Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1901-11-14
TAKING TESTIMONY.
Real Work In the Considine Trial Now In Pro
Qress-The First Day.

Ss~SS- USs D@ys
Seattle, Nov. 6.-The Considine tria
began this morning with the openin,
statement in behalf of the state by Pros
ecuting Attorney Walter S. Fulton.
Mr.. Fulton described the feud between
John w. Considine and ex-Chief W. L
Meredith, stating that he expected tt
show that Corr.;dine had vindictivel,
pursued Meredith for long time; tina
he had made repeated threats agains
him, couched in the vilest language, ane
had said that he would "fix him.
He detailed the movements of Mere
dith and COnsidine for a few minutes
before they met at Guys drug store
He maintained the theory OF sixth
shot, saving that the state would show
that single shot was fired at Meredith
while he was at the door that he there.
upon fred two shots with the shot gun
which he carried wrapped in paper.
The Deadly Struggle.
Mr.. Fulton described the struggle in
side the store, saying that it would be
shown that the two Considines had
seized Meredith and disarmed him.
That they had beaten him almost into
insensibility with revolver, fracturing
his skull. That other parties. including
the sheriff, had interfered and separated
the parties. He said that the state would
show that Meredith staggered across the
store and was leaning against the show
case, when he was jerked away by John
Considine, who had walked across the
room to reach him, and was falling to
the floor when Considine fired the three
fatal shots.
The defense reserved its opening state
ment.
At the close of the opening statement
of the case the jury was taken to view
the scene Of the shooting. They returned
at IL :15.
The First Witness.
The first wisness called was DR.. J. G.
Ostrom, who cor Quoted the autopsy over
the remains OF W. l.. Meredith, on June
26, 1901, the morning after the shooting.
He testified that the wounds were of two
classes, penetrating wounds made by
pistol balls, and Commissions made by
blows, the former, three in number, were
all in the body. The commissions, six in
number, were upon the head. The skull
was fractured in two places, a small frac-
ture upon the top of the head, and
larger one on the left parietal region.
The brain under this was congested. The
effect would be to leave the victim dazed
and at least partially unconscious. These
wounds We're not necessarily fatal. The
cause of death was bullet which en-
tered the heart. He recognized the body
as that of W. l.. Meredith.
Cross-examined by Mr.. McElroy, he
testified that he had practiced his profess
sion three years, mostly in Seattle. Mr..
succeeded in making the wit.
ness admit that man wounded as he
described might retain sufficient control
If his faculties to be conscious of his
Mr.. Fulton exhibited skull to the
who indicated the location of
The fracture
Some Hard Language.
Sergeant W. Peer, of the Seattle po-
ice department, was next examined by
Mr.. Hart. Ile'said he was on the force
IN June %. Knew Meredith and the
'onslines. On the Goth of May he had
conversation with John Considine at
he Peoples Theater in the presence of
'om Considine, Dick Burkman and De.
ective Gardner. He told John that he
,ad been sent there by the chief to stop
lis selling liquor in the boxes. John
aid the didn't dare to |
umr himself. John told the witness
hat Ire would get Meredith yet, and wit
ess might tell him so. |