The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-16
LAST WEEK OF
WALKER TRIAL
Case viii Probably Be Given
to the Jury Sometime
Thursday.



Juror houng. known as juror No. y
= II, in the Beers murder case, was y
= seized with an attack of bronchial 4
= trouble early last evening, and the +
= indications are that his condition y
= viii cause an interruption of the =
= trial. At midnight his temperature '
= was lei. DR.. J. S. Gordon attended 4
the sick juror last night. Some days =
ago Young contracted cold, which =
= grew worse until it developed into a y
= severe bronchial trouble.
The fate of Fred c. Walker. who is now
on trial for the murder of Dr. Earl s.
Beers, Will be determined by the jury
sitting in the case some time during the
middle of the present week. when they
viii be asked to pass judgment accord
Ing to the law and evidence. Both sides
have introduced about an equal amount
or evidence and they have alike furnished
a number of sensational facts. Much
depends upon how far the jurors VIII be
moved by sympathy.
The case has been before the people
since Dec. 3. The state has completed
It's case. but will probably offer some
strong testimony in rebuttal of that put
IN by the defense. It is altogether likely
that the letters of Mrs. Walker addressed
TO DR.. Beers will form an important part
OF the states case. Walkers letters to
his wife, written just before the tragedy
have been put In evidence by counsel for
the defense, and the letters Of Mrs. Walk
a
1imlnary hearing. The letters of walker
10 his wife were filled with expressions
of love and confidence and eVlnced his
desire to win back the love of his wife.
The letters of Mrs. Walker 10 Beers were
also filled with expressions of love, but
there was an absence of the pleadngs
contained in the letters written by her
husband.
Testimony of Defendant.
Walker himself has so far made the
best witness in the case. with the possible
exception of Miss Bertha Hull who tes-
titled for the prosecution. Walker told
a plausible story and stuck to it, He
was on the stand from early Saturday
morning until adJourning time, and was
still under cross-eXaminatiOn. Never be
fore in the history of the local courts
was there anything more dramatic than
when the prisoner told of Beers taunt-
ing him with the acknowledgment of
dctiiing his wife until his reason seemed
TO become obscured by red flame and
ali that he could see was that" man
before him. and II fought him and !
fought him This was all he said he
could remember OF the tragedy.
II Walkers story is true as to the
remarks made by DR.. Beers that morn
ing, on one viii doubt for a moment that
he was justified i'm committing the deed.
ON the other hand, if the contention of
the state. that Walker committed the
crime after carefully formulated plans,
is proved. then it will be hard to JUS
IifV the act. irrespective of how much
right he had under the moral law to kill
the man who broke up his home
Lawrence Next Witness.
Lawrence, who is co-defendant with
Walker, will in all probability be called
as the next witness after Walkers eX-
animation has been completed. BY his
testimony the defense will attempt Ia
prove that Walker used nothing but his
fists in the fight with the doctor, and in
this way will try to discredit the tes-
timOny of Mrs Hull who said she saw
Walker strike him over the head with
club They will also attempt to dis
prove by this witness the statement made
by Beers at the hospital. when he said
There were two against me- as testi-
fled by Miss Maud Edwards matrOn OF
the institution.
It is probable that with the testimony
of Lawrence the defense will close its
case. The rebuttal testimony taken on
behalf of the state should not occupy
more than day at the most, and in that
event the case should be given over to
the jury by Wednesday evening. The
return of Judge W /. Maginnis from
the east will likely lend interest to the
case.
Jurors Given a Bath.
Yesterday the jurors were taken to the
ogden Canyon sanitarium, where they
enjoyed a plunge in the pools. Walker
and Lawrence spent the day quietly al
the Jail They received a few of their
relatives and friends, and appeared to
enjoy the day of rest. which served to
break the strain of the trial The at
tOrneys and their assistants We're busy
working at the case all day and a large
portion of the evening, in preparing for
the final struggle.
During the week interest in the case
increased wonderfully. At each session
the court room was crowded to overflow
ing. Notwithstanding the crOWding of the
court room the attaches have had little
or no trouble in preserving perfect quiet
and order. The jurors seem to take kind
" to their position. although they show
some effect of their forced confinement.