The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-28
WEELUM'S WIT
CONvULSES COURT
Young Scot TestifieS Regarding
Great American Game
of Poker.
WHEN M'WHIRTER CALLED
1T WAS A POLICEMAN AND NOT
A BET.

William McWhirter photographer. and
Attorney Sam King. rhetorician, in joint
debate on English as she is spoke" by
gamblers, attorneys and Scotchmen,
proved an amusing feature in the trial
of Doctor James Donaldson in Judge
Armstrong; court room.
Attorney King insisted that "eXpatiate'
was pronounced with long "a but
McWhirter said in correct English 1t was
a short "a" Other words and their
usage discussed by the debaters were in
wife, request, expedient, yard, hand, deal,
recoup, see and call.
had called" any bets, but knew that he
and his brother Sandy" had tried 10
call a policeman. When asked if Donald
piled:
Il don't know what he saw. I only
know what / saw myself"
The climax was reached when Attorney
King dramatically asked:
"Who Is a Jack?"
did not your brother have two jacks
in front of him?"
Who's a JACKIE" asked the Scot inno-
Gently.
The poker game begun in court Wednes-
day was continued in court yesterday
with increasing interest. Attorney King
furnished the roll of money. He was
asked by Mr.. Loofbourow if it was the
identical roll that had been lost by the
McWhirters. but declined to answer.
Donaldson said it looked ''phoney." In
the course of his questions, Mr.. King
showed such a familiarity with poker
terms as to more than ever excite the
suspicious of the wary Scot.
A point was raised just prior to the adj
Journment of the case yesterday after
noon that may prove vital TO the prose
cution. W. H. Parent, the confessed
bunco man, who turned states evidence
was called. He swore that on Sept. 10
IN Z hn af he AafI 1ir7cr hnr1 cF
was the first occasion on which he had
ever met Donaldson. Mr.. King then OBJ
jected TO mis- testifying as to what had
been done in connection with the Nc
W nirter robbery by either him or Bell on
the ground that it was immateFiai He
contended that the state had submitted
no evidence whatever to show that Don
aldsOn was in any way conneced with the
crime alleged to have been perpetrated
by Bell or Parent.
In short argument, the attorney for
the defense reviewed a portion of tbs
evidence. He said that the McWhirters
had both testified that Donaldson took
no hand whatever in the taking of the
SsS73, and had done nothing which they
considered improper other than the taking
of the s., $50. The defense announced that il
was in a position to submit authorities on
the subject from almost every state in
the union. An adjournment was taken
at t o'clock until this morning to give
both sides the opportunity to argue the
point. 1t is anticipated that the argu-
ment will take up the entire morning
session.
McWhirter, the younger, had his turn
at describing the poker game yesterday
He told how the game appeared from the
viewpoint of spectator. While the
game was progressing, "Weelum' was in
a peculiar state of mind. The attorney
for the defense sought to have him anal
we his feelings.
Weeium's "Eerie" Feeling.
establishment and multitude Of other
things" said young McWhirter.
What were the multitude of other
things?" insisted the attorney.
Il had what we call In Scotland ar
'eerie' feeling" replied the Scot.
You are an artful fellow, aren't you?'
Il ought to be with such a smart ques-
TONER" replied "Weelum" graciously..
poker game. Joe Sharpe as property mar
arranged the scene. An ordinary re-
vOlver and a Belgian automatic gun were
furnished by the deputy sheriff. The at
toTney for the defense used Jim Donald.
sons purse and some money which he
took from his own pocket to give The
game color.
The Hands Held.
The cards were dealt around as they
were on the date of the robbery. One
card was laid face downward in front
of Jim Donaldson, one in front of the
place IeII Tor JACK OBrlen and one III
front of Alexander McWhrter. -Four
others at each place were 0ealt face up
ward and the stud" poker game was
on. Jim Donaldson had a pair of sevens
in sight with nine apd five. O'Brien':
hand showed queen a ten, an eight and
a tray. In front of McWhirter were
pair of jacks, an ace and a nine.
After William had gone into the bet
ting several times and described eacF
play as it came up he was asked if hi,
brother Alexander had not an ace bur.
led, If Donaldson had not another sever
in the hole, and if the buried card il