The San Francisco call., 1908-03-11
ALTAR BOYS TELL
OF PRIESTS MURDER
Ala Case Draws Near to End
and AIienists Say They
Find Him Sane

DENVER, March 10.-The prosecution
in the case Of Giuseppe Ala, charged
with the murder OF Father Leo Helm
richs In St Elizabeth's Catholic church
February %, nearly completed the
presentation OF its evidence today and
the fate Of the defendant will probably
rest in the hands of the jury by to-
morrow night.
The developments today showed that
there were only two witnesses to the
actual killing, and while there were 20
or so other people in the church at the
time, none of them saw the shot fired.
The suggestion of q plot was intro
duced by the testimony of Mrs. Van
Cleave. but there was no corroboration
Of her testimony.
In his opening statement District At
torney George A Stidger briefly
sketched the life of Ala as obtained
from him. In Sicily. where he was
born, he abandoned the Catholic be-
lief and associated himself with a
Protestant church. AS the district at
torney described the shooting of Father
Leo there was a deep silence in the
courtroom. He spoke in simple words,
with no effort at eloquence, but his
description of the murder made a deep
impression upon the jury.
ALIENIsTs WATCH ALA
During the entire morning session
eight alienists watched Ala closely. AS
during the progress of the trial yes
terday. ALA sat most Of the day with
downcast eyes, but occasionally he
would look at the jury or a witness.
and with blinking eyes would seem to
be trying TO make out what was go
ing on.
August L. Mattel, an Italian inter
prefer. testified in regard to Ala S
manner and stated that ALA had de-
clared that If the physicians wished to
make him out insane he was willing
TO act the part
On cross examination Mattel said
Ala told him he was accommodated
because he had been seen coming from
a Protestant church. He could get nc
work nor place to live in Italy and
had left for South America, where he
was told by countryman that his
wife had been untrue to him with a
priest. The only time Ala showed
any excitement. Mattel said, was when
he told OF the killing.
At the afternoon session Detective
Claude Bessie told Of visiting Alias
room and finding a box of cartridges
some clothing and file which showed
lead in its rough sides, as If Ala had
used il TO sharpen bullets. Bessie
said Ala asked him If the priest he
had shot had scar on his forehead
and when informed that Father Lee
had no such scar Ala declared he had
killed the wrong man. but anyway he
was a priest"
WOMAN NOTICED ALA
Mrs. NJ f. Van Cleave, a commune
cant Of st. Elizabeths church, testi-
ned she saw Ala at the church three
times before the tragedy accompanied
by two other men. On the second
visit the men talked together and ALA
pointed toward the altar JOSEPH
Hines. aged 9, altar boy at the church
was the first witness to tell of the
actual shooting. He said that Father
Leo handed the accused man the sacred
wafer during holy communion and thai
Ala spat out the wafer, and drawing q
revolver with his left hand, fired al
the priest As Father Leo staggered
back Ala rushed down the aisle wav-
ing his revolver. He was corroborated
by George Miller, aged II.
The days session closed with the ex-