Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-21
HOPES
FOR NEW TRIAL
CLAIMS TO HAVE MONEY TO
PUSH CASE
District Attorneys office VIII Ttke
Up Case Against Mrs. scheek
but Has Little Evidence
to Offer
ac.

Mrs. Rilla Scheck, self confessed ac-
complice of Ernest G. Stackpole in the
murder of Joel Scheck, was yesterday
informed that the prosecution in the
case had succeeded and that her for
mer lover, against whom she had Civ
en- such condemning evidence, had
been found guilty and his punishment
fixed at life imprisonment in the state
penitentlary.
The woman showed no surprise and
very little interest In the verdict. Il
simply did my duty In testifying and
that was all. Further than that l had
no interest or malice in the prosecution
of Ernest Stackpole."
And that was all the woman, who had
plotted her husbands life with Stack
pole, would have to say regarding the
fate of her lover and accomplice.
For many days she had been care
fully watched in her cell at the city
Jail. She had spent two wearisome
days In the court room and had been
subjected to a terrible examination
but her actions have borne out her
statement about her interest in the
case and she has not even asked of
the progress of the trial.
What of the Woman?
Now that the Stackpole trial has been
settled the question of the thousands
Is:
what are they going to do with the
woman?"
And that question seems a hard one
to answer. Attorney Edward L. Flem-
ing, who prosecuted the Stackpole case
and secured the conviction, will leave
for his vacation within a few days
Saturday morning Attorney Thompson
representing Stackpole, will move for
q a ho
prisoner was deprived of his consti-
tutional rights.
After that Fleming will leave for his
vacation and will not return until dur
ing September, when Mrs. Scheck's
case has been set for preliminary eX-
animation.
II will attend to Mrs Scheck after
get back from my vacation was Flem-
ings statement yesterday.
mo, l don't know what the exact
mode of procedure against the woman
will be vet. but the district attorneys
office will go just as far as it can when
it comes to prosecuting Mrs. Rilla
Scheck. No promises have been made
her and we will do our duty"
Sentiment Against Prisoner
On the other hand, the public is de-
manding a prosecution Of the case and
the sentiment seems to be all against
the woman, especially when women are
asked to express their opinion.
But attorneys, prominent in criminal
procedure. do not see how the prose-
cution can make a case against the
woman. Although she confessed in
open court to her share in plotting and
carrying out the hideous murder of
her husband, that confession cannot be
used against her. Furthermore, she did
not have to testify, yet she did and
offered the only evidence whereby
Stackpole could have been convicted
and that fact is considered significant
that some arrangement might have
been made with the woman.
At any rate, attorneys say that Mrs
Schecks evidence cannot be used
against her and she cannot be expected
to go on the stand and testify against
herself, so that, since Stackpole, hoping
for a new trial, cannot testify against
her. there is no evidence to even hold
the woman over for trial from the pre-
liminary examination.
Mrs. Scheck, however, is not worry
ing over her case and seems to take no
interest in the proceedings.
Hopes for Reversal
Stackpole. on the other hand, Is
spending every hour looking over a
transcript of the evidence in his case
dict against him.
Yesterday he stated that he was en-
tirely innocent of the murder of Joel
Scheck and that he hoped to prove
that fact to everyones satisfaction be-
fore his trial was over.
1t was then suggested to him that
1t looked as If his trial was already a
matter of history
mo, I expect a new trial." he said.
my attorney will petition new trail
Saturday when l am to appear fcN
sentence. If that fails. 1 will simply
go back to my cell at the county Jail
and wait until my case is taken first
to the court of appeals, then to the
state supreme court and finally to the
United States supreme court if neces-
sary. I have the money and will fight
the verdict to the last ditch"