The herald., 1897-09-09
OF Evidence Gathered in
McCamish Trial
AN ALLEGED CONFESSION
CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN MADE
TO A JAIL BIRD
County Surveyor Wright Tells His
Side Of the Story Of the Poker
0ames-Mrs. Brady's Case

The prosecution did not close its case
yesterday in the trial Of Ed McCamish
for the murder of Constable Mccoy Pyle.
The testimony offered was again
largely Of the cumulative kind and at
noon Judge Smith interposed an objec-
tion to any further piling up Of testi-
mony merely corroborative of what had
been stated by large number Of wit
nesses.
Throughout the day. however, there
were stray links of evidence that were
picked up and one or two witnesses gave
testimony that was Of importance. At
one point Mr.. Williams spoke Of man
named Madison whose statement he
proposed to introduce, and expectation
was aroused. But he didn't do it, and
that statement or rather confession"
alleged to have been made by the de-
fendant to Madison will be introduced
on Friday.
This man Madison was trusty in the
Ventura jail and at the preliminary ex-
animation was put upon the witness
stand by the defense. Under the direct
examination of Mr.. Davis and the cross
examination of Mr.. Williams he told a
remarkable story. McCamish was not
fairly settled in the Ventura Jail when
he took Madison into his confidence and
told him he had killed Pyle while the
latter lay sleeping in the Castaic station
house. Also that he had been criminal
ly intimate with Mrs. Mccoy Pyle, and
that she had proposed poisoning her
husband, but that he (defendanD would
not permit her to do that and had got
Pyle out Of the way himself. These are
the broad facts which Madison stated
McCamish confessed to him, but there
were frills and tucks on the confession
which Madison rolled unctuously off his
tongue. Being jailbird himself, his
asseveration that his conscience was
20 tender as to prohibit him from keep
ing faith with defendant and preserving
his secret inviolate was rather rich.
What weight this mans testimony may
have with the jury is a moot point, but
at least it will be entertaining If not edi-
flying, for Madison had his wits with
him while on the witness stand and gave
examining counsel some very cool and
sarcastic answers
Sheriff Charlebois Of Ventura county
was the first witness examined yester-
day and testified to the arrest of the de-
fendant at Fillmore. McCamish then
remarked that it was pretty rough after
being battered about to be arrested. The
prisoner was taken to the Ventura Jail
and at that time man named Jim Mad
ison was in Jail, where he served as trus-
ty. The witness was asked regarding
this man, for the reason that the prose-
cution proposed to introduce the testi-
mony given by Madison at the prelim-
mary examination in evidence as the
man himself had disappeared. Madi-
sons testimony goes direct to motive
and purports to be confession made
by McCamish to him in Jail.
On cross-examination witness stated
he first saw the defendant, after the kill
ing, about noon on the Sunday at the
Fillmore depot. He invited defendant to
take a drink and told him he wanted to
have a talk with him. McCamish sug-
gested going to his room, and that was
done. Witness thought he looked a little
bit nervous, but the conversation lasted
for about two hours. A quantity of cloth
Ing was hanging around the walls of the
room and, the room being small, witness
was able to take in it's salient features
at a glance. The Rev. ]. Fields came ir
while witness was there and had a tall
with McCamish regarding Pyle's funer
al, but they did their talking in the room
neither one going outside until the min.
lister left.
"You didn't make any search Of tht
room then, did you?"
mo, sir.'
"And you left him all that day ant
night, SO that If he was so disposed h.
could make away with anything there?'
II didn't make any. search at tina
time"
"As matter OF fact, you didn't antici
pate having to make a search then or a
any time, did you?"
Eyes, sir; did,
Witness was examined at length OF
the list of articles which McCamish CAV,
him as being the list of the stolen articles
The gold sleeve buttons the defendan
described as having his initials, E. NJ c.
engraved upon them. Witness statet
that those introduced in evidence did no
answer the description, lacking the ini
tials. On Monday Lineberger suggested
to witness that a search of the defend
ants room be made, and said he had 4;
key that he thought would open hi
room. McCamish had been got out of tn
way by Lineberger sending him off t
. ranch. Between II and l o'clock he re
turned and was placed under arrest. A
the search of the room, which took hal
to three-quarters of an hour, the knive
were the first things seen upon opening
the trunk. Lineberger remarked tina
these were the knives which defendan
claimed had been stolen. The handcuff
were found in a little box nailed vi
against the wall not far from the ceiling
Lineberger found them In the box, ant
not on top of the box hidden. behind othel
boxes. Lineberger next pulled out thu
hat and the cuffs with buttons in them
from out pack bag hanging on the wall
He remarked: Here are the sleeve but
tons Ed spoke Of" In telling about tn,
killing the defendant said that Pyle
stood on one side Of the door and he or
the other on the threshold of the door
Pyle heard the robbers coming and gave
him the handouts with instructions
what to do. AS they passed Pyle toll
them to throw up their hands, and they
did SO. The defendant stepped forward
and was putting the handouts on one
man when he heard the shot, and turnine
saw Pyle fall. He fell with his head
inside the door. The evidence given b,
W1t1e4a at the 1,raIiv,, In q rv o~e x-,.. a. = /,