The San Francisco call., 1899-03-11
SCISSORS ARE
EMPLOYED TO
HIDE EVIDENCE
A Murdered Mans
Coat Mutilated.
MORGUE OFFICIALS BLAMED
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
OF DANIEL sCATENA.
The Testimony of DR.. zabala, Au-
topsy Physician, Leads to Ad-
verse Criticism by the
Police.

The preliminary examination of Daniel
Scatena. charged with the murder OF MS
partner. S. Brancoli, in their fruIt store
on Larkin street was commenced before
Judge Graham yesterday afternoon. Pros
ecuting Attorney Carpenter conducted the
case for the people, and Attorneys DeVoto
and Demartini represented the defendant.
The witnesses examined for the prose-
eution were o. BrancoH, Frank Iompklh-
son, D. McSWeeney, Mrs. Elsie when
brick Daniel Lyons and Detective Wren
The evidence was practically the same as
given at the Coroner's inquest. Tompkln-
SON. the boy employed in the store, saw
two Of the shots fired. Scatena came TO
him after the shooting and SAID tnat
Brancoli had a knife, and the BOY, pelhS
frightened did not contradict hln. L eS-
terdav he testified that Brancoh hdd no(h-
ing in his hand. Mrs. WllIenor1ck aIso
saw two shots, nred, and saw DIdHTol . L
turning around toward Scatena just De
fore the shots were fired. McSWeeney teS-
tified that he heard the three shots. ne
first had a muffled sound and the others
Two sounded clearer. Scatena told him
that the man who hred the Shols hau I-1
away. .4+... =; +...
after the quarrel between Scatena ara
Brancoli the latter turned TO leave ln5 ln5
store, when Scatena placed the re reFoInT obo+ e.
against his back and fired the nFSt shgt
BrancoE Strengthened himself up as ne
wheeled around, and the other Two sH0tS
were then fired at MIN. Accordln8 10 Ing
theory the murder was deliberate ana
seIf-defense could not be established.
Dr. Zabala, the autopsy physician was
also a witness and his testimony sur
prised the prosecution. At the lnqueSt ne
testified that the cause of death was hem-
orrhage following gu gunshSot tS9r6 WUglr weTe Two
wounds. In one instance, the Dul!SI 6 na6
entered the back, ranged ep"ardd ara [Ia1 Gi19
came out at the left shouloer, anu WaS
the cause of death. The other nad en-
tered the right breast and lodged IN the
chest cavity where he found it
1a- nor BTAnC0U
of the shooting was produceu III C0Ti rI IT, IT,
it was in a mutilated condluoh. & ne IN III
ines where the bullet in the PACK hau ! eIi-
tered had been clipped away Win d par
of scissors removing all traces OF me me
powder marks and burns. Ihe lInPot poi ldhoF ~
of this evidence is shown by the IacI teaI
witnesses for the prosecution an te2l ~
that Brancoli'S coat was DuthlnS a. IaSs
hack when they saw him: pQruoil "
tbe front of the coat had also been cut
awav The mutilauon or the garment 1 Ldu
been made at the Morgue' put 10 LOT ,,,iII be
investigated, as there was apparently al
attempt on the part OF some one 70 ue
Evidence The prosecution also CONTENDS
that three bullets entered Brancolis body
and they pa pssf b,IiIet holes in the coat
The one in the back is not disputed, put
in regard to the other two there is eEI-
wrong in his diagnosis that the bullet en-
tering the back ranged upward ana came
out at the left shoulder. There are as
tinct powder burns on the left lapel OF the
coat and the inner part of the cloth Is
ragged, showing that a bullet MADE 0h +5s l5s
rigbt IaneI of the coat there are similar
marks, but the burns are not so distinct distinct
It is therefore supposed that three bullets
entered Brancoli's body, but the autopsy
nhVsician was only able to find one. It is
also supposed that as each shot shot, vas cst reo
H,bicb wouId account for the difference in
the condition of the powder burns:
After the case for the prosecution was
Ia dafp asked
till to-day to consider whether they
would bring forward any witnesses.