The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-05-02
MIND BLANK
ON SHOOTING
Ellison Testifies He Has No Reg
objection of 1t.
HIS MEMORY WAS FAULTY
HAD APPEARANCE OF BEING z
VERY SICK MAN.

CLYDE H. ELLISON took the Wit
ness stand in his own behalf yes
terday morning. When court took
a recess at 5 o'clock in the afternoon
until 10 O'Clock this morning, he was
stm upon the stand. He was in tbs
/ hands of JudSe O. w. Powers, who was
submitting him to a most rigid cross
{ examination. Just before o'clock FL
! Iison was taken i'll and had TO leave
the stand. He did not return 70 the
courtroom for about fifteen minutes
When he did, he looked a physical
/ wreck. Being unable 70 go on the
stand. Judge Morse granted recess
B for the day.
/ In many respects Ellison proved a
! good witness for himself; his demeanors
( gestures and actions bore out admir-
/ ably the defense Of his attorneys that
( he is at times unaCCOuntable for his
! actions, owing to mental incapa abilities
( There were some who cOnteuded the
] young man Overplayed his part, while
/ there were others VINO were hfihiy
: convinced that he is TtDt well man.
and should not be held responsible Tor
/ his act
Got Angry Several Times.
/ When Ellison first went updl the
/ stand he spoke so low that even the
: reporter. who sat only few feet from
I him. could not hear what he said Sew
eral times he was requested by the
court and the attorneys, to speak
/ louder. By degrees he raised his voice
( so that every word he uttered could
/ be heard throughout the crowded court
room. on several occasions. when
/ Judge Powers questions seemed to an
ger the witness he flew into semi
rage. and. leaning forward in his seat,
I made replies that We're quite heated
He would always recover himself very
quickly, and then answer following
I questions in his accustomed manner
I During the morning session of the
! court. Ellison almost constantly rub
[ bed his hands together over a hand
kerchief which he held. He stopped
that later, however, when Judge Pow
ers called his attention 10 his actions.
Once during his examination Edison
used the handkerchief 10 wipe away
the tears which came to his eyes when
he recOunted a conversation between
his wife and Watson, during which the
words dear" and sweetheart were
] used During the afternoon Ellison did
not rub his hands together much, seem
! ing TO secure more. relief from placing
his head in one hand. resting the ell
bow upon the arm Of the large witness
chair
Looked a Very Sick Nan.
When the witness took the stand at
{ 10 o'clock, he had every appearance ~
= being a very sick man, his face was
wore on. a little color came into his
b. cheeks and lips, so that by the tius
. the noon recess was taken he had the
I appearance of a man enjoying fairly
good health. At , o'clock, when Eli
l son went back upon the stand he
looked even worse than he did early
? in the morning. The same semi-health-
2 full look came hack during the after
noon, but quickly vanished when he
became suddenly indispOsed a few min
) utes before > O'Clock.
] The first part of Judge Powers cross
s examination was devoted to testing
{ the witness memory The latter part
s of the afternoon was devoted to show
Z ing by the witness that ne and his
wife had not always lived happily to-
gether: that once or twice q separa-
r ton was threatened on her part. and
d that Ellison did not really have much
70 Of anything to complain of his wife,
= that possibly he was as much to
i blame for a good many things as she
was.
; Did Not Remember Shooting.
The memory of Ellison was sadly at
l. fault throughout the cross examina-
" ton As Judge Powers said to him
= several times. he could. distinctly re-
r member everything which reflected
upon his wife's honor, or to the dis
u credit of Watson. but wh~1 il came to
D, answering questions which would have
Z placed him in an unenViabie light. his
mind was either a total blank, or he
Z. was not certain enough to answer yes
e or no"
+ When asked point blank about the
3; shooting, Ellison said he did not re-
member it; did not realize what he had
done until told by the policeman as the
"a latter was taking him to the city jail.
T. He declared positively he had no
IS vengeance in his heart against Watson
L. when he visited him at noon of the day
D.. / Of the shooting He admitted later,
m however. that the refusal Of Watson To
" give him $3.50 with which to leave town.
'f and the fact that Watson had talked
h. with his wife after he had promised not
- TO- made him u little angry and gave
w. him down" feeling Later he said
1T that conversation aroused his feelings
~ Tt was at that point that Judge Pow
he ers scored the greatest victory Of the
day. He forced the witness 10 admit
- in 4 manner that the converse ton al
- noon of the day of the shooting had
le more real effect upon him than the fact
that he caught Watson coming into his
room while he was still in bed.
lis Tells of His Wife's Actions.
- He said that act did not arouse any
s. special vengeance because the inCiden
IL happened 50 quickly. Then the judgt
ne made him admit that prior TO that Jim'
ot he had good reasons. according to hi
In hearing endearing names pass betweel
is his Wife and WatsOH-yet when Wat
in son attempted to get into bed with III
X two of them, it happened so quickll
~ that he did not, seemingly, have tim
6e to have a feeling Of vengeance arts
is within his breast.
he When placed upon the witness stan'
sr- Ellison said he had known Watson
lac about three and half years before th
az shooting. He professed a great friend
ship for him. He told about him ana M
wife going to live at the watson house
- The first time ne had occasion TO sus
- pect anything wrong was one nlgn
- when he came home about III o.cloc
- and was unable TO get in The nous
was dark excepting light upstairs
After ringing the bell he looked throug
the glass in the door and saw WaIso
run down the hall in his night robe Z
= his own room a few minutes later nj
= wife let him in
, a short time afterwarG, one eFenln
= when he and his wife were selth
= ready TO go oct. he said watson cam
= home and said 20 his wife:
Deaf. low dc you feei ton1shtz