The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-06-26
DAMAGING EVIDENCE
AGAINST WELDON
Prosecution Has No Eye
witness to Summon.
TESTIMONY CIRCUMSTANTIAL
Prisoner Seen About House Around the
Time His MOther-in-Law Was
Murdered Within.

Developments in the trial Of Andrew
Weldon. charged with the murder Of his
aged mother-in-law. Mrs Rachel Ann
Beall. during the week il has been go
Ing on in Criminal Court No. .. marks
this as one of the most interesting muir
der cases ever tried in Washington.
The evidence produced in court so far
is purely ciVcumstautial It is. never
theless. strong evidence Of its kind.
From what has come to light the in
dicauons are that District Attorney
Beach and Assistant District Attorney
Mullowny. who are conducting the
prosecution. viii rest their case entirely
upon that sort of evidence
Forty Witnesses to Be Heard.
Mr.. Beach has. however, called his
witnesses. of whom he has over forty
summoned and in daily attendance in
the witness room awaiting their turn on
the stand, in such a manner as 20 indi-
cate that the most important testimony
is yet to come
The most damaging testimony 50 far
was given against the defendant by wit
nesses called on Friday afternoon, just
before Judge Gould ordered a recess un-
til 20 O'Clock tomorrow. Prior to the
AteAA4llDl1 VI THESE y Witnesses WIZ AOltl
OF seeing Weldon at the back gate of
Mrs. Beau's home and in the alley back
OF the house with pistol in his hand
from which he was drawing empty
shells there was no evidence by which
the defendant could be convicted. no
matter how much suspicion was cast
upon him.
A Net Of Evidence.
The prosecution is weaving a net
about the accused from which his at
togncys viii find it difficult to eNtricate
him. 1t has been proven by members
OF the dead woman's immediate house
hold that Weldon scarcely knew his
mcther-in-law. and that he had never
lcen to the house IN which she lived It
mas also been shown that be went to
that house on the day Of the homicide.
and at time when no one but Mrs.
BeaH was there.
motive has been shown. Testimony
has been forthcoming 10 Tic effect that
Weldon had a revolver in his posses
sion few days before the crime was
committed.
what the defense VIII show when
the Government rests its case is not
known. Whether Attorneys A. a Lips
comb and J. Edward Mitchell will at
tempt 10 prove sh4ADl AoA ~ AastAtlls
whether they viii tiike the ground that
the evidence against the man is insult
fciert. or whether they VIII. as their
cross-examination Of the Government
witnesses has sometimes indicated, az
tempt 10 show that members of the
GeaC womans Immediate family acted
I'm a suspicious manner ON the day OF
Mrs. BealTs deathVremains 20 be seen.
U;5ovg1e pro-a-t-r for life
Rachel Beau was the widow Of
Charles BeaI who owned real estate in
this city When he died. some years
ago. he left row of houses on Ninth
Street southeast. By terms OF MS VIII
his widow was 20 receive the income
from the rent Of the houses as long as
she lived. Upon her death they were
10 90 TO his sons and daughters.
One of these daughters Is the wife of
Andrew Weldon She Is a daughter Of
her fathers first wife The dead wo-
man was his second wife. With her
husband. Mrs. Weldon occupied one OF
the houses I'm this row, Z35 Ninth Street
southeast. which was rented from the
Bcall estate.
In September. 1900, the Weedons got
behind with their rent. Matters went
from bad To worse Until Mrs Minnie
agent for the property, served a thirty
day notice on chem TO move out
The Motive Ascrbed.
The house I'm which the Weedons lived
came 70 Mrs. Weldon upon the death
Of her mother This was provided for
by the will of Charles Beau Therein
lies the motive ascriDed to Weldon by
the prosecution.
Weldon was very bitter AZ the idea OF
being put out To his brother-in-law
Warren Bean, who was his great
friend he once said:
They may put me out. but they viii
never put my wife and child out"
The prosecution takes this utterancs
70 have been a threat. pregnant with
prophecy. Weldon was taken from that
house 10 the city jail. while his wife re-
mains there. the house having become
her property when her stepmother
died.
Showed a Revolver.
A few days before the murder. Wee
don. while walking down the street with
Warren Beau. showed him a revolver
and a box Of cartridges. Two days be
fore the murder, while Warren Beall.
jr.. was at his house. he showed the re-
VOlyer 10 him. also and asked him o.
como out 10 The back shed and shoot IT,
This the boy did. when he had fired
the revolver Wee4on. according 10 tho
testimony OF Warren BeaH jr. asked
him:
Does that look like it would 60
through fcshC
Why, certainly &c would" was the re-
ply the boy says ne made.
DO you think "a would go through
that old gray-headed -20 was
Weedons next question.
Sure" was the answer young BcaI
says he gave.
These circumstances. together witl
Reedon's expressed hatred o. the Bcal
family. and his once avOwed intention q
blow up the house in which Mrs Rache
BcaH lived. are what the Dlsyr.c; A.
toFney told the juy showed weldon
incentive in the. crime
In Unfinished House
Mrs. Beau lived with her married
daughter. Mrs. Charles Oelrichs. al ls4s
II street northeast The house was uu
finished. From tho testimony of Ms
Oelrichs ana OF hoy husband and two
pIeces. VIRGINIA and Eraoc Do--fnc tI.e