The San Francisco call., 1898-04-06
BELEW ON
 TRIAL FOR HIS LIFE Story of His Crime Again Told in
 Court. Chemists Testify to the Finding of Traces
 of Poison. Confession Made by the Mur- derer Introduced as
 Evidence. FREELY ADMITS GUILT Gives No Motive for the Killino of His Unfortunate Brother
 and Sister.
Confession Made by the Mur- derer Introduced as
 Evidence.
FREELY ADMITS GUILT.
Gives No Motive for the Killing oi His Unfortunate Brother
 and Sister.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SUISUN, April 5.-The taking of tes- timony in the case of Frank Belew com- menccd before Judge Buckles this morning. Much interest was mani tested in the proceedings and the court was crowded to its utmost capacity. Belew acted nervously at times and his nervousness was evidently born of de- spair. Frequently he scrutinized the faces of those present as if looking for sympathiZer among them.
 The first witness called was Dr. Traf- ton of Dixon, who treated Susie Belew on the day of the poisoning. He testi- fled that the young woman died from the effects of arSenical poisoning
 Dr. c. W. Downing testified he had conducted an autopsy on the body of Susie Belew. w. T. Wenzel, the chem ist, testified as to finding arsenic in the beef stew of which she had par taken, and in the contents of kettle submitted for a test.
 After evidence from Mrs. C. Clark who attended Susie BeleW on the day she was taken sick, Horace G. Perry stenographer, was called and gave tes- timOny regarding the confession made by Belew on Sunday, February 6, in the District Attorneys office. In the afternoon the confession was offered in evidence and was read. In this con- feSSiOn BeleW said:
 "Of course l am guilty. I want to make statement. l want to have it over with. l do not know what my motive was in wanting to kill my sister, Susie, and my brother, Louis l had not made up my mind to do 1t until the day the deed was accom- plished. l used rough on rats that was in the house for a long time. I took the poison out of the box and threw the box away. The poison I put in a piece of paper. There was about a level teaspoonful of it. I poured the drug into the teakettIe while Susie was in her room.
 T had some words with Louis that day about the conduct of my wife and Susie brought it up again that night was opposed to my sister marrying Charley Ehmann. The conversation Bird, my brother-in-law, says he had with me in the photograph gallery is not correct as he tells it. I never told him that l was going to commit one of the worst crimes that had ever been done in the county, nor did I say that I was dissatisfied with the division of the property.
 T do not know what prompted me to do the deed"
 J. w. Bird was called to the stand. Bird testified that on the Sunday pre- ceding the day Susie and Louis Belew were poisoned Frank Belew came to him and said he was about to commit one of the most horrible crimes ever committed in Solano County, and that it would shock the entire community. Bird said:
 Frank, don't do it."
 Belew asked him if his wife would live with him if he had any money, and the witness replied that he did not think she would.
 The defense then called T. M Dur rett, who deposed that he had known Belew for twenty years, and he had always thought him insane
 D. D. Dudley, John Maze, Oscar SchulZe and J. w. McElwaine testified to having known Belew for many years and that he had borne a good char acter. The court then adjourned until Wednesday morning.