The San Francisco call., 1896-07-04

E. ]. Baldwin, much to his astonish-
ment, was now called to the stand. He
was asked If he had ever given Emma A.
Ashley provocatlon In any way for the at
tack she had made upon him. Mr.. Bald
win, drumming with his fingers upon the
arms of the witness-chair, declared that
he had not; that he did not know her;
that he knew of no reason why she should
have assaulted him.
Lillian A. Ashley took the stand. What
ever she may have been she was here a
very subdued, weary, anxious and sad
hearted young woman. Baldwin, in the
front row of the jury chairs, sat within a
few feet of her. frequently during her
recital she looked toward him. Without
apparently attempting to escape her direct
glance he looked steadfastly, but rather
indlfferently than otherwise, away from
her.
This, In answer to her attorneys ques-
tions, was Lillian Ashley's story: my
sister lives with me at Sl9 Larkin street.
She has been the constant attendent of
my little fatherless child since she came
to me over two years ago. Especially has
she been devoted to the child during her
two weeks of illness.
1.-The child is now seriously sick with
fever. For two nights preceding this affair
my sister did not, am sure, have more
than two hours sleep. We were both up
at nights with her. Ny sister has taken
very little nourishment; almost none.
We lived meagerly at all times, as we have
no means. Our bill of fare consists chiefly
OF bread and butter and tea, of which, as l
say, my sister during the past few days
has scarcely partaken at all.
'As look back at it now / can see how
really ill she was, for she has acted very
strangely. / thought at the time that it
was because of her distress over the child's
illness. She has cried great deal, has
quoted Scripture and spent much time in
prayer. Before we left for the courtroom
ON Thursday m orning she knelt on the
floor and offered long prayer.
''Then she went to the baby in her bed,
kissed her passiona.ely, saying. 'Good-by,
little darling, do hope l may see you
again. She had also knelt in prayer
upon rising in the morning. Yes, my sis
ter has always Deen OF very religious
turn and is given to quoting Scripture,
but this was different Before her reli-
gious expressions had time and place
in keeping-chie fly of Sunday.
"Her conduct was so peculiar that 1t
worr lie d me, and said to her, Sister, you
are i'll and you should stay here. / am
sure ou are ILL., But ahe would not do
so. She said, / want to be with you'
I'VE went to the courtroom together
and she took seat outside the railing.
went on the witness-stand and / did not
notice her again until Mr.. Baldwin was
struggling with her. am sure my sister
was madly insane when she fired that
shot. When l went to her in the matron's 8
room in the City Prison. she came to me,
placed her hands upon my shoulders and
said, God is love, God is supreme love-
Miss Ashley was subjected to a long
cross-examination. The Bible that has
figured in the case was shown her. On
the Ayleaf a half-tone picture is pasted
partly covering the name A. l.. Ashley.
ID ~
her own when IL was purchased in 1891,
and that she had written the name on the
hyleaf, but that the book now belonged to
her sister through right of possession, she
having used it so much.
She, Emma, had pasted the picture there
1t was the picture OF her pastor back in
the Massachusetts, village home. The wit
ness explained that a. though her name
was l.. A. Ashley, se sometimes
wrote it "a. L." Sic declared that
although she shared small
room with her sister and that they
slept in the same bed she had never seen
the revolver her sister carried, nor did she
know that she had brought her Bible to
court in the reticue until she saw her read
it there When they left their room that
morning Emma had turned back in the
hallway Tor something she said she had
forgotten.
Prosecuting Attorney Dare then went
into the subject of the fare at the Ashley
table, and when the witness repeated the
sta ement that her sister did not have
sufficient nourishment he asked the court
to take judicial notice of the defendants
physical condition, and there rested.
I'VE ask the same of the COURT said
Mr.. Van Wyck. 1--WE will ask the defend
ant to rise"
The woman stood up and swung herself
slowly around that the court might IN