Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-11
YOUNG TELLS OF SHOT
Testifles in Murder Trial
This Afternoon.
EXPLAINS TIE DETAILS
DECLARES MATTER WAS INTEND
ED AS A JOKE.
Knew His Pistol Only Had Blank
Cartridges-Other Witnesses
Arguments Begun.

Samuel r. Young. trumpeter, Troop II,
18th Cavalry, U. s. army, indicted for man.
slaughter in connection with the death Oh
| Policeman John Jacob Smith, who was shot
| with the wad of blank cartridge the even
| ing of the 4th of July last while at his post
| of duty on the Aqueduct bridge, mounted
| the witness stand in Criminal Court No.
| this afternoon to testify in his own behalf.
| Young declared that from distance OF
| eighteen feet he fired one shot. using a
blank cartridge, at Policeman Smith. The
| act was "for joke" He was in ignorance
| that he had shot any one until the following
| morning. The witness ran away from the
| bridge because he thought he might be ar
rested for disorderly conduct in having dis
| charged firearm, and for fear that the
| policeman might shoot him. not knowing
| that the soldiers pistol was loaded with
| blank cartridges.
Contrasted with the story told by Young
| was that related by Policeman Smith, while
| on the operating table at Georgetown Uni
versity Hospital within fifteen minutes
| after the shooting. This statement was
| made to a sergeant of the police force, who
| repeated it today in court under oath, and
| was to the effect that the soldier had fired
! three shots at the policeman. The first
| shot was fired at a distance of six feet
| The policeman advanced and was almost
against the muzze of the weapon when the
! third shot, (which did the business, in
! the words of the deceased, was fired.
Testimony was introduced by the prose-
| cution to show the result of experiments in
| the firing of blank cartridges at clothing for
| the purpose of proving that at a greater
| distance than few feet the wadS do not
| make holes in such clothing.
| 1t is expected that the trial will be con-
| cluded tomorrow.
| Ruling on Admissibility.
Within fifteen minutes after the shooting
| occurred Sergt. Henry Schneider of the sew
| enth precinct saw Policeman Smith at the
| Georgetown University Hospital. The
| wounded man was on the operating table.
| AT this point question arose as to the
| admissibility of the evidence the govern
| ment expected to adduce from Sergt
Schneider. so the jury was directed to leave
| the court room while the point was dis
cussed. The court ruled that the evidence
| was admissible, the defense noted cX-
| ception and the jury recalled. Sergt
| Schneider testified that while on the OPP
| Grating table Policeman Smith said to the
| witness:
I'm done for-Im shot in the stomach"
The wounded man insisted that he was
| going to die. Continuing he told Sergeant
Schneider that he had had some trouble
with soldiers on the Aqueduct bridge, espe-
| cially with three of them who were OBJ
structing the footpath. He ordered them
| to move on and they complied. Policeman
Smith then turned his attention to some
other people, who walked away BY that
| time the soldiers were back on the footpath
| He again ordered
Move on!'
One of the group said:
Give me chance to make cigarette"
| The policeman showed him. Thereupon
| another soldier announced: 4
| Hold on. I've got you covered and
| produced revolver. b.. .,5-.rrE1-.- .ss4.
0oly al %L@A D1I:-
| man Smith told him the soldier fired three
| shots. Smith was about six feet from the
| soldier when the first shot was fired. He
advanced and was almost against the muZ-
| Zle of the pistol when the last shot was
| fired That one, he said, while on the oper-
| ating table, did the business
The witness saw Young at No. station
house The prisoner declared that he had
Introduction of Testimony.
| When the trial resumed this morn
| ing, Assistant United States Attorney Tur-
ner called Sister Edward of Georgetown
| University Hospital as a witness for the
government. In replies to questions, she
| said she picked up Policeman Smiths cloth
| ing from the floor of the hospital and made
bundle of the garments She did not dis
| turb the clothing or the holes in it. The
witness surrendered the bundle to Police
| man Smiths little son, who called for it.
| Sister Edward was not cross-eXamined.
| The second witness today was James w.
| Wordell of 1903 M street He testified that
| the evening of the 4th of July last he saw
a man run away from the north end of
| the Aqueduct bridge and go through the
| Key mansion. A moment later the atten-
| ton of the witness was attracted to Police
| man Smith. He ran over to the latter
| Smith was pressing his hands to his stom-
| ach. He exclaimed to the witness:
| Get me to a hospital as soon as you
| can. I've been shot by soldier
Later the witness looked about the Key
| mansion, but did not locate the man he had
| seen running in that direction.
Another witness called by the prosecution
| was John M. Ward. He was attracted to
| the scene of the shooting and found Police-
| man Smith holding his side. The police
| man remarked that he had been shot
| After Smith had been received at the hos
| pital the witness noticed hole through the
| shirt and a hole through the undershirt
| worn by the policeman.
Soldier Boards the Car.
Joseph A. C. Fought motorman in the
employ Of the Capitol Traction Company,
| told the jury that on reaching the
Georgetown end of the line about 9.4O
O'Clock the evening of July 4 he heard that
| Policeman Smith had been shot On the
return trip soldier, in khaki trousers and
blue flannel shirt. but hatless and without
| blouse, boarded the car at Washington Cir
| Gle. Upon information received from his
| conductor the witness, upon reaching 14th
| street and Pennsylvania avenue. blew his
police whistle Policeman Mellen respond
| ed and arrested the soldier passenger
The next witness was isaac B. Talbot
conductor of the train of Capital Traction
| Companys cars of which Fought was mo-
| torman July last. His testimony was SUBJ
stantially the same as that given by Mo-
| torman Fought.
Policeman Archibald Mellen of No. DO
| lice precinct described the arrest of Young
| by him on the avenue car. The prisoner
wanted to know the reason for the arrest,
and the policeman explained that it was
because he presented a disorderly appear