The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-29
Says the Defendant Acted Like a
Crazy Person Before the
Killing.
WANTED HIS WIFE TO DIE.
Had Offered the Witness Pistol With
Which to Shoot Mrs.
Christ.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, Jan. g.. The
jury which has been chosen to try William
Christ for the alleged murder OF his wife
was completed this morning, George Boyd
A. L. Warren, o. &. Smith, G. D. Went
worth, c. B. Strong, f. B. Adams, William
Vought, E. Heinrich, c. Kellogg, J. C.
Scroggs and Max Ginsberg being the
chosen ones. The selection of the last
afternoon session was consumed by the
District Attorney, who made the opening
statement for the prosecution.
The Prosecuting Attorney outlined the
points the State would attempt to prove
and stated that facts had been learned
proving that the statement of Christ was
farcical in the extreme. The weapon that
ended Mrs. Christ's life must have been
discharged within twelve or fourteen
inches of her head, as her face was badly
powder burned; whereas, if Christ's story
was to be believed, when the weapon was
discharged it was at distance of at least
ten feet.
The bullet then would have taken an
upward course, while the report of the
autopsy proved that the missile ranged
downward. He stated that all the con-
tents of the room would be offered in evil
dence; that photographs of the face and
hand of the dead woman, showing the
powder marks, would be presented, and it
would be shown that defendant had made
very contradictory statements as to how
the homicide occurred.
At the close of the District Attorneys
address Mrs. Frances E. Hart was called
- 10 eBo !
William Hart, the man of whom Christ
was jealous, and which jealousy, it is
believed led to the killing. Mrs. Hart
testified that she found some gushing
poetry in her husbands pocket. 1t was in
Mrs. Christ's handwriting and signed with
her first name, and she took it to Christ
and showed it to him.
That afternoon Christ called on her and
said that he had been thinking the matter
over and if she thought her husband had
any improper relations with his wife she
could take his revolver and go and kill
Mrs. Christ. He then began to ramble,
talking like a crazy man He said that he
had saved and denied himself so that his
wife could have everything she wanted,
and that he had treated Hart like brother
and now both had deceived him. His ex-
preston was wild and the witness was
afraid of him.
The next witness, George Ogg, told of
how, on the day of the killing, Christ had
come to him and told him of the poetry
that Mrs. Hart had shown him as having
been found in the pocket of her husband s
coat, and which had been written by his
wife. Ogg read the poetry and tried to
make matters all right by telling OF a
drama which he had once seen, where a
man wrongfulIy accused his wife of IN
faithfulness.
Thomas Ely, clerk in the Controller
Office and neighbor of Christ's, told of
having heard the deadly shot fired and OF
having met the prisoner, who told him
that he had accidentally killed his wife.
| Part of the furniture of the room was
brought in and arranged and the witness
stepping down to it, retold the story OF the
shooting which had been told to him by
Christ. Eby will go on the stand fo1
| cross-examination tomorrow morning.