Evening star., 1908-02-04
ON TRIAL FOR HER LIFE
MRS. McDONALDS VICTIM
GIVEN A BLACK NAME.

ChiCAGO, Februafy A-HOmer j.
SMITH Of St. Paul, Ark, a former bust
ness partner Of Webster s. Guerin, the
murdered man, testified today in the
trail of Mrs. Dora Mcdonald that Guerin
was gambler and blackmailer.
He declared that upon one occasion he
had acted as Intermediary between Mrs.
Mcdonald and Guerin, by obtaining $175
from Mrs. Mcdonald with which to send
Guerin to New York. Mrs Mcdonald de-
clared, according to the witness. that she
wanted to get Guerin out of town. Guerin
went away, but returned, and Mrs. Nc
Donald again furnished the funds for him
to leave. This time he went to Sandusky
and Cleveland.
Guerin Gambled Away Gift.
Smith testified that Mrs. Mcdonald had
given 800 to Guerin, which he was to in
vest in the business. but that he did not
do SO. Ho told Mrs. Mcdonald that Cue
rim had sambled it away
On another occasion he said, Guerin tried
to extort $4,000 from Mrs. Mcdonald in
return for letters from her which he
claimed to have. The money was not
paid. Smith said that Mrs. Mcdonald
had told him that Guerin was troubling
her all Of the time and that once they
went to the Holy Name Cathedral to-
gether, and there Guerin made vow to
cease causing her annoyance.
On January q. 1906, Smith declared.
he came to Chicago at the request
Of friends of Mrs. Mcdonald to make an
effort to have Guerin cease his persecu-
tion of the woman. He was unable to
make any definite arrangement, he said.
and his trip proved fruitless.
/ Found Her With Pistol in Hand.
. John J. O'Neil. a cigarmaker. testified
yesterday. He works : in the building
where the murder occurred. and SAID he
heard woman screaming and when he
ran to the room he found Mrs. Mcdonald
with a revolver in her, hand. breaking
the glass in the door. She screamed sew
eral times, ''Save him, save him: he is
not dead"
I O'Neil further said: She was terribly
excited. Somebody had stuck her hat on
her head and her hair was tumbled and
l hated to look at her.
Reuben Lewis. who had an Office in the
Omaha building, and was the first to en-
ter the room after the shooting of Guerin.
said Mrs Mcdonald told him that Guerin
had struck her before she shot him.
Charles Freudenberg. who entered the
room "a few minutes after Guerln was
shot. gave evidence similar to that of
sO'Neil and, Lewis He said he tried to
talks to Guerin., but the latter was unable
to say a word and died while he (Freu-
'denberg) was bending over him. He de-
clared that Mrs. Mcdonald. when he en-
tered tho, room, was absolutely crazy
Threats to Take Her Life.
/ Mary j. Campbell. proprietor Of a clean
ing and dyeins establishment, testified to
having interrupted Webster Guerin in the
act of choking Mrs. Mcdonald and to hav-
ing heard him threaten to take her life.
The assault. she said. occurred on DreXel
boulevard near 43d street. a week before
the shooting of Guerin, and was witnessed d
by her from behind a billboard.
According to Mrs. Campbell she passed
Guerin and Mrs. Mcdonald and overheard
them quarreling over money. Guerin de-
mandng that Mrs. Mcdonald give him
money and Mrs. Mcdonald pleading that
she could not do SO. Mrs. Campbell said
that out of curiosity she concealed her
self and heard Mrs. Mcdonald say: II
am going to tell daddy (Mrs. McDonald's
husband) ALL Thereupon Guerin cursed
Mrs. Mcdonald and seized her by the
throat.
Mrs. Campbell says that she then ran
out from her hiding place and shouted for
help and Guerin hurried away. On cross
examination the witness said that Guerin
declared as he seized Mrs. Mcdonald:
I'll murder you right here"
du Chen, Wis. told of having overheard
q; quarrel. in a restaurant between Guerin
and Mrs. Mcdonald. In the course OF
which the defendant, in reply to a demand
for money, made similar threat to tell
dad" to which Guerin replied: IF you
ever threaten to tell the old man again I
want you to know that can shoot and
shoot to kill" -