The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-06-22

! The second day of the trial of An
drew w eedon. charged with the murder
/ OF Mrs Rachel Ann Beall. his aged
| mother-in-law. on December II last
! brought out the testimony Of several
! members of the Beall family. Several of
these witnesses were rather peppery in
| spirit. and several times, under cross
| examination by counsel for the defense.
the temper Of both counsel and witnesses
became slightly ruffled.
BY far the most interesting witnesses
were the Douglas twins. Virgie Lee and
| Oracle. who are well known at the court
| house because of their appearance in
court a few years ago in habeas corpus
proceedings which attracted attention at
that time. These two girls are the
daughters of Mrs. Minnie Bibb. daugh-
ter of the late Charles Beall, husband
OF Mrs Rachel Beall Upon the death
of their father their mother turned them
over to their grandmother to be taken
care of. Mrs. Oelrichs. their aunt. who
| lived with Mrs. Beall, had most Of the
care of the twins. who were quite young.
A number of years ago Mrs. Iouglas
| remarked and became Mrs Bibb. She
then asked that her children be given
back TO her.
Mrs. Oel1ichs Objects.
To this request Mrs. Oelrichs objected.
The twins also put up vigorous objec-
lions and refused point blank to go back
to their mother. Mrs. Bibb got out a
writ Of habeas corpus and Justice Brad
ley heard the case. Mrs. Oelrichs' pea
was that Mrs. Bib had given I'D the
children when they were too young to
DE of any use TO her and that she, Mrs.
Oelrichs, had had the care OF them
Now that they We're larger. said Mrs.
Oelrichs. Mrs. Bib wanted them back
Z 20 \ frn ~Harv, out 20 rr,-lr for hAr
was alleged that the mother intended
putting them on the stage OF local
theater as dancers
Remanded to Mother.
Justice Bradley ordered the twins re-
turned to their mother They went. but
promptly ran away and returned to
their grandmother and aunt Again Mrs.
Bib appeared In court and once more
the pretty brown-eyed twins came be-
fore Justice Bradley. An official of the
court had experienced a great deal OF
! difficulty in catching the little fugitives.
| Whenever he went to the house for
them they were absent At last. how
! ever. he caught them coming from
school one day and brought them to
| court.
Justice Bradley was sitting in Equity
| Court No. 2, which Is on the second
!, floor Of the Court House building. When
the case was heard the two girls were
very obstreperous and showed as little
respect for the court as they had fol
certain members Of the family. They
talked back" to him and cut up n
various other ways. Finally Justice
Bradley ordered them TO go back tC
their mother,
Ran From Courtroom.
As soon as the words had passed his
j lips both girls. bolted from the court
: room. A constable was ordered L
catch them and a lively chase ensued
Like partridges they scattered " on,
+ going one way and one the other. Th'
! constable called on half a dozen depu
ties and finally the runaways were cor
} rallied and put into carriage with
= their mother be taken to her home.
After remaining there few weeks
they again flew the coop" and have
since been living with their grand
$ mother and Mrs. Oelrichs.
. Their temperance in court to do
r double turn on the witness stand caused
Unusual comment this morning.
The defendant was accompanied L
the courtroom by his wife, but she lef
S him when the trial began. TO retire tC
z The witness room.
2 The First Witness.
virgie r. Douglas was the first wit
) ness 10 take the stand She said in re
{ / ply 20 questions from Mr. Midtown,
2 she was the granddaughter Of Mr.
: Rachel Ann Beall. the dead woman. am
e Mrs. Oe!richs, At 1874 II Street northeas,
= She told Of having left the house at 81
. O'Clock on the morning OF December
last, the date Of Mrs. Beall's death. I
80 10 school. She arose at 7:30 an
breakfasted about s. Her grandmother
she Gaid had had her breakfast. Mr.
Beall usually took two breakfasts. wit
- ness said-One as soon as she arose I
start the fire, and a second about
r O'Clock
q Witness said she saw her grandmothe
e before she left Tor school She wa
J. standing up In the back room. Ate
n telling her grandmother gOOd-by witnes
J. went ont at the back gate and left
unlocked. The gate was fastened with
p paddock Witness did not lock the gat
, Returning home for lunch at the moo
= hour she found the gate locked Sh
raped on a window as she went aroun
IS to the back Of the house She took tn
"A locked gate to mean that the fafnil
were out. She went across the street
20 the house Of friend and took lunci
> She then went back to school, arri1
q ing there in time for the bell whic
= When she came home from school a
a $3.50. after having stopped at the hous
= Of a friend she found the gate sttl LOCK
. ed. Coming back again at about
- O'Clock witness met her uncle. Charlie
BcaH He gave her car tickets and tol
& her to go 10 the home Of her mother.
lie Tilt Between Counsel.
While Miss Virgie Douglas was on III
v stand Attorney Mitchell looked throug
?, an inner window Of the court ROOF
across a small area 20 a window OF or
u Of the halls OF the building. Seeing II
y other Douglas girl and another Cover
~ irnent witness looking into the coul
room lie made violent objections.
Ol Your honor, l object TO the Cover
a nents witnesses peertng Into the cou
: room There they stand across II
way" pointing through the window.
IS Mr. Beach turned. but as Mr.. Mitche
s. spoke the witnesses iu question move
I AWAY. and when Mr.. Beach looked the
ia was no one In sight.
There are no witnesses there, sa
Mr.. Beach.
at Il think counsel for the defense
s. disposed 20 be unduiy suspicious, pa
IL ticulaTiy II he thinks one standing
nj that hall can hear what Is going on
k | the court room"
o. Before this case IS concluded, yol
le honor" said Mr. Mitchell. 81 think
ne viii appear that we have just cause 4
e. | suspicion"
n THAT is most unwarranted." said NJ
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