The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-09-25
IMPORTANT WITNESS IS
MISSING AT TRIAL
ASTORIA PHYSICIAN BADLY
WANTED BY BOTH SIDES IN
ROBERT CASEY MATTER.

The case of the State against Rob
ert Casey OF Olney, charged witt
having assaulted little girl about
year ago, is expected to so 70 th'
jury this morning. All Of yesterday
afternoon the circuit court room was
fairly well crowded with.a throng q
auditors who listened with keen in
terest to the case as it progressed
When court adjourned last evening
both the prosecution and defense hat
their testimony all in, though one
! witness was absent.
DR.. Toivo Forsstrom was the miss
ing witness. His testimony was con.
sidered virtually indispensable by the
prosecution at first, though it is un-
derstood that later both Mr.. Tongue,
the prosecuting attorney, and Mr.
Brownell, his assistant, deemed their
case complete without the physicians
testimony AT the same time the de-
fense was also loudly calling for DR.,
Forsstrom, averring that certain testi-
mony from him would at once render
all of the prosecutions efforts OF no
effect. DR.. Forsstrom made an exami-
nation of the little girl at the time OF
the alleged assault and naturally his
testimony should prove virtually de-
cisive either for or against the prose
chtion.
Among the attorneys the matter
caused keen interest The case was
FIRST brought while Mr.. Hedges was
district attorney, and while MIR. Nc
Cue, who is now the attorney for the
defense, was the assistant prosecuting
attorney, and to the present district
attorney it is said to be inconceivable
that the case could ever have been
brought without the testimony now
expected from the absent physician.
Yet the fact that Mr.. McCue, for the
defense, who naturally should know
Just what the doctor testified to then
for the prosecution, wants the same
testimony now for the defense seem
ed to puzzle the members of the laity
who were following the case. Some
seemed to find in it another illustra-
ton of the facility with which lawyers
can perform mental acrobatics, when
circumstances demand of them that
they jump from one side of the case
to the other.
So certain was the prosecution that
that DR.. Forsstrom would be here
when his services were needed, that
it is said he was not even subpoened
On the door of his Office yesterday |
was fhis sign: Gone to Portland.
The lawyers will argue the case the
first thing this morning, it is expected,
unless DR.. Forsstrom appears.
The little girl, now II years OF age,
went on the stand and made good |
witness. Her testimony was more or
testimony. To some the
who saw Casey at the warehouse with
The girl He thought the girl was
trying. Henry Baumgartner and Jo-
seph Warnstaff, two youths, also gave
testimony To many the
case seemed very strong.
For the defense, Casey went on the
stand for himself, and it is understood
the prosecution did not think his
testimony very strong. His brother,
The two Gustafson boys and Andrew
Johnson testified as to the defend
ants previous good character.
In the absence Of DR.. Forsstrom,
The prosecution yesterday had DR.. A.
A. Finch make desired investiga
ton and his testimony tended to cor
roborate the prosecutions case.