The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1907-08-27

The first real business day of the
great Davis murder trial at the court
house before Judge Steiner in the Su-
perior court dawned fair and bright
this morning, although the azure
skies and cool balmy air was con-
trary to the evidence given for the
kentucky prisoner in the dock The
bright morning sun stole in through
the half open windows of the trib
unal chamber. lighting up the books
upon which are kept the records of
the case, playing around the benches
upon which sat interested members
of the citizen body, and sending lit
tie elfish shadows hither and thith-
er athwart the green table where
were grouped the small coterie of
to their various positions in sending
the prisoner to the penitentiary, to
freedom, or the gallows. A narrow
beam of sunshine fell across the lap
of the prisoner, and he started un-
consciously, as if it reminded him
chat life which perhaps might never
be his allotment again. He pulled
his mustache nervously and leaned
over to whisper a few abrupt sent
ences to his attorney.
The trial really started yesterday
afternoon. but it was not until this
morning that the ease became fairly
under way. Yesterday afternoon Dr..
George w. Hoxey and Frank Varo
testified for the state. This morning
the prosecution continued. Lloyd
Belvel testified to being in Leaven-
worth at the time the crime was
committed, of which Davis is accus-
ed. He said that he had followed
Davis into the saloon there, where
the trouble started, and had been a
spectator of part of the trouble which
followed, without however actually
seeing murder committed. He said
that Davis and the murdered man
McGee had quarreled and that Davis
had made disturbance-tha he had
forced him into chair, but that he
had got up again, and that then It
was that he had seen a gun which
the defendent Davis had on his per-
son. A few moments later the trag-
edy occurred, there was blow struck
with the open hand across the face
of the deceased, and then the fatal
shot which snuffed out the life of one
man and placed another in the mel
ancholy situation of being tried for
forfeiting his own to outraged So
ciety.
Belvel made very ready witness
speaking to the point, even to the
extent of quoting words used by the
defendent, and giving distances in
each quotation.
Y. Shimato, a japanese porter.
who had been employed at the sal
don at the time of the murder war
The next witness, and as he was pres.
ent at the time of the tragedy his
testimony was listened to with in
tense interest by the court rooms
spectators. He could not speak Eng
lish and so brother son of Nippon
Tsune Hayaseri, acted as interpre
ter.
Shimato said that he had been
porter employed at the saloon and
vas present on the day the murder
took place. He testified to the ocur-
renee of brawl in the saloon, the
striking of the deceased by Davis,
and other events. The fact of the
murder according TO his own eye
sight he did not testify to.
At eleven o'clock the court ad-
iourned for a recess.
The witnesses in the case of the
state against W.. l.. Davis are as fol-
lows: for the state; H. O. Platt;
George w. Hoxey. C. C. Booth, R. F..
Templin, VIM. Rice. j. G. Fritz. A.
C.. Church, A. A. Bryant, George p.
Rice. Mat Sumatch, Lloyd Belvel, ].
G.. Debord, Frank Varo, Y. Shimat-
ra. P. p. Well, W. L. Summonson,
Butler Sampson. and Esune Haya-
seri. a Japanese interpreter. For
the defendent, w. c. Northrup, Ca
mile Massie, Isaac Mure, George