The San Francisco call., 1904-02-18

The prosecution closed it's case yes
terday morning in the trial Of Edmond
/ de Labrousse, charged with the muir
der Of Miss Marie Jordan on September
% last. Its concluding witness was
Mrs Caroline Jordan, mother of the
murdered girl. She told how it was
+ that a trunk supposed to belong to the
prisoner was in her possession. She
said it was the property of her son
and had never belonged to De La
brousse. It had been lent him that he
might save storage charge when away
from the city and in it he had placed
his books and private papers.
Mrs. Jordan told of her late daughter
giving the jewels which accused had
presented her with back to him and of
his leaving them on the table, refusing
to take them.
District Attorney Byington then an
nounced that the case of the prosecu-
ton rested and Attorney Roche began
his opening address TO the jury, detail
ing quickly, firmly and lucidly the
course he intended to pursue in the
defense of his client.
Mr.. Roche admitted that he appre-
ciated the fact that the sanity or tenn
permanent Of the defendant would be
subject to the closest scrutiny. He ex-
pected TO prove that not only at the
moment of the homicide, but prior to
the commission of the deed Labrousse
was mentally deranged and could not
appreciate the crime charged against
him and was not therefore amenable
To the law.
FAMILY MEETS MISFORTUNE.
Mr.. Roche told the jury that De La
brousse, who was born in France, was
the son of Edmond Dufeu, who had
committed suicide when defendant was
but a child. His mother later married
DR.. Labrousse, a veterinary surgeon,
and her son took his stepfather's name
and grew up to love him as a father.
The family came out to San Fran
cisco and then removed to Nevada,
where in time defendant assisted the
doctor. Ill luck followed them and 1t
fell to the lot of young Labrousse to
maintain the family, which Office fell
heavily upon his youthful shoulders.
Step by step Attorney Roche took the
court and jury along the life-path Of
De Labrousse. He told of his meeting
Miss Marie Jordan when both were en-
ployed at the City of Paris and of an
acquaintance which, said the attorney,
ripened into love that was tender.
He told Of De Labrousse's constant at
tendance at the French church and Of
his endeavor to gain an education when
a boy to fit himself for a position in
life, and also related in detail the
young mans failures in business, when
he had hoped to build up a position that
would warrant him asking Miss Jordan
to become his wife.
De Labrousse, said Attorney Roche,
became estranged from his family at
the time he was paying attention to
Miss Jordan. Mrs. de Labrousse wished
that her son should marry according
to her own manner of thinking and one
Of his own religion. Then Attorney
Roche said that Miss Lily Jordan, re-
alizing that De Labrousse could not
make her sister happy, came between
the couple.
THREATENED SUICIDE.
De Labrousse, he said, could not
sleep when the estrangement came.
Miss Jordan put him off and off, re-
fused to talk to him, would not accom-
pany him to the theater, and all this
weakened him mentally, said the attor-
rey. months prior to the commission OF
the murder, with the result that he
threatened more than once to take his
own life.
The attorney for the defendant de-
MED that he premeditated taking Mis-;