The San Francisco call., 1905-03-16
TAYLOR TELLS
Of SHOOTING
Detective Swears That Kid
Goucller Was One of, the
Footpads OH Fatal Night

After a delay caused by the illness
of Juror Van Bergen, the Goucher trial
was resumed yesterday morning in
Judge Carroll Cooks court. During the
day Detective James H. Taylor, who
is the principal witness for the prose-
cution, took the stand and told the
story of the killing of Policeman Rob-
inson in the early morning of January
Il, 1902. Taylor's. testimony was dam
aging to the youthful defendant, and
his father was constantly objecting
and being oyerruled by the court.
In the morning session Joseph Brach-
mann, who formerly conducted pawn
snop on Third street, between Market
and Mission, testified that man re-
sembling Frank Woods, a codefendant
in the present trial, came to his shop
to purchase cartridges, and was ac-
compaflied by youth resembling
Kid Goucher, the accused.
Sergeant Campbell in the afternoon
told of finding the coat of Frank Woods
in vacant lot near the scene of the
shooting of Robinson. The coat had
two bullet holes in it that corresponded
with two wounds on Woods, body.
Detective Sergeant Dinan told how he
and Detective Taylor found the bullet
holes and how he marked them at the
time with chalk for further identifica-
tion. ~
There was absolute silence in the
courtroom as Detective Taylor told
simply and briefly the story of the
shooting. Despite the frequent inter-
ruptions of Attorney Goucher, who is
sparing no effort to save his son, the
witness told a clean story. He related
low he and Policeman Robinson start
ed out from the Seventeenth-str sta
ton in plain clothes and separated; at
Sixteenth and Valencia streets at IL
o'clock on the night Of January 20, 1902.
Early in the morning of the 21st Tay-
lor heard pistol shot, soon followed
by a volley, and ran in the direction
of Sixteenth and Valencia, whence the
sounds came. In the clear moonlight
three men turned the corner and came
toward him. One tWoods) was being
assisted to run along by Henderson and
Goucher. Taylor insisted that he iden-
titled all three men, and could not be
mistaken.
!, Taylor called on them to halt and
the reply was a shot. The men dashed
| into Julian avenue after firing two
more shots. While pursuing the men
through Julian avenue Taylor shot
Henderson and disarmed and hand
cuffed him. The other two escaped
Taylor then told Of the search for
! Goucher after the shooting and the in
ability of the police to locate him.
Finally, after two years, he was found
! in the Saltwater penitentiary in Min
nesota, where he was finishing term
for grand larceny.
District Attorney Byington then ask
ed Taylor to repeat any conversations
he had with the prisoner when return
ing from Minnesota. Instantly Sen
ator Goucher was on his feet object
ing. He said the testimony of the av-
! eragc detective could not be relied
upon; that if no conversation occurred
a detective would manufacture one.
Byington< objected to the remark and
was sustained by the court.
The conversations between the de-
! tective and the prisoner, however, had
/ little bearing on the case. Late in the
afternoon the defense took UP the
cross-examination of the witness, at
! tempting without much success to up
! set his testimony by quoting his for
mer testimony in the trial of Frank
Woods. The case will go on to-day at
10 o'clock.