The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-05-05
MRS. Martin GETS
BACK GOOD SPIRITS
Woman Quite Jaunty in Her
Manner Despite Evidence
of Baby John"
Boy Tells of FerociOus Attack
on Him With Carving knife
at the Table

OAKLAND, May despite the fact
that the chain OF discriminating evil
dence which the states attorneys have
wound about Mrs. Isabella J. Martin
was drawn still tighter by the reve-
lations made by Baby John" on the
witness stand today. there was a
marked improvement in the woman's
physical condition. and she took an al
most 5aunty interest in the proceed
ings, frequently chatting and joking
with the court officers and newspaper
men.
Her demeanor had changed wonder
fully since Saturday, when she spent
the entire morning in tears and seemed
70 be on the verge. of nervous col
lapse. The reason for her sudden In
fusion Of spirits was not apparent, but
she evidently believed that her case had
taken q turn for the better, and on one
or two occasions she showed a dispo-
sition to applaud when her attorney S
questions led the witness into con-
fused or inconsistent replies.
Once when q reporter suggested that
CAPTAIN OF Detectives Peterson ought
10 take her out to witness the arrival
OF the fleet she burst into hearty
laughter, remarking as she did so that
X was the first time she had really
laughed for many weeks. The idea of
seeing the feet come in appealed to her
very strongly. and she Immediately
made z serious attempt TO coax the de-
tective into granting the desired per-
mission.
JOHN SHOWS KNIFE SCAR
The most sensational feature of the
p days testimony was Baby Johns
statement that, when angered. Mrs.
Martin was accustomed to attack him
with knives and other deadly weapons.
often endengering his life by the vio-
l7nce Of her Establishments. He ex-
hibited several scars on his hand and
arm, which he said had been inflicted in
this manner
One OF these scars. he said. was re-
ceived at the dinner table. Mrs. Martin.
becoming suddenly enraged at some re-
mark he made, seized a carving knife,
and. without any warning, he declared,
struck him across the back OF the
hand with it. cutting a deep CASH
During his description OF a blow, which
he said she had given him across the
other hand with a whip, Mrs. Martin
interrupted excitedly.
''Boshw she shouted, "he used to be
woOdchopper. Ask him what about
the brush scars"
Judge Prick her attorney. warned
her 10 be silent, but on several other
occasions she frowned and shook her
head angrily at the boys replies.
USES DYNAMITE AS LASH
A story which Mrs. Martin told about
herself during a recess this afternoon,
and which was afterward corroborated
by Baby john" illustrates the ex-
IRENE violence which possessed her
during fits Of rage. While she was
mining at Weaverville she was driving
a mack T1r1fe C0U0 : frcf nj
carrying a stick OF dynamite IN her
hand The animal was very unruly
and hard 10 manage, and after re-
peateo attempts to control him she lost
her head and struck the animal a hard
blow with the stick of powder
IF ! had been little stronger" she
said, I would never have been ar
rested"
Attorney Frick took the witness
through q searching and exhaustive
cross examination today and questioned
him repeatedly about events which oc-
CURED IN his early childhood, with the
object OF testing the strength of his
memory. The boy seems to fear a
trap in every question propounded by
the attorney for the defense and he is
evidently working hard to avoid any
entangliug statements.
oSssExAMINED SEVERELY
Nearly two hours were spent by Prick
this afternoon in an effort to break
down the boys statement that Mrs.
Martin had never allowed him to asso-
ciate with other children and that she
forced him to remain with her con-
stantly in order that her influence over
him might be maintained mistaken.
Baby John" finally acknowledged that
he had lived for some time at the home
OF Mrs. Tibbetts in San Francisco
while Mrs Martin was away and that
he had also stayed for a short while
with Mrs Isabel in Oakland.
The boy persisted in his former as
sertion that ordinarily she did not per-
nit him to have any playmates and
that she was habituaily unkind and
cruel IN her treatment Of him.
The only special kindness she ever
showed me occurred when I was sick .
he declared
While the merciless arraignment OF
her character was progressing Mrs
Martin occasionally glanced at her fos-
ter son and TO the casual observer t.efe
was no indication OF affection in her
moody glare. But when he had con-
cluded she declared emotionaliy that II
was her abiding love for him that made
the accusations so hard TO bear.
1t seems almost impossible TO be-
lieve that the boy can make such ter
rible statements about me-" she said
1T would not hurt so much If I did not
still love him, but do"