The San Francisco call., 1898-10-20
MEADORS WEPT BITTERLY ON THE
 WITNESS STAND Testified in His Own
 Behalf. DEFENSE ABOUT CONCLUDED PRISONER RELATES WHY AND HOW HE KILLED URY. Reference to a Previous Murder Com mitted in Arizona Completely
 Unnerves Ury's
 Slayer.
DEFENSE ABOUT CONCLUDED
PRISONER RELATES WHY AND
 HOW HE KILLED URY.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,

| g0S BrOaQWdST OCI' 4O' James Nathaniel MeadOrs, the soldier ] who is on trial in Judge Ellsworth's court | for the murder of Private Jonas Ury,
 wept and sobbed bitterly to-day when 1 the defense opened the trial with the 1 prisoner as a witness in his own behalf. ! ID to yesterday afternoon, when the l prosecution closed, Meadors appeared in the most cheerful frame of mind; but not so when he was requested to give his version of the murder on the morning of ! August Is. He reviewed at some length l the incidents of the quarrel, of Ury' s | bullying and threats. He said that Ury i had grabbed a rifle threatening to dash | his brains out, at the same time making a move toward him.
 It was when Attorney Deuprey drew out
 the story of his life, his boyhood days
 his marriage, mad facts concerning his ten children, five of whom have passed beyond, that the witness became moved to tears. Meadors' frame shook perceptibiy and he would at times wipe the tears
 away But when Deuprey drew out facts
 of Meadors' trial on the charge of killing
 his uncle in Arizona, the prisoner com
 pletely gave way to his feelings and wept
 bitterly, saying, between sobs, after he
 had partially regained composure, that he
 did not care 10 talk about that matter.
 He stated, however, that he had been ac-
 quilted.
 This afternoon Meadors further testi- fed that he had no animosity or ill-feel- ing toward the. dead soldier, and regard ing the trouble to which Corporal Foster
 had testified to yesterday, Meadors in sisted that it grew out Of the fact that Ury owed him s, which he refused tC pay. Being pressed for payment Ury had called witness vile name and grab bing a rifle threatened to knock out his brains. The prisoner denied that he hao | opened his knife prior to Ury's grabbing the rifle.
 | On cross-examination Deputy District l Attorney Melvin asked witness to demon strate to the jury Nhe manner Of the 1 cutting Melvin representing Ury, and wit ness went through this performance
 Handing Meadors the knife in evidence 1 Mir. Melvin asked witness: With Which blade did you kill Ury?"
 Attorney Deuprey objected to this as 1 improper language, and Judge Ellsworth
 expressed himself as being unable to see
 why the prosecutor adopted this form Of
 questioning. The question was modihed,
 and witness pointed out the blade. He
 said too. that when Captain Barnes had
 asked him why he had cut Ory, ne had replied that he did so in defense Of his life. He insisted that when he walked
 up behind Ury he put his left hand on | Ury's right shoulder, asking him, w hat are you going 10 report me for?' and that 1 Ury then swung around and struck him ! with his right hand, at the same tune calling witness another vile name. It was 1 then that Meadors struck the fatal blow
 with his knife.
 l Most of witness's testimony was educed | only with the greatest difficulty. He ap- | peared daZed at times and ignorant of | the questions and the meaning of the | language used by counsel.
 Corporal Lionel D. Hodges, of Company l C, Eighth Regiment, was the next wit
 ness. The gist of his testimony was that l he saw Ury advancing. toward Meadors 1 with the butt end of his rife as if to i strike. After the cutting the prisoner had ! Hodges had not seen the knife at any | time, but had seen Ury turn about and 1 move as if to strike Meadors a blow with 1 his fist
 | Martin Tiessen, the last witness of the | day, gave similar testimony, and to-mor- 1 row Attorney Deuprey hopes to close
 when the prosecution will introduce testi- | mony in rebuttal.