Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-11
LACKS SELF
RELIANCE AND
EASILY LED
ROBE MAY HAVE BEEN VICTIM
OF STRONGER MIND
QUESTIONS SHOW PROBABLE
LINE OF DEFENSE
humber of Witnesses Examined IN
Trial Of Young Prisoner Said
to BE Accomplice of
Meskil

Rolla Robe is unstable, lacks deterIilila, a
tjon and self-reliance and is easily leu
BY stronger mind.
Listening closely to the cross-eNAiill
tion Of the prosecutions witnesses yester-
dav nv Attorneys +. J. Spring and Arthur
T veitch. the conclusion must be reached
that II is the purpose of Robes counsei
IN endeavor to prove the above to be a
fact and that Robe was led into crime by
the dominant will and the influence Oh
superior physical strength of Danlel r.
MeskiL
Rolla Robe does not look like mur-
derer. He does not even bear resen-
blanee to what is generally pictured IN
ones mind as the features Of tniet' ana
as he sits in the crowded court room'
holding his child on his knee and exchang-
ing loving glances with the little wite
and mother, who sits near by, II Is marc
for an observer TO connect this almost
frail young man with the hlshese oiiiiie
a man can be guilty Of.
That Robe realizes fully his position IS
evident. Not a word of the testimony IS
unheard by him and not movement Oh
those about him Is unnoted. Al every
mention of the killing OF Patrick n,
Lyons and the robbery which occurred
Just prior to the shooting on November
so Robe gIances about uneasily, and the
expression on his thin face is not that OF
guilt but of apprehension.
Mrs. Robe Close Observer
Mrs. Robe follows the proceedings with
almost as much intentness as SHOWN py
her husband, and at each mention Oh the
crime of which he is charged with having
been an accomplice the little woman $
glance seeks the face of the prisoner Win
sympathy and support
When Judge B. N. Smiths department.
of the superior court opened yesterday
every seat was filled and the broad space
at the north side of the chamber whlcn
has been cleared by the court oihcers
the last two days was again crowded
Less restriction was shown and the gath
ering was allowed to remain throughout
the session. A large number OF the spec
fators was made up OF women, whose
glances as they looked at the prisoner
his wife and baby were filled with sym
pathetic interest. .
Robes mother. it was said yesterday, is
still living almost at the point OF death
at her home on Catalina island. and IL
was also stated his grandfather, A.
Grubb. has been, seriously i'll as a result
of the troubles OF his grandson.
The first witness yesterday was MISS
Elsie NJ Miller. an employe OF dye
works Miss Miller said she was near
the place where the killing of Lyons took
place on the night of the shooting and
that the man wearing the mask, who has
since been identified as Meskil, fired the
shot.
.aThe man without a mask" said the
witness, was near the officer when the
shooting took place. could NOT zen VINO VINO
he was, but he was taller and slenderer
than the man wearing the mask. They
ran up Central avenue and then east or
Fourteenth street"
Shows Position of Men
"a ruff
the relative positions of the men in the
group where the killing took place.
II saw a man crossing the street" said
the witness. "ano heard the man with the
mask say Come on or will kill you"
This she remembers distinctly.
DR.. George w. Campbell of 119 South
BOYLE avenue told of an autopsy and ex-
animation of Lyons body at Pierce Bros.
undertaking establishment the day fol-
lowing the shooting. He said the face
was studded with powder grains and one
eve had been destroyed. over the right
eve was a bullet wound and the skull
had been fractured in all directions
Death, he said, had been caused by
gunshot wound.
Elmer Minerd, a groceryman at 1425
Newton street, who searched Lyons
clothing at the command of Meskil, testi-
fed in regard to the circumstances sur
rounding the shooting.
The first thing he noticed, he said. was
some confusion near the Grosser winery
and then he heard shouts and some one
commanding:
Hold up your hands: keep them up
there, d---n you, OF I'll kill you.
After his failure to find the officers re-
volver, Minerd saiC. the masked man
stepped backward. and as he did so
Lyons turned quickly and was shot
You saw a young man running across
the street," was asked by District At
torney Fredericks.
Yes said the witness. 81 recognize
him as the defendant here"
Minerd said when Robe was about ff-