The San Francisco call., 1896-11-20
ARGUMENTS IN
THE MOORE CASE
District Attorney Bells
Eloquent Plea for
Justice.
Closely Reviews the Chain OF
Evidence Against the
Prisoner.
Attorney John 7. York Follows fol
the Defense-Prosecution to
C,ose To-Day.

NAPA, CAL, Nov. 19.-Court reconvened
this morning and the trial of William
Moore was continued. District Attorney
Bell made an eloquent plea to the jury for
the prosecution, speaking substantially as
follows:
If it please the court and gentlemen of the
jury, we should congratulate ourselves upon
nearing the close of this case, and for case of
this magnitude we should not complain of the
time that has been consumedln it. This is the
most important trial that has ever been held
in the county of Napa. II is an unusual thing
Tor twelve men to be drawn from the body of
the county for the purpose of passing upon
the issue of murder. 1t is true we have had
such cases here before; but the prominence OF
the victim in this case and her husband the
deep atrociousness of the crime. the utter wan
tonness and malignity shown by the assassins,
place this charge at the head of all crimes that
have ever been committed in our immediate
vicinity. And now, as we approach the close
of his trial, the duty devolves upon me as
your District Attorney and as the representa-
tive OF the people of the State of California
in this action to discuss the evidence
that has been produced before you in this case
and TO anaiyze the testimony of the witnesses
and state to you my views, whether you act
upon them or not, as to what I think should
be accepted as true or what should be discred-
tied as false. At this time, in order that we
nay give this case the attention 1t claims al
our hands and deserves. we should lay aside
every other consideration that may arise, lay
aside all other business that may come in our
minds and concentrate every faculty and our
entire attention upon the one great momen-
tous question that confronts US, and 1t seems
to me we can better understand the circum-
stances attending the terrible killing of Mrs.
Greenwood on that fatal night If we will for
few moments forget the scenes here in court
and turn back the hand of time for peroid of
nearly six years and take view of the home
of the Greenw oods on two days and night in
the month OF February, 1891.
The District Attorney then graphically
pictured that home before and after the
assassins had entered, and continued:
In discussing this case shall try to be as
fair 10 the defendant as I am 10 the people
whom represent ! will discuss the evidence
and take it up in its logical order.
The District Attorney then brought ior-
ward in a mastery manner the evidence
introduced by the prosecution. He e1-
planned and narrated again the terrible
events of the night of February 9, 1891, as
told by Captain Greenwood on the wit
ness-stand. The testimony of The other
witnesses was then referred to by Mr.. Bell
substantially as follows:
Hugh Kelly, on the following morning, dis
covered MI Greenwood wounded by the road
side, and went TO the Greenwood mouse and
the dead body of Mrs. Greenwood lying on
the bed. Sheriff Mckenzie corroborated this
testimony. Drs. Pond and Hsun of Naps and
Professor Price OF San Francisco examined the
organs OF the stomach of Mrs. Greenwood and
found positive evidence that Mrs. Greenwood
had been poisoned. Peter Ly nch related how
Moore had worked for him
Fred Stemmle related how on the eighth dav
of February he purchased from Schmidt sill.
YER watch formerly owned by Moore. Stemmle
also identified Moore as the man being with
Schmidt in Vallejo on the eighth day of Feb
ruary, 1891. II. L. Amstutz identified the
watch as one repaired by him in December
1890, ct the request of Mr.. Lynch who said
the watch belonged to William Moore. Sew
eral witnesses along the Vallejo read testified
that Schmidt and Moore, or men answering
their description, had passed up the road
toward Napa on the day of February g. Mrs.
Holland positively identified the defendant as
the man seen on that day. Jake Shorer and
others iden titled Moore as the man who went
to the German house on the night of the muir
der. George Knox related how Moore, a short
time previous TO the murder, had possessed a
bottle of chloroform, the bottle similar to The
one seen by Captain Greenwood on the night
of the murder. He also testified that the pis-
tol discovered under the bridge was formerly
owned by Moore.
The District Attorney then referred TO
the motive that had prompted Moore in
making the confessions to W. B. Schaug
and others, saying that remorse of the
prisoner had been the prompting motive.
He referred to the confession itself. say.
ing that no one but the person who had
participated in the murder could narrate
so accurately what happened on that
awful night. The District Attorney elo-
ouently closed his argument to the Jury
by asking that Justice be meted out to the
prisoner at the bar.
At the conclusion of the argument bv
the District Attorney, John T. York made
his closing argument for the defense, in
which he said:
We appear fully realizing the Importance OF
this case. realizing that the defendant is
man from the lower walks of life, without
money, influence and friends. In criminal
cases defendant Is innocent until proven
guilty. How much more is this true in case
where mans life is at stake. He must De
considered innocent until proven guilty be-
yond reasonable doubt There has been
strong circumstantial evidence introduced in
this trial against the defendant, but this chain
Of evidence cannot be stronger than its
weakest ink.
Mr.. York referred to the good reputa-
ton and character of the defendant while
working in different parts of the State,
and then spoke of the mental condition OF
defendant when he made his alleged con-
fessions.
Mr.. Beerstecher then closed on the part
of the defense by a most eloquent plea to
the jury. He referred to the prisoners
good character. 10 his mental cond ton
when making the confessions and to the
Inconsistency of the confessions to the
real facts in the case.
Mr.. Gesford will close for the prosecu-
tion tomorrow morning.