The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-14
PRELIMINARY Is
 OPENED IN SELMA Physicians Testify in the Bei-
 man Tragedy NUMEROUS EXHIBITS MADE Mayor Refuses to Allow Testimony to Scene Between Dead Man and
 His Wife-Hearing Con
 tinues Today.
NUMEROUS EXHIBITS MADE

Selma, January 13.-(Special.)- )-The pre- liminary trial of w. S. Lawrence
 charged with the murder of H. Beiman, took place before Mayor Atkins this morning. The case was called at the reg ular hour of police court but was post poned until Il o'clock to give the attor- neys time to confer with witnesses.
 A long list of witnesses were called, the following being for the state: pr. w. w
 IIcrper, pr. s. G. Gay, J. L. Bishop, S.
 Eagle, I. Schwarz. Officer J. R. White, Aaron Yaretzky, l. Yaretzky, w. R. Pea
 cock E. R. Stewart David Beiman,
 Rubie Beman Children of the deceaseD, Joe Rosenberg Louis Rosenberg, Louis Eagle, Martha Cunningham, Norman Ellis Servants of deceased household). Fer defense the following were sum- moned: W. II. Lagrone, w. L. Weaver J. A. Fulford Mrs. Ida Beiman. B. c. Moseley Percy Day, J. L. Law. Fred
 DeBardelaben MT. Voight Cat Southern shops), Thomas Johnson, Henry Johnson,
 E. Lamar, J. ". McFerrln, w. c. Day,
 Gus Callen, Louis Phillips R. w. Young,
 Captain Dibble, jailer, Deputy Sheriff Key, Ike Paplamus. The defense also
 summoned a number of the same wit nesses as named by the state.
 The plea entered by the defendant through his attorney, w. w. Quarles, was not guilty, and all the witnesses except Dr. Gay, retired the rule being invoked.
 pr. Gay Testifies.
 Dr. S. G. Gay testified as follows: Her man Beiman died Sunday about 1:30 from a gunshot wound (The proceedings were tpfe 14.1
 fense asking that MT. W. M. Vaughan, who was taking the testimony, be sworn). l first saw MT Beiman on the floor of the office used as a bookkeepers' office in the store of Mr. Beiman. The first person noticed was Dr. Harper and the 1 second was MT. Lawrence. Bullet en- tered left side just back of angle of left jaw, ranging upward and forward and made its exit in the corner of the right eye. There was only one perforation. MT. Beiman said he thought he was going to die. Upon question being asked what MT. Beiman said, objection was raised by Col. Quarles on the ground that l 1t had not been shown that he was pos | sessed of danger of impending dssolu- tion, as the law requires. Court over ruled objection and exception was taken). MT. Beiman was talking quite a good deal. In speaking to MT. Lawrence he | said: What made you shoot me? You want to marry my wife; that's what | made you shoot me- I went in the | store to get some things I left in there a day or two later and saw Mr.. Beiman's | hat. CHat exhibited with spot which 1 witness said he judged to be a powder 1 burn). Around the circle of the wound l were powder burns. Some authorities state that pistol would have to be with in twelve inches to cause powder burn.
 cross-Examlnation
 did not hear any pistol report before going to the store. All the blood that I saw was fresh blood. l could not say how long before 1 got there the shooting had occurred. Mr. Beiman was lying on | floor of office. Mr. Lawrence was close enough to get blood on his clothing He held instruments for us and was apparent | ly willing to do anything we asked him | to. l staid there less than five minutes and went after instruments, returning as | quick as l could from my office. MT. Bei- man stated what have said above before l went for the instruments. 1 don't recall l the first words MT. Beiman said, but 1 my recollection Is that he made use of the words, What for you shoot me-" | before he made reference to his wife con being asked what MT. Lawrence said ob- jection was raised, which was overruled.) MT. Lawrence replied: MT. Beiman, you know l did not shoot you intentionally" I did not hear Mir. Lawrence say any thing else l do not pretend to say that 1 remember heard every word MT. l Lawrence or MT. Beiman said. l don't recall that MT. Beiman said T have never done you any harm and MT. Law renee replied, "No; and l have never done you any harm" l did not see any pistols and did not notice any. l quoted Senn as authority on distance as to powder burns. The powder burns did not extend over a quarter of an inch from 1 edge of wound. I speak and understand the German language a little. l did not hear any foreign language spoken un- | til l found MT. Eagle there. MT Bei man spoke broken English. When I | went back to get some pans left in the store my recollection is that I saw MT. Shafer pick up bullet. I diu not hear 1 MT Beiman say the shooting was acci- l dental I did hear him ask that his wife | be sent for
 pr. Harper on Stand.
 | Dr. w. W. Harper said: When I got | to the store I saw on the outside Y, Ill | Peacock and MT. Ike Yaretzky. Inside 1 the store saw MT. Lawrence In the mid I dle of the store going towards the rear. Mir Beiman was lying in the office, his head near the railing door. I saw some l pistols lying on the desk. I do not know l whether they were loaded or unloaded | asked MT. Lawrence to please put the | pistols away, as I was afraid they would | slip off the desk and De exploded. CTwo 1 pistols exhbited) They look like the pistols. I know one was ivory handle anu | the other dark. I saw MT. Lawrence unloading one pistol. I do. not know which one it was.
 Cross-Examination
 I did not hear the report of the pistol. I do not know how long he had been shot. It was a very short time, not ex- | ceeding ten or fifteen minutes. 1 was first one further than MT. Lawrence that | went there. MT. Lawrence was holding l MT. Beiman's head when I reached him. He was stooping over him holding his l head I saw MT. Bailey in there. I re- | orested MT Lawrence to unload the pis- 1 tols and take them off. Mir. Beiman was 1 talking nearly all the time. He was ex- l cited, but I thought he was rather cool l for a man so seriously shot He was | nervous, excited and frightened. (Objec- | tion was raised to the question whether l or not MT. Lawrence showed any un- 1 feignedly feeling Judge Craig made an | impassioned speech against allowing the l question. Objection was overruled) From l the time 1 went there to the time the l body was removed there was no act l f..;< fu ct.1