Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-23
SEEK To SHOW MOTIVE
y %
Government Attorneys Effort
in Weldon Trial.
EVIDENCE ADDUoED
MRS. oELR1cHs AND HER Hus-
BAND ON STAND.
Warren Bea1l Tells the Story of
Threatened Eviction Of De-
fendant's Family.

By the evidence presented today the gov
eminent has sought to connect by direct
evidence Andrew Weldon with the murder
of his mother-in-1aw, Rachel Beall.
Through the testimony yesterday of Mrs
Jessie Oelrichs, the daughter of the de-
ceased woman, the story of the finding of
the body was told. On cross-exan nation
Mrs. Oelrichs stated that when she had
discovered Mrs. Beall was dead she told
her husband:
Bun Weldon has killed mother. Go tell
Everett"
The cross-examination of Mrs. Oelrichs
was continued this morning. and her hus-
band was also put on the stand. An at
tempt was made to show several discrep-
arcies between the testimony of Mrs Del
richs at the coroner's inquest and her
statements in court.
Warren Beall, a son of Mrs. Rachel Beall,
gave testimony which is regarded as i'm
portant with reference to the attitude of
the defendant in relation to the effort to
evict his family from the house at y36 9th
street southeast, and related conversations
with him from which the endeavor was
made to show purpose to resist eviction
and in which the defendant made sig
nif1cant statements.
Mrs. Oelrichs Again on Stand.
Mr. A. A. IIpscomb, the defendants coun
sci, resumed the cross-examination of Mrs
Oelrichs Immediately on the opening of
court this morning. The witness was ques-
toned to the personal property possessed
by Mrs Beall at the time of her death and
the payment of the money, for rentals to
Mrs. Beall by Mrs. Bfbb. 1t was developed
that at the time Of the murder the witness
had objected to the police searching the
house.
Counsel questioned the witness closely
to the amount of money in the house at the
time Of the murder. Mrs. Oelrichs repeated
her statement made on direct examination
as to the valuables possessed by her. The
money amounted, she said, to about 81 900
cash, and the jewels consisted Of several
diamond rings, all the property of the wit
ness. Mrs. Beall had nothing at all when
she was murdered, the witness declared. The
money was kept in a small trunk which was
also used for hats The money represented
the savings of the witness and her husband
There was another sum of money, amount
ing to about $3.50, found in a box at the
head of the stairs. the witness stated. which
also belonged to her. In this box the wit
ness kept her spending money.
Mrs. Oelrichs was questioned as to why
in a conversation with Lieutenant Daily
at the police station she had attempted to
prevent her husband from answering ques-
tons put by the police. She denied she
had ever made any such attempt. She
was asked If she had hot told Lieutenant
DAILY her husband was German and could
not speak English She denied she had
made any such answer! to a question, but
said she had told Lieutenant DAILY her
husband was German and could not
speak English very we'll. and that she
had told her husband she would answer
the questions
Personal Relations Explained.
The relations ofslther: murdered woman
with the Weedons We're then gone into
never been in her house. and that she
did not believe her mother knew him. The
murdered woman sympathized with him.
however. in a general way
The testimony of Mrs. Oelrichs before the
ccroner's jury was then again referred to.
She denied making certain statements
quoted from the record by Mr.. Lipscomb,
several statements in that record being set
down by the witness as the stenographer's
error. The witness was questioned to
whether or not there was revolver in the
house at the time of the murder. She re-
Piled in the affirmative, and when counsel
asked where the revolver was District At
torney Beach produced the weapon before
the witness could answer. The weapon was
of the bulldog pattern, thtrty-eight caIfber,
and was found in the house by Lieut.. Daily
the day of the murder.
The witness was then questioned as to
her movements during the time she WAS
left alone at the house after the body had
been discovered. while her husband was
notifying the murdered womans relatives
of her death.
The government made a short redirect
examination of the witness after the cross
examination had been concluded by Mr..
Lpscomb. District Attorney Beach asked
the witness why she had replied yesterday.
when Mr. Lipscomb asked her what she
said when she found her mothers body:
Bun Weldon has killed her" &c.
Counsel for the defense objected to any
answer by the witness, and the court sus-
fain a6 ha a
counsel on both sides. The witness was
asked questions as to several matters of
detail in the evidence given by her on
cross examination. after which she was ex-
cused.
Charles Oelrichs a Witness.
Charles Oelrichs. husband of the pre-
ceding witness. was the next called. Wit
ness said he was engineer. and he went
to work at the Hoee building at o'clock
on the morning of the murder. He did not
go to work. however. but returned home
about noon Mrs Oerichs was standing in
the door and called to him that something
had happened to her mother. From this
point on the testimony Of the witness was
practically the same as that Of Mrs. Gel
richs
The witness was cross-examined by Mr..
Mitchell of counsel for the defense. There
was no material change in his testimony
however. although 1t was brought out that
Oelrich locked the gate after going out to
NOTIFY the deaQ WomanS son, because ne
was afraid Bun Weldon would come
back and kill his wife" In questioning the
witness regarding the talk with Lieut.. Daily
it. was disclosed that he was not German.
but a native-born citizen Of the United
States. but he understands German. The
witness said he Is a. machinist, and has
worked in different parts of the country
and served term I'M the navy. Nothing
material to the case1 appeared to be de-
veloped from this line of inquiry and the
witness was excused. 7Oi
Warren a. Bea1l Testifies.
Warren H. Beall. a son of the murdered
woman. was then called. After the usual
inquiries as to name, &c. the witness said
he had known the defendant over twenty
years. From lids testimony 1t would appear
that the witness acted afor Mrs. Weldon in
making arrangements for the renting Of
the house at 236 9th stfeet southeast.