Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-21
MERKEL SHOWS
LITTLE CONCERN
SLAYER OF TWO WOMEN ON
TRIAL FOR LIFE
Prosecution VIII Insist on the Death
Penalty In the Murder Case
Now Before Superior
Court

With a calm and contented express
sion on his wrinkled face, Ernest L. G.
Merkel, an aged man from nowhere
In particular" and Jack of all trades"
went on trial yesterday before Judge
Smith in the superior court, charged
with the murder OF two defenseless
women.
The case of John Mcclure, the old
miner, who has been sentenced to die
on the gallows, hardly disposed of, now
comes the trial of Merkel, who is also
charged with the commission of a. dou-
BILE murder.
The information charges the defend
ant with but one murder, as in the Nc
Clure case, yet the prosecution intends
to show the facts of the second murder
in further proof of the generalization
and -bloodedness of the act by
which two women met death.
1t is a significant fact that Deputy
District Attorney McComas and Deputy
District Attorney Fleming, who prose-
cuted Mcclure, have been selected to
prosecute Merkel, and, as in the Nc
Clure case, the prosecution will insist
upon the death penalty.
Attorney w. p. Hyatt was appointed
by the court to defend the prisoner.
Wife's Life Unhappy
Mrs. Merkel, who met death at the
hands of her aged husband, was
young and comely woman of %. Mer-
kel, it is alleged, induced her to come
to this country under promise of mar
riage, and it is asserted by misrepre-
sentation. Their married career, how
ever, was of brief duration. 1t was al
legged she was compelled to leave him
on account of his cruelty.
The young woman found employment
as waitress in the Busy Bee restau-
rant, kept by Carl Fox and his wife,
Mrs. frankie Fox.
| Mrs. Merkel and the Fox woman were
friends, and the former went to live
| in the Fox home, back Of the restau-
rant. For some time before the trag-
| edy Mrs. Merkel was in fear of her life,
and only ventured out of doors in COM
pany with Mrs. Fox. On the evening
of December Q the two women left
the back door of the restaurant to cross
the yard to their rooms when Merkel
sprang from secluded place and fired
| the fatal shots.
Second Victim
Merkel's wife died instantly and Mer-
kel then turned his attention to Mrs.
Fox, who attempted to escape. She
also fell a victim to the enraged man.
DR.. George w. Campbell, who per-
formed the autopsies on the bodies of the
dead women, was the first witness
called to the stand by the prosecution.
He testified briefly to the course pur-
sued by the bullets.
Carl Fox, the husband Of the woman
for whose murder Merkel is now on
trial, was one Of the most important
witnesses called by the prosecution.
| He testified that his first acquaint-
ance with the defendant dated back to
over a year ago, when Merkel called on
him relative to securing position for
his (Merkers) wife in the Busy Bee
restaurant.
On the day prior to the tragedy Mer-
KEEL again called on the witness and in
formed him that his wife was getting
too strong" He also requested Fox not
to furnish his wife with the customary
amount of food.
Wanted Wlfe's Earnings
From the testimony given by Fox
It appears that Merkel again visited the
restaurant on the day of the tragedy,
at which time he attempted to force
his wife to turn over her earnings to
him.
Alvin Grenel. who was employed as
bartender at the Strasburg saloon,
told the court that Merkel exhibited
revolver on the day previous to the
| tragedy.
The attorney for the defendant did
not disclose his line of defense. The
following comprise the jury: Myron
Bates, John Dixon, Joshua Dean, A. p.
Griffith, George Gardner, John ]. Grif-
fin, George A. Harris, e. C. Hine, T.
M. Neece. T. Thrall, George Taylor.