Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-19
EVIDENCE IN
MURDER CASE
IS SUBMIT TED
ESTELLE CORWELL SOON TO
KNOW FATE
ATTORNEY BEGINS ARGUMENT
TO JURY
Woman Friend of Accused Testfies
She Did Not Act as Detective,
But Told All She Learned
to Lawyer

Both sides in the trial of Mrs. rs
telle Corwell, charged with killing
George T. Bennett the night of July
%, 1907, rested at 2:45 o'clock yester-
day and ten minutes later Attorney
Wesley Beach, associated with Frank
Blair deputy district attorney for the
prosecution, began his argument to the
jury.
The defense closed its sur-rebuttal
testimony at 2:15 o'clock and the pros
ecution rested after the examination
of one witness concerning new evil
dence allowed to be brought in by the
defense in it's sur-rebuttal testimony.
Beach had not concluded his argu-
ment when court adjourned and VIII
probably take up an hour this morn
ing, when Attorney Horace H. Appel
will begin his argument in behalf of
the defendant. Appel stated last night
he did not know how much time ne
would occupy in making his statement
to the jury, but believed he would be
able to conclude by the usual time for
adjournment
Blair is expected to finish his clos
ing argument for the prosecution on
Thursday and the case will in all prob
ability be given to the jury the after
noon of that day
Trial a Record Breaker
The trial will. by that time. have
occupied six weeks perhaps the rec
ord for airy murder trial in the his
tory of the county. The expense to
both sides has been enormous, but the
greatest burden must fall on the de-
Tense. which has found 1t necessary to
call larger number of witnesses, many
of them from outside towns.
During the trial the prosecution
called thirty-two witnesses, while the
number testifying for the defense
reached 142. Many of these were per-
sons who had already testified and
been recalled TO make statements on
rev facts brought out in the evidence.
but it is safe to say the defense called
three witnesses to the prosecutions
one.
Mrs. Hyrel G. Gill was recalled as
fne first witness for the defense yes
terday. Mrs. Gill said she had secured
a receipt from Hoegee's store for
bunting suit delivered to Miss MAZE
Bennett early in 1906. This suit is said
to have been purchased by George 7.
Bennett, and the circumstance, accord
ing to the defense, had the effect of
causing great mental depression in the
defendant.
Not Detective
Mrs Gill declared in reply to Blair
that she had not acted as a detective
in behalf OF Mrs. Corwell.
Ibid you not go to the store and
represent yourself as MAZE Bennett"
demanded Blair.
Il did not. I got the original bill
for the suit. They know me at the
store, as l have had dealings there.
and they did not object to giving me
the bill"
Nov, you have been acting as a
detective and talking to the witnesses
for the prosecution as they came up,
have you not?"
mot to my knowledge. Anything I
have done has been from motives OF
kindness. l have talked about the
case to witnesses, but said nothing
that could be OF Importance to YOU
at was your purpose to find out
everything you could?"
Naturally, yes. / told everything
10 Mr.. Appel that thought would help
the case"
In regard to her conversation with
Mrs. J. d. McKenna in early January,
the witness said she asked Mrs. Nc
Kenna what she thought of the Cor
we'll case and the latter had made The
statements substantially as those al
ready brought out in the evidence.
Was Not in Room
Were you not in this room while
testimony was being taken?" asked
Blair.
mot since Friday" said the wit
ness.
well, am speaking about the time
prior to that day."
''Well, 1 am speaking about the
time since" replied the witness, with
asperity.
The color of the hat worn by Mrs.
Corwell on the night of the shooting
was again brought into the case when
fl,n nrarfnf nf tIn 11~t-
ments stated she saw the defendant
wearing a black hat that night.
Wyatt s. carp of Kingman, Ariz-
was called to testify concerning the
health of Mrs. CorwelI's father, whom
he knew some years ago. DR.. Camp
bell in his testimony said the defend
ant had told him the day after the
shooting there had been no disease in
her family. carp said he knew the
defendants father during the sos and
he was then suffering with Bright's
disease.
Attorney Appel then asked to be al
lowed to place in evidence certain
kilograms to show an effort had been
made to bring witnesses to Los An
geles.
Attorney Testifies
IT don't wish to testify in this case, -
he said. but I want to see if the dis
trict attorney will admit that we have
who attended Mrs. Corwell in King
man."
vOh, I don't think that is at all
proper began Blair, but he was in
terrupted by Appel, who, walking ia
the witness stand. demanded that iie
be sworn.
He produced kilograms to show that
DR. Cowie and Mrs. Nance Foulkes
could not be present. and these. were
placed in the evidence.
Here the defense rested it's case, and
the prosecution called Mrs. McPeak
ii matron of the city jail, who said she
was present at the time the examina-
tion of Mrs Corwell was made by DR.
Campbell. She declared the physician
did not say to the defendant that any
thing she might say would not be used
against her.
Appel asked many questions con-
corning conversations the witness is
sid to have had with others about the
case. but little of value was brought
out, and at 2:45 the witness was ex-
cused and Blair announced the prose-
cution rested.
Begins Argument
Following a recess of ten minutes
Attorney Wesley Beach for the prose
6ution began the opening argument tc
the Jury, He laid special emphasis on
the mystery surrounding the hat worn
he fo,4 of IL