The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-07

Z j
psychological moment. 1t is certainly
significant that the defense, which had
done it's utmost to head off Writ ensohn' s
testimony on this point, did not care to
press him any further on that score.
Then Mr.. Wirtensohn went on to tell
of the part he played in the chiefs famous
i personally conducted tour of the red
light" district. Here the defense finally
scored a. point, although the court s ruling
one way or the other was of small mo-
ment. to the state. The defense objected
to any testimony going to show that Wir-
tensohn had accompanied the chief on
this expedition, on the ground that it was
not material to, the case and that it ten
ded to try the chief on an offense not
charged in the Indictment. The court
sustained the objection on the ground
that such testimony did not involve col
lateral issue, and Mr.. Wirtensohn was al
lowed to go. 1t was of little consequence
to the jury. for the detailed story of the
chiefs might Of it" is already in evil
dence.
The Defense Weak.
The case of the defense as given the
Jury this afternoon by Frank NJ. Nye, not
wtthstanding the eloquent manner of the
presentation, was admittedly q weak one.
It is generally conceded to be the weakest
defense yet put up in the three police
trials that have gone before. Not that
the counsel for the defense had not ex-
nausted very means available to clear
their client, but because they had small
ground on which to build hopes of ac-
qu1ttal from the outset. The defense ac-
cordingly busted itself In the attempt to
prove an alibi for Chief Ames on Jan. 1e
last and thus impeach the testimony OF
Link Crossman relative to the payment
or a S25 bribe to the head Of the DEPART
for Of fo OF oh o1s
was proved. 1t was a weak imitation
and as such will hardly hold water. The
chief admits that he was in his private
office most Of that day, but insists that
no one was admitted but few police OH
GERS and denies having seen Crossman at
any time after interviewing him in the
mayors office. That's all the alibI
amounts to,
Ernest Wheelock, the chiefs secretary
took the stand this morning to corrobor-
ate the chiefs testimony. He was quite
sure that Crossman had not approached
Jan. l6. but admitted that Crossman
might have interviewed the chief the fol-
lowing day, and Crossman says it was
either one of these days. The defense
loks for an ac1uittal on the ground that
Crossman's testimony Is not suciently d.
rect to convince the jury that bribe was
actually given.
The Mayor on the Stand.
AS if to refute the assertion that he
had gone back on Fred" Mayor Ames
was in court this morning for the first
time since the hot lava of the munfcipa]
investigation began to fall on the de-
voted shoulders Of his brother.
The chief was on the stand long enough
to testify that he had made the tour at
the request of the mayor, and to admit
that he had afterwards seen some of the
women whom he called on at police head
quarters.
i DR.. H. H. Kimball was another "good
character" witness introduced by the de-
tense. DR.. Kimball declared that the de-
PENDANTS character was ood down to date
not excepting the fact that the investi-
CATION had called his good name into
question.
Mayor Ames himself took the stand tc
testify about his interview with Cross.
man. There was no bust of himself in his
Office.
| ''1've seen people there who've beer
on a bust he said. He did not specify
who.
The mayor looked bad and talked in
such feeble voice as to be heard with
difficulty.
The defense closed with the under
standing that Winn Bracket, former
chief of police, George Hume and A. j
Drew, other good character Witnesses
ha