Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-19
BESOLD HAS
NO TESTIMONY
FOR DEFENSE
Rests Case Without
Evidence
Attorney sturges Springs Surprise on
Jury and Prosecution, but Says
There Is No Proof of
Crime

The greatest sensation Of many years
was sprung in department one of the
superior court yesterday afternoon in
the trial of Anton Besold the Bavarian
butcher charged with the murder of his
wife, Glade, when Attorney A. A.
Sturges representing the accused man,
rested his case without putting In one
line of evidence and placing his clients
life in the hands of the Jurors without
one word of defense.
The story of the Temescal canyon
murder, the finding of the decomposed
body of a woman proven to be Mrs.
Glade Besold, the sensational piece of
detective work by Deputy sheriff
Charlie Gilbert I'm tracking Besold
across the continent and arresting him
on the eve of his enlistment in the
army and then the grewsome evidence
at the trial, all considered, has made
the Besod case one OF the most re-
markable In history, and yesterday the
climax was capped.
Since the case began the prosecution
has been using every means within its
power to defeat any defense to be Of
fered by Besold.
Surprises Prosecution
The attorneys for the prosecution
have done everything within their
power to find out what line of defense
was to be advanced. At one time 1t
was thought that Besold would allege
his wife had committed suicide and
several witnesses were Immediately
used by the prosecution in an attempt
to show the impossibiity of such a
thing.
Yesterday at noon the prosecution
announced that its case was In and
that it would rest except for any re-
butta of the defense evidence. The
case was continued for the afternoon
session and Attorney Sturges smiled as
he left the court room.
Many ConjeCtureS were made as to
what defense would be advanced and
when the case was called for the after
noon session the court room was
crowded Many of the spectators were
women and all the witnesses in the
case were thronging the corridors in
an attempt to hear some of Besold' s
side of the case.
"Call your first witness, Mr.. Stur-
ges," said Judge Smith.
Sturges arose, 50 that his statement
might strike home to the jury.
No Evidence to Offer
1.-The defense rests, your honor" he
said. MY client is innocent, he has no
evidence to offer and he rests his case
with these jurors. We allege that the
prosecution has not proven the corpus
delicti that it has failed to prove that
any crime was committed or that this
woman came to her death through
criminal agency"
A gasp went up from. the spectators
as the full import of the statement
came to them. Sturges had placed his
clients life with the jury as coolly as
though he had been talking about the
weather and from the expression on
their faces 1t evidently had it's weight
with them.
Besold smiled and the court. after re-
covering slightly, ordered Deputy Dis
trCt Attorney Blair to open the argu-
ment for the prosecution. Today At
torney Sturges will open for the de-
fense, alleging that the corpus deficit
has not been proven. He has held to
that contention throughout the trial.
Says Wife Drove Him Crazy
Yesterday morning Deputy Sheriff
Gilbert was on the stand and produced
the partial confession made by Besold
en- route to Los Angeles from Washing
ton. In that Besold stated throughout
that his wife's actions had driven him
nearly crazy. He stated in his written
instrument that he had taken his wife
from house of i'll repute and had mar
rled ner because ne loved her, hoping
to convince her that a decent married
life was the best way to live. He
stated that when he learned that the
woman he loved was returning to that
life that he could not bear to think of
II and that at one time he had at
tempted suicide, but had failed and
that at the time of his wifes death he
would have killed himself had he not
been the sole support of his mother.
The alleged confession appeared to
have weight with the jury. so far as
Besold's statements of his misery over
his wife's action was concerned, form
ing in it's detail a new version of the
unwritten law.
The case will probably go to the jury
this evening or early tomorrow morn
ing.