The San Francisco call., 1896-11-12
MRS. SUSIE MART
TO Be ACQUITTED
That Was the General I'm
preston in the Court
room Yesterday.
She Is a Sad Little Woman
Who Commands the Pity
of All.
INSANITY is THE DEFENSE.
Testimony to Show That the Pris.
oner Was Mentally Unbalanced.
Martins Vile Words.

: Mrs. Susie B. Martin, who shot and
killed her husband, John F. Martin, on
the morning of the 30th of last March In
front of the office of the Chief of Police, in
the new City Hall, is on trial for murder
in Judge Wallace's department OF the
Superior Court.
Mrs. Martin appeared in court yester-
day, accompanied by half dozen lady
friends. She was dressed in black and
wore an expression of extreme detection.
She IS 53 years of age and looks much
.older.
Eta McDermott was the first witness
examined yesterday morning. She saw a
man and woman walking through the
corridor near the Office of the Chief of
Police, but was not able to positively iuen-
tify the defendant. A few moments later
she heard the pistol-shots and saw the
officers arrest the woman.
Police Officer d. M Egan testified TO
hearing the first shot fired by Mrs. Mar
tin. He at once started toward her and
saw her fire two additional shots. She
was arrested at once and her pistol was
taken from her. Officer Egan identified
big bulldog pistol as the instrument of
death.
Attorney Fred Frey testified that he saw
the shooting OF Jack Martin by Mrs Mar
TIN. He was walking TO the Police Court
when he heard a conversation between
., MT. and Mrs. Martin. He heard her say,
Jack, L m hungry; I'm starving" Mar
TINS reply was, "Go TO -, you -
e He turned as if to leave her and she shot
him. He screamed and fell. Then she
fired two more shots. He was living OIL
his side when the two last shots were fired.
In reply to the ss-questioning of At
torney Carroll Cook, representing the de-
tense, Mr.. Frey said he did rot hear Mar
= tin tell his wife to go and work for living,
with the addition of vulgar phrase.
Officer Charles Crockett said he took
Mrs. Martins pistol from her and con-
Quoted her to the prison in the basement
of the City Hail.
On the way to the prison she cried out,
S'Dld l shoot him ?' When told that she
had accomplished her object, she said,
He drove me to it. had nothing in the
house to eat. He had not been home for
three nights.n
:. In reply to ATTORNEY Cook the witness
said that when Mrs. Martin was doing the
. shooting she was very pale, and after her
arrest appeared hysterical. After being
taken to the prison she kept taking bout
how much she loved Martin.
DIR. fitzgibbons of the Receiving Hos
pltal testlhed in regard to the wounds and
death of Martin, and the prosecution, hay
ing occupied forty-tkree minutes, closed
duclng later the testimony of DR.. Barrett,
. who performed the autopsy.
Attorney Henry l. Kowaisky made the
opening statement for the defense. He
said that they expected to provo by the
history OF the defendant and her family
that she is predisposed to unsoundness of
mind, and that at the time of the shoot
ing she was not responsible, but was in
fact temporarily insane: that her mother
ds by her friends and acquaintance con-
sidered not to be in her right mind; that
two OF her male relatives have been con-
fined In insane asylums. Giving the his
tory OF the defendant, Mr.. Kowalsky said
that she was married at 16 ard her first
husband died, after which she married an
'actor named Hill, from whom she OBJ
tanned u divorce. Coming to San Fran
cisco she met and married John F. Mar
tin, who treated her with great cruelty.
He would stay away from home at week
at time, and for months refused TO con- |
tribute cent for the support OF the fam !
lly. Tradesmen were ringing the door |
Tell constantly and demanding their |
money, but there was not a cent in the |
house and she was driven frantic. All |
this time Martin was earning from 800 to |
$3.50 month, and was spending his |
money with other women, his habits !
being so notorious that they wer. the talk !
OF the neighborhood, and were known 20 |
his vile as well as 10 others; that when |
support he told her TO go and earn what |
she needed by leading an immoral life. |
She cried ou; "John, YOU don't mean !
that" and he replied, Yes, do; better |
women than you have done that"
Mr.. Kowalsky aid that in addition to
earning good salary Martin had received
$500 on account OF corrupt bargain, but
:. that even then he would not give mis- wife
a cent for her support. He would ask for
an acquttal on the ground of insanity
>. Attorney Benjamin Napthaly was the
first witness for the defense. He said
''I was in the corridor of the new City
Hall on the morning Of the ooting and
saw woman walking up and down in a
nervous way. John Martin came in and
said, Hello Jack, for l had known him
fer years.
':The lady approached Martin and be-
gan to talk. She appeared very much ex-
cited. Suddenly she began to shoot and
jun ped into a doorway 10 get out of
range. The next thing l saw Martin was
lying on the floor"
He corroborated what Mr.. KowaIsky
had said in his opening statement of the
conversation which had preceded the
shooting.
Mrs. Fannie A. Foster, wife of Ned
Foster, and sister of the prisoner, testified
that she had always considered her sister,
Mrs. Martin, exceedingly hysterica and
somewhat disturbed in her mental condi-
. tion. Her mother, Mrs. Lydia Virgil. she
said is of a moody disposition, is affli licted
with insomnia, nervous prostration and
recently has suffered from a stroke of
paralysis that affects the right side of her
face. Mrs. Foster said the granduncle of
herself and the prisoner. named Benjamin
P. Stitt, died in an insane asylum, and her
uncle, Caleb Ratts, was confined in an
insane asylum in Kentucky and also at
Stockton, California.
Mrs. Susan Musante, foster sister of
Martin, the man who was killed, testified
to the excited and hysterical condition OF
Mrs. Martin on the day before she shot
her husband.
Captain J. J. Callunden of Morse's
patrol said he often saw Martin and Mrs.
Martin in the year before the killing, as
| they lived only across the street f-om his
office. He frequently saw Martin going
home under the influence OF liquor. It
vas his duty to collec the rent from the
y Martins. The rent was not paid promptly
snd Mrs. Martin called to tell him that
her husband would not give her any
money. She seemed to be much dis
fnFhA6 rvo -yarx s<oI