Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-08
RHEA SHIELDS DARRELL
Murderer Doomed to Hang Gives Evidenc.
in Pals Favor.
ADMITS FIRING THE FATAL SHOT
Claims lie Forced Darrell into saloon
"t the Point of His Pistol aud
That the Prisoner Did No
Violence Willingly.
0nIlS FIRING THE FATAL SHOT

FREMONT, March 7.-(spcciall The
strong evidence introduced yesterday aft
ernoon, tending to snow tho part william
Darrell took In the murder and robbery
OF Herman Zahn. have made some changes
IN the conduct and appearance of the man.
Today he is nervous. restless and uneasy,
only sitting still few minutes at time.
The first witness for the defense was vii
Iard Fronning. lie said ne was in King
baums place when the shooting occurred
ahd that he came out on the street and
saw man that he was pretty sure was
Rhca In front of Zahn's place with gun
in his hand
Mrs Darrell, wife OF the defendant. was
next called. She is black haired pale
faced woman, about 22 years Of age, and
wore a close fitting tailor made suit. with
fur collarette and sailor hat She testified
that her husband was not a drinking man,
but went on occasional sprces laStlnE sew
cral days. on cross examination by Mr.
Stinson II appeared that she had consider.
able experience in the matrimonial line
she was married to defendant after a brief
courtship at Yankton. $. D.. January 2.
1900, by minister whose name and de-
nomination she could not remember Her
hrst husband was living somewhere in
Idaho. having as she had learned, OBJ
tained a divorce from her. She never knew
her husband was in the habit OF c-'-Tng on
the inmates of the williams establishment
at Crowel They moved to Norfolk. Neb
July %, 1900, and she had lived there with
her husband until his arrest.
Darrell on the stand.
William Darrell" called Mr.. Button
The defendant walked to the witness stand
with firm step. His face wore an eager.
frightened look and his eyes fairly gared
as he turned toward the clerk and raised
his hand to take the oath. In answer to
questions by Mr.. Button he said he was %
years old and lived at Norfolk, having
moved there from Yankton in the latter
part OF July 1900. He left Norfolk with a
man by the name OF Bulls. who had been
his partner in restaurant at Yankton,
January ,, 1901. on his way to Grand
Island, but stopped off at Crowell. spending
the nights of January . aud 2 at the Arm
strong place near the Williams establish,
ment. The afternoon OF January he spent
two or three hours at the Williams place
where he met Gardner and Rhea. lie had
been acquainted with Gardner in Yankton
The next day he again visited the Williams
place on an errand for woman at Arm
strongs. Returning he found that Bulls
had left Armstrong; for Snyder and he
S'hTleu LOT lne Town ana was ONertaken by
Rhea and Gardner.
whisky. Beer and Dice.
The first thing the three did after reach
Ing Snyder was to drink a couple Of hot
whlskys apiece in Kingbaum's saloon. They
then drank some beer in Zahn's saloon.
They shock dice. drank beer ate a lunch,
drank more beer and shook dice again. un-
I'll about o'clock in the language of the
witness. I'VE was considerably the worse
for liquor. we three. and most all in the
room He didn't remember having had a
word OF conversation with Zahn.
He came out OF the saloon and started
south for the hotel and was about opposite
Kipgbaums place, perhaps twenty feet west
OF Zahn's saloon, when his attention was
attracted by some loud talk and abusive
language. He looked around and saw that
there was some trouble between Orley and
Gardner. They were all punched up to-
Eother and all went into the saloon to-
gether. and he was very positive that he