the hill to
Second street together and on up to
1he winding path which leads to- the
holden residence, where Mrs. Barthel
man lived with her parents. On the
way down Barthelman repeatedly asked
MS ex-Wffe for the custody of their If
Tie three-year-o old child. Dorothea which
she steadfastly refused. He told her
that ne could prove that she was an
unworthy person to have charge of the
papy; TO which Mrs. Bartheman re-
plied, daring him to produce the proof
and saying she would willingly face any
accuser he would bring against her.
Until he proved that she was unworthy
she should keep the child the custody of
which had been awarded to her by the
court when she was given her decree
of divorce.
path, up which it was only possible to
walk in single file. Barthelman went
ahead. Mrs. Barthelman next, and Miss
Lord last. On the way up Barthelman
again asked whether or not she would
give him the child. An emphatic no was
his answer. When half way up he stop
ped and faced his wife, Miss Lord stop-
ping at her side. Thrice he asked, Can
l have Dorothea?" each time receiving
the same answer. "No, sir" At the last
refusal he suddenly reached into his
pocket, pulled a revolver and fired two
shots The witness was too frightened
for moment to comprehend what was
passing. and ran a step or two away.
She looked back and heard Mrs. Bar
thelman scream and saw her body sink
ing to the ground. Then she found
voice herself and shrieked for help Bar
tneman fired two more shots. She fled
from the scene, meeting Mr. Holden and
a neighbor on her way to the house, to
whom she hurriedly said that Barthel-
man had shot Mabel.
She stayed at the Holden residence all
that night; was there when the bleeding
and unconscious form was borne in
by the agonized father and several
friends; saw the terrible wounds in the
head and breast, and knew when the
victim died.
The note written by Barthelman to his
wife was here produced and identified
by witness, who stated that she had
dropped 1t somewhere near the Holden
residence In her flight from the scene of
the shooting, where it had been found
the next morning.