The record-union., 1896-01-31
OTHER TESTIMONY

the distance at which the pistol was
held in order to produce the powder
marks, owing to experiments the doctor
had made
After an argument by counsel for the
defense against the admissibility of the
testimony, Judge Hinkson decided tc
exclude the photographs, but said thai
the powder-marks would be proper
matter for expert testimony.
Coroner Clark testified that no blood
was found on Christ when taken to the
City Jail ard examined.
Experiments were then made by the
attorneys to test the memory of Mrs
Walther, mother of the deceased, as tc
the time that elapsed after her daugh-
ter and husband left the table in the
kitchen until the shot was fired. Each
lawyer consulted his watch, the word
was given, and when Mrs WaltheI
said Now" they compared notes. Mr.
Ryan made it seven seconds and Mr.
Johnson three They tried again, but
with no better result, and the timing
experiment was dropped.
MRS. WALTHER AFFECTED.
District Attorney Ryan then caused
the blood-stained carpet of the room in
which Mrs. Christ WIS shot to be
brought into the courtroom, also the
lounge in order to show the relative po-
sitions OF the blood stains, the dead
body and the lounge.
When the carpet was unfolded and
the aged Mrs Walther's eyes fell upon
the stains caused by the lifeblood OF
her daughter she burst into tears and
would have swooned but for the sup
port of her son, who caught her and
assisted her from the room.
THE DEFENSE.
This closed the case for the prosecu-
ton, and Mr. Johnson then made his
opening address to the jury. In elo-
quent manner he recited the we'll
known circumstances that eliminated
in the tragedy in the Christ household
He referred to letters from Mrs. Christ
to Hart, which were shown to Christ
by Mrs. Hart, and promised to show to
the jury that when the dishonored hus-
band asked his wife if these things
were true she scoffed at, ridiculed and
defied him. Then it was, he said, that
the distracted husbands reason for
sock him for the time and what fol-
lowed was a blank to him. The address
was very effectively delivered.
The testimony first introduced by the
defense was to prove the good charac-
ter and standing Of the defendant, and
those who testified on these points were
Charles T. Jones, A c. Herrick, R. M.
Stevenson, DR.. c. T. Milliken, c. ].
Noack, George G. Locke, W. A. Ste
phenson, John NJ. AIilliken, A. L. Campo,
w E. Platt, E. L. Townsend NJ. f.
Hornlein, E. F. Duden, T. M. Eby,
George Ogg, E. c. Hopkins and David
Barnes.
The noon recess then interviewed
and in the afternoon Frederick Purdy
and James Scott added their testimony
to that of the others to the effect that
Christ was an industrious man of good
character. frugal habits, ETC., and that
he provided well for his wife.
THOSE LETTERS.
Mrs. T. NJ Eby, a neighbor of the
Christs and also a friend of Mrs. Hart,
testified that the latter had shown her
some of the letters from Mrs Christ
which she had found in her husband S
pockets, and told her she had shown
them to Christ. Others she said she
had not shown him On the day after
the shooting Mrs. Hart told the witness
she had destroyed some of the letters.
In one of Mrs. Christ's letters she
wrote that she had never known until
she met him (HarD what it really was
to be with a man, and since she had
known him her own husband Christi
was repugnant to her.
Mrs. Hart told the witness she had
made Christ promise, after he had read
the letter, that he would Lot kill any
one.
CONCLUDING TESTIMONY.
Then it was that Mr.. Johnson whis-
pered to Christ. and the latter arose and
walked to the witness-stand All eyes
in the courtroom were bent upon him,
and while he was testifying even the
jurors leaned forward to catch every
word he uttered and to study his de-
meanor.
AS above stated, the defendants s
manner was subdued and quiet, though
it did not appear that he was indiffer-
ent to the Importance or character of
the situation He spoke in a low voice,
slowly and deliberately, and only the
sharpest ears could catch his answers
a few feet away.
IN REBUTTAL
District Attorney Ryan then intro
duced some testimony in rebuttal, in
Guiding a note written by Christ to w.
Walther, which read as follows:
OCTOBER 20, 1895.
CIV. Walther-Dear Brother: I wish
to see you. as soon as it is practical. on
business. In this fail not, as it is of i'm
portance. Yours respectfully,
''W. CHRIST"
The object of this was to contradict
Christ. as he had sworn that he did not
know what had been going on for a
week or ten days after the homicide.
The letter was offered in evidence of his
being of sound mind.
Police Sergeant J. P. McManus testi-
fed that he saw Christ every day for
several days, but did not know of any
letters having been sent out by him
from the jail.
officer Fisher testified that he ar
rested Christ. The latter did send a
letter to Mr.. Rietzke, his employer. and
". Walther. He seemed to act as in
his usual manner, and appeared to the
witness to be unnaturally cool.
W. Walther testified to having re-
ceived a letter from Christ, and went to
the jail to see him. Christ wanted him
to go out to the house and look for his
watch and ring. lie asked how the
funeral went off. and remarked that he
would make it all right when he got out.
The case was then closed, and an ad-
iournment was taken until this morn
ING. when the arguments will begin.
Truckee's Ice Carnival.