The herald., 1897-09-04
THE LOVE PASSAGES TO BE
SHOWN TO-DAY
Dallison Lineberger on the Stand
Most Of the Day-A Witness
Converted in the Jail

riosity seekers in Judge Smiths court
room yesterday listening to the details
of the McCamish murder trial
From the very nature of the case, il
being altogether circumstantial in char
acter. the evidence does not appear &C
striking as if there had been eye-wit-
neeSes to the killing of Mccoy Pyle
There are so many cases on record where
innocent men have been hanged on cir
cumstantial evidence, and some very
clever novels have been written to Illus
trate how web of apparently incontro-
vertible and discriminating evidence may
be woven around an innocent man, that
in the public mind there is quite COM
monty prepossession against testimony
of this character. And yet the law says
and says wisely that circumstantial ev-
idence may be the very best kind of evil
dence. Generally speaking, the world
hears ultimately of any innocent man
who may be sent to his death on what
appeared absolutely convincing circum-
stantial evidence, but the number of
real criminals who are punished on eX-
actly similar testimony is never heard
from.
The web of proof being woven around
Ed McCamish, albeit broken in places
by the doubts, uncertainties and, in
some instances, contradictions of wit
nesses has shown thus far very plainly
that when the defendant reported Nc
Coy Pyle as having been chloroformed,
beaten and robbed of a quantity of his
personal effects he said what, in part at
all events, was not true. The prosecu-
tion Iave not, perhaps, negatived the
drugging and beating, but it has been
shown that the goods alleged to have
been stolen reposed peacefully in the de-
fendant's room at Fillmore.
Furthermore, the very pair of hand
cuffs which the defendant claimed he
had just snapped on one of the robbers
wrists at Castaic switch at the moment
Pyle was shot, and which the latter ran
off with, were also discovered in Nc
Camish's room and have risen in judg-
ment against him. The gold ring he
wore upon his finger and which he
claimed the robbers wrenched off was
also found in the defendants ROOM and
all these circumstances indicate that
not only did no robbery take place, but
that no robbers showed up at Castaic
the discovered handouts, which have
been identified, indicating with apparent
certainty that they could not possibly
have been run off with by anybody.
THE ROMANCE OF LIFE
But if not probable at least it is quite
possible that there may be a striking
and valid defense. The romance of ac-
tual life far exceeds the conceived ro-
nance of the story teller. While the
case is still sub-judice, it may not be
proper to suggest how these discrepan-
cies might be overcome, but the appa-
rent impossibility of their being over
come gives an added interest to the case
as it may be unfolded and enlarged upon
by the defense
LOVE THE MOTIVE
But in murder case it is necessary
that motive be shown. So far this
phase of the case has been lightly
touched upon by the prosecution, but
doubtless today evidence will be strength
ened along this line. Mrs Mccoy Pyle
has herself conceded that the defendant
told her he thought her 1.-The best and
truest woman he had ever known save
his sister," and that because McCamish
thought too much of her he left Fillmore
and went to Bakersfield. All that is very
innocent, and the true affection of true
man for true woman is neither dishon-
oring to the man who is moved by it, or
the woman, even though she be married,
who may accidentally learn of his pas
sion. But the prosecution will contend
that the innocent passion as indicated
above was not characteristic of Mccain
ish's dealings with Mrs. Pyle. So far il
has appeared that only one person sus-
pected anything in the slightest degree
improper between the couple, and that
person was Mrs. Dallison Lineberger.
She spoke to her husband and he carried
the news to Mccoy Pyle. Now, Mr.. Line
berger said himself that his wife had not
been on very friendly terms with Mrs
Pyle. and the latter stated that for some
months she and Mrs. Lineberger did not
speak.
Today, however, evidence will be forth =
coming that will tend to show that the
defendant confessed that he had carried
on an intrigue with Mrs. Pyle about a
year; that she had contemplated poison
ing her husband, but that the defendant
persuaded her from it anGs that he shot
Pyle while the latter lay sleeping in the
station house at Castaic. If these asser-
tions can be substantiated they end the
case, but the supposititious ''if'' must be
written with capital letters until that
is done.
AN INDEFINITE WITNESS
Dallison Lineberger, the brother-in-
law of Mccoy Pyle, and deputy sheriff
OF Ventura county, was on the witness
stand the entire forenoon of yesterday
while being put through a rigid cross
examination by defending counsel. He
was the most active, perhaps in search
ing the defendants room after Pyle's
death and in finding evidence to contro-
vert McCamish's claim that his room
had been looted after he had been rem
dered insensible by means of chloro-
form The witness was by no means
clear and decided in his testimony. and
In many instances contradicted state
ments made by him in his direct exam
nation, as we'll as many more made ly
him at the time of the preliminary ex-
: animation held at Newhall. But while
these discrepancies may cause an air Of
doubt to be thrown around his testi-
mony by counsel for the defense when
the time arrives to address the jury. the
broad fact remains that the miscellan-
sGOuS articles which McCap,ish olo s,,,o !