Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-08-09
THE BAER GIRL
TELLS HER STORY.
Informs Court How Dr. Johnson
Performed Criminal Opera
tiOn for Her.
APPEARS SHAMELESSLY BRAzEN
Chambermaid Saw the Dead Babe and
Tells Shocking Story of Its Con.
ditiOn-GemmclI 10 Court

The preliminary hearing Of Dr. a. w.
Johnson, who with a. j. Gemmell, Ia
charged with performing criminal
operation upon Mary Baer at the Audi
forum rooming house on July 8, was
commenced before Judge c. h. Diehi
this morning In Judge Tanners court
room at the city and county building,
When the case against the two men
was called Attorney A. j. Weber
asked that Or. johnson be given sep.
arate hearing, which request was
granted and he was placed on trial
first.
Gemmell was present in court accom-
panied by his father and his attorney
Walter w, Little, The prosecution was
conducted by County Attorney ]. j.
Whitaker The principal witness exam
lined for the state this morning was
Mary Baer the girl In the case Her
conduct on the witness stand indicated
that she did not mind in the least the
predicament into which she is involved.
On several occasions she laughed out
right at questions asked her by the at
torneys in the case and she did not
mind In the least the curious gaze of
the few spectators who We're permitted
to remain I'm the courtroom during the
trial. During her Cross-eXa mination
her father entered the court room but
until that time none OF here family
were present. Two other witnesses
were examined by the state this morn
ing and there are four or five more yet
to be examined, 80 1t VIII be late this
afternoon before the state finishes its
case.
On the witness stand on direct ex-
animation by County Attorney Whit
aker, Miss Baer stated that she Is IL
years Of age and was born and raised
I'm this city. She said that she occupied
room 2O4 at the Auditorium rooming
house on July 8. on that morning tho
operation was performed. She testified
that Or. johnson prepared the ch0rO-
form and Gemmell administered Il 10
her while the doctor used the instru-
ments. She identified some of the IN
struments produced by the county at
torney as the Instruments used IN per-
forming the operation. She said that
the child was delivered on Monday
evening. July If. at about 6 o'clock
ON REORGANIZATION by Attorney
Weber she said that she consulted sew
cru uhNlblN dhpul Nv AhRf hAA'l ll'
operation but they refused to do any
think for her but give her medicine to
relieve the pain. The ohambermaid at
the house. she said, gave her some qul
nine and whisky. She admitted that
she told several Of the doctors that she
had attempted TO perform the operation
upon herself and she also admitted
that she had an instrument FOR that
purpose IN her possession for several
days before the alleged operation was
performed and that she had bought
pills for that purpose as early as June
"a. but had not taken any Of them'
Mrs Lou Halliday. the chambermald
at the rooming house was the next
witness called. She said that she saw
the child ON the evening Of July II, and
that she was In the room that evening
when the girl was delivered
Detective George Chase was then
called to the stand and told Of the ar.
rest Of Dr.. Johnson on Friday, july ~,
lie said that In conversation with the
defendant the latter said that he per-
formed the operation more upon the
girls solicitation than GemmelPs The
witness was stlll being examined when
the court took n recess until 2'3O this
afternoon,