The age-herald., 1900-01-05
JULIA MORRISON
 BEFORE THE COURT
The Handsome Actress Seems
 Very Cheerful.
SOME DAMAGING TESTIMONY
Stage Manager at Chattanooga Opera House Says the Defendant Shot Leidenheimer Without Any
 Sign of Provocation

Cha ttanooga, Tenn, January 4-"The
 esate of Tennessee against Julia Morrison,
 alias James, followed by the reading of
 the indictment of the grand jury charging murder in the first degree. was the style in which the machinery of the law was set in motion In tine circuit court before Judge Floyd Estin at o'clock this evening. the ultimate result of which means vindic@tion ' or condemnation of the handsome woman, Julia Morrison James, who, on the night of September 22 on the stage of the Ch9tta- ncoga opera house, shot and killed Frank LcidenhoLmer, of New Orleans, stage man agcr of the "Mr. Plaster of Paris" Farce Comedy company, of which Mss Morrison
 was the leading lady.
 Since the Gate Of the crime Miss Morrison las 5ccl a prisoner in the county jail. ! When her incarceration began sine weighed
 dSO pounds, and today. when for the first
 time in more than three months she left
 her prison cell, she weighed at least 2oo.
 showing that confinement had produced no bad effects upon her health.
 She entered the court room attended by
 two deputy sneriffs, and also with her were
 het husband and Mrs J. M. Geese, lady
 friend.
 MISS MOrTlSOn Was III d NoStuiiiN
 entirely of Coack and evidef.sly designed aftec the character of the widow in "A Trip to Chinatown" At ner throat sine exhibit ed a cross, and on her forest of blonde ha.. she wore small black Tam O Shanter hat.
 Her demeanor in the court room was widely different from that which charac- terized her previous appearances.
 She laughed and chatted with friends, and on the TGole displayed an air of su- preme confidence in the outcome Of the trial At ? o'clock both sides announced ready for trial, and the reading of t'ne in- dictment followed and the trial was on. Following the reading of the document the selection of a jury was commenced. Thirty seven veni; enen were examined before the jury was completed. Colonel Joseph Gift appeared leading counsel tor the de- fense, assisted by Lattimer and Williams. The prosecutor Is George J. Antz, of New Orleans, broaler-in-law of the murdered man.
 The jury was completed at 4:45, and the first witness, Frank Patterson, stage man called, but his examination was not finished when court adjourned. -7r,,'n .-
 Patterson's testimony is dana sng to the prisoner. He stated that G1e had been sent by Lcidenhelmer to summon Miss Morri- soE to appear on the stage for the first act; that Ire found her in toilet room without any evidence of preparation for the performance, and that when he notified her that the curtain was waiting on her, sine said: All right, I'll go.'' Following the words sle began to ascend the stairs leading to the stage. When she reached the top of the stairs she drew from sner bosom 3S-oalibre revolver and fired three times at Ledenaeimer without apparent provo cation At this point court adjourned until tomorrow, during which session the most important witnesses will be examined.
 Manager Harris of the MT. Plaster of Paris" company failed to put in an appear ance, and his promises to do so elave now been disregarded.