The herald., 1897-09-16
TODAY ENDS 1T
McCamish Trial Drawing
to a Close
THE CASE is REoPENED
TO ADMIT TESTIMONY BEARING
ON THE HANDCUFFS
How Not to Build a Home-The
County Rate to Be Fixed on
Monday

murder trial yesterday. Instead of Mr..
Williams at once proceeding with his
opening argument to the jury when
court convened in the morning he ap-
pealed to the court for permission to re-
open the case for the purpose of putting
Z witness upon the stand who has only
been discovered ON the night previous.
Counsel urged that the testimony to be
offered by this witness waS most i'm
portant, for he intended to show by him
that the handouts which the defendant
alleged had been given to him by Pyle,
after the key had been lost and they had
been forced open, could not possibly
have been used by him to handcuff one
Of the robbers at Castaic for the reason
that they were in possession of the wit
ness whom the prosecution desired to
produce.
This sounded as If in very truth a
startling bit Of evidence had been un-
covered, and after some demur from
the defense and some consideration on
the part Of the court, Judge Smith de-
cided to let this testimony go in. The
witness is constable at Ventura and
was then on the train en- route to this
city, and So court adjourned until 2
o'clock.
For some days past there has been a
full attendance in department one, and
spectators have crowded the outer
space, glad enough to stand up rather
than be debarred from hearing the tes-
timony of the trial. Yesterday after
noon, however, the court room was
thronged, for the pair Of han rdcuffs is,
in a certain sense, the key to the whole
case.
THE NEW WITNESS
When court reconvened at o'clock
Judge Noyes of Riverside occupied a
seat upon the bench with Judge Smith
and was presented by him to the bar.
Then without delay the case for the peo
pie was again opened for the third time
and Frank Trice, constable of Ventura
was called to the witness stand. He
stated that he had filled the office of
constable for about three years and had
been acquainted with McCamish. He
said he had perfect recollection of the
arrest of man in the burglary charge
about two years ago by the defendant
He was asked by Mr.. Williams to tell
all he knew about it.
about two years ago." said witness,
"a robbery was committed in Ventura
county and I telephoned along the line,
including Fillmore. l came that day to
Los Angeles and while in this city re-
ceived a telephone from Mechanism. l
returned to Fillmore and he turned over
the prisoner to me. The prisoner was
handcuffed and the defendant told me
he had lost the key to the handouts.
In order to open them we had to punch
the rivets out Three or four days later
McCamish came to ME and said he want
ed his handouts, and so gave him mine
with the key, and later had the broken
pair mended and new key fitted and
kept them myself"
"Are these the handouts that you
gave to the defendant?" asked Mr.. Will
llams.
eyes, they are, Identifying the
ratchet cuffs in evidence, or at least they
were the same style"
Ibid you have any further conversa-
tion with him about them?"
mo, SIR
Before proceeding with the cross-ex-
animation the defense moved to have the
witness testimony stricken out on the
ground that it was immaterial, irrele-
want and too remote.
Judge Smith said he was inclined to
let the jury pass upon the pertinency of
the evidence and overruled the motion.
Mr.. Davis first borrowed the witness
handcuff key and first opened the cuffs
witness had with him, and after open
ing them also opened the pair which
witness said he gave to defendant. The
witness said although that might hap
pen sometimes the key would not open
all handouts, though they might be of
the same kind.
Point out the rivet that was punched
out" said Mr.. Davis.
II can't do that because I sent my
deputy with them to the locksmith's and
he had them fixed
"Is it a common thing to have the riv-
cts taken out of handcuffs?"
"Y'es, sir, it is not infrequent."
"And you say that though the key to
your handouts opens the pair in evil
dence, the key to the pair in evidence
will not open yours?"
Eyes, sir; my deputy has pair of the
ne make and his key will not open
re-"
'ou mean that each pair has an in
al key?"
sir, there is always key given
lch pair
RE HANDCUFF EVIDENCE
Edwards, recalled by the de-
as next put upon the witness
I'll know the room at the livery
ne defendant used to sleep in %
Mr. Davis.
sir"
you remember an old pair of hand
.here?"
s, sir, pair used to hang on the
of the room.
You never saw anyone make any use
them?"
mo sir, they were just hanging up
there: that's all know"
That was the final close of the testi-
mony.
Mr.. Williams then began the opening
argument to the jury. He INDUCED in
no howery passages or oratorical flights
but settled down to calm review of the
evidence in the case. In making pres
entation of the strong facts as testified
to by the peoples witnesses, he at the
same time analyzed the statements of
the defendant made to combat these
facts. and showed how the theory of the
prosecution was the only reasonable