Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-18
BULLET RIDDLED
COAT IN COURT.
BELL CHARGED WITH HAVING
PUNCHED THE HOLES
ACCUSES DAVIS OF TAMPERlNG
WITH EVIDENCE
Counsel far Widaman and Sanger Puts
Complainant Through Searching
Cross-Examination as to
Details of Shooting

Perhaps ia e most dramatic moment
in the preliminary examination yester-
dav in Justice Chambers court of At
torney O. P. sVidaman and A. r. San
ger on a charge of assaulting Frank NJ
Bell April 80 An the Hollenbeci- motel,
with intent to- kill, came when lie
Commute Davis of Davis, Rush q Wits
of counsel for vhe defense held alott
the bullet perforsl coat worn by Ben
Of the time of tho shooting and shouted
to Bell. who was ION the stand: Dldn
Won make those holes yourself with
punch?" a.,,;o,
Rel was on the stand most OF the
afternoon, and every effort was mace
IN cross examination to trip him up
and get him to commit himself by con-
tradicting his testimony OF the DAY pe-
fore. Through it all his mother SAT III
one of the jury chairs ana heNeI tso
moved her eyes from nus lace Whlle He
was on the witness stand.
The coat with the two holes in front
was again produced in evidence. Al
torney Davis tried to show that II the
bullet had been discharged from tne
spot where Bell said W1daman stooo,
beside the bed. to the place Where II
was dug out afterwards, it would have
to follow the curves of "a paraoola IN
order to pierce Bells coat.
After long discussion as to the
exact nosition of Bell, WAdaman, San
ger and every article of FURNITURE III
the room, and as to the appearance %
the bullet holes in the coat h'aVls salu'
"It looks as though the puAlets caliic
from the left, doesn't it?'
Bell examined the holes when ms at
tention was called to the threads tnaI
appeared to stick out on the rlgnt sue
of the holes. THAT is not tne cono1tlotL
of the coat when I saw 1t last; 1ou
stuck YOUR finger through the moves,
he said accusingly to the attorney
mo, ] did not" said Davis.
Anyway, I am not an eXperT ana
will not express an opinion.
Then the attorney accused hlm OF
making the holes with punch. rake
off that coat and put on TINS ohe- lake
off your vest, too said Davis.
Bell complied and put on the cdat ne
wore at the time of the alleged az 'sault
in his room at the Hollenbeck. Then
he tried to illustrate his position IL
standing and half sitting-whetl the
shot was fired, and the wrangle con-
tinued.
mo. When the shot was fired I
reached for my gun in the blu reau
drawer and Widaman and Sanger
sprang upon me. My revolver weN on
before 1 could remove it from the
drawer. One of them grabbed me- by
the throat. Sanger pulled down the
window"
Bells account of the shooting was' 10
n great extent corroborated by NJ rs
Mary Hammond, housekeeper of the
Hollenbeck, who was in her room s1l-
rectly over that occupied by Bell.
II heard one shot ring out loud atlo
clear" she said, land right after 1t q
heavier shot that seemed to be mufteAl
Then 7 heard a window drawn down. Il
asked the Japanese boy to open the
door but he replied that ne could not
get in, as it was locked. When the
porter opened the door l heard voice
which l recognized as Mr.. Bells say
"They are trying to murder me- Then
he said. Have these men arrested.
They have guns and tried to murder
me. Don't let them go back to that
room or they will destroy the EVIL
dence.'
AS the first shot is said to have been
fired from a small caliber revolver In
the open and the second from Bells
larger revolver in the drawer the testi-
mony of the housekeeper "Dpeared to
corroborate Bells story.
Detective T. F. Rico was called and
testified to finding three revolvers'
which were identified in court as be-
longing to Widaman, Sanger and Bell.
He also described finding the hole in
the bureau drawer.
A diagram of the room in which the
shooting occurred was introduced and
the attorneys and the court pored
over it for an hour while Bell described
the position of each person in the
room.
The hearing will be resumed today.