The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-28
Asserts That He Never Knew
Donaldson Until Day He
Played Policeman.
"WEELUM" M'WHIRTER
MAKES CROWD LAUGH
He and Attorney King the Priv
cipals in an Interesting
Dialogue.

William H. Parent, self copfesse
crook and sure-thIng man, went on the
stand for the State in the trial of James
Donaldson Thursday afternoon and war
prepared to tell how, by impersonatinq
a policeman, he had robbed ''Sandy'
McWhirter of SS373, after that Scotch
man had been separated from $2o5G
in a "boky-poky" game by Donaldson
Almost the first thing that Parent said,
however, was that he had never known
Donaldson in his life until The moment
he went into the room IN the assumed
character of policeman
Attorney Samuel \. King, fer the
defense. at once objected to any fur
tber testimony from Parent. He took
the ground that, inasmuch as Parent
was nor acquainted with Donaldson, and
consequently could not be acting in con-
cert with him. his acts could not he
binding upon Donaldson, even though
they were committed in Donaldson 8
presence. NJ, King argued this propo
sition at some length, and finally asked
for permission to submit authorities to
Judge Armstrong this morning. This
was granted, and court adjourned about
1 clock for the day.
''Weelum' On the Stand
Court opened Thursday morning with
Weelum' McWhirter, brother Of
Sandy still on the stand, His direct
| examination was concluded shortly, and
| Mr.. King took him in hand for cross
| examination. The cross examination was
an interesting dialogue between Mr.
King and the witness from the begin
ming
'FWeelum admitted tnat when n.
and his brother We're steercd into the
room by Larry o 'Brien, Donaldson ji1
not even ask them TO sit down; that
Donaldson at no time personally repre-
seuted himself TO be doctor, In which
character he was introduced by .Jofr
. Bricn, and that be had very little
10 say on any subject. Mr.. King tber
asked the witness 10 describe the table
on which The card game was played
and here the witness baked. He didn I
, know how wide IL was, and, in fact
had to be told the meaning of the
word width Then he asked Mr.
King how many feet there are in
yard.
"Three in this country" said Mr.
scojland.''
Is stupeudously Ignorant
By, the way, Mr.. McWhirter. - de
manded the attorney, ''are you az
ignorant as you assume TO be'''
j
ignorant" declared the canny Scot
Your ignorance has been of recent
! acquiremept-say within the past TWEEN,
ty hours, hasn't it?' demanded Mr.
King.
"Oh, no, replied "Wilhe.' - CIV.
been acquiring II for twenty or twenty
FIVE years.
is your memory failing9"
No, sir; We a fine memory, par
ticularly about this card game de.
clared tho witness.
You and your brother, while you
were Sheriff Emery's guests at the
county Jail. rehearsed quite frequently
iusinuated Mr- King
Wrong again, Judge retorted the
witness, eve never rehesrsed any
story
Here the witness and the attorney
had heated passage over the witness
declaration that. since the Donaldson
case started Monday be had not dis
cussed it with his brother The re
doUbtahlo SANDY had admitted on
the stand Tuesday that during the noon
| recess on that day he bad discussed the
case with his brother, but "Wullie'
insisted that this was a mistake.
That S just as true as anything you
have testified 10 IN this case, is it?'
asked Mr.. King
"Thank YOU, replied McWhirter,
thinking Mr., King had made an asser-
tion instead of asking question,
. don t want your thanks, re-
turned Mr.. King. els it rs true as
anything you have testified tes'
Now l thank you,'' said Mr. King,
with a bow
Didn't Protest to Brother
''Wullic' admitted that when Larry
| ,,H H.
| the 'hoky poky' game be had not
demonstrated further than TO shake bis
head warnipgly, aud he did not know
| whether his brother had seen him do so
or not, IL coptradicted his brother s
testimony by saying that as soon as
! Donaldson and John 'Briep began TO
bet they pushed chips representing their
bets into the center of the table.
Sandy " said they had not done so.
''Your brother had n pair of jacks
in front Of him, didn t he3' asked
| Mr.. King later in the examination,
''Who's a jack?' intcrrogated the
witness amid roar of laughter from
tho courtroom. Mr., King elucidated,
but the witness was unable to tell what
cards were held by any of the players.
| lie declared that he did not know one
card from another.
"You weren I afraid while YOU were
in that room, were yous'' asked the
| attorney.
"No. WASH { afraid, admitted
"Wulie." " sort of hesitatingly.
"What was Your feclipg1'
"Well, / felt surprise, astonishment,
and a multitude of other things
"What were the multitude of other
things'',
"f had what we call in Scotland an
'eeric feeling. and the courtroom
exploded again, The witness explained