The Mena weekly star., 1908-03-12
PR|ESTS SLAYER ONT NTR|AL
Prosecution Making 0~t Strong Case Against Italian Anarchist
 Alia at Denver.
PRISONER ATTEMPTS TO PLAY INSANE
Eight Alienists Are Watching Ala Ciosely-Cour. Interpreter and Doc tors Testify to Defendants Sanity Was Accommodated From Catholic Church in italy.

Denver Mar. 11.--When the trial 1 of Giuseppe Alio, charged with the murder of Father Leo Heinrichs, was assumed at 10 o'clock Tuesday before Judge Greeley W. Whtford in the criminal division of the district court the indications were that the state would be able to present it's entire case, including the testimony of it's in- sanity experts, before the close of the day and that the prisoners de- fense would be heard Wednesday. The jury is composed of plain business men, all non-Catholic. who have de- clared under examination that they are not opposed to hanging and would not be influenced by the fact that the murdered man was a priest.
 In his opening statement District sketched the life of Alia as obtained from him. In Sicily where he was born Mir Stidger said Alia abandoned the Catholic belief and associated him self with protestant church. As the district attorney described the shoot ing of Father Leo there was a deep silence in the court room. He spoke in simple words with no effort at elo- quence but his description of the mur- der made a deep impression upon the jury. Mir Stidger told how Alta, while in the county jail told consistent story of his life and of the shooting and later on when he was being ex. a m hu .alinpicto ha f,a a1a i'm, he could not remember, until finally his answers became foolish. After be- ing admonished he again answered questions for time in a rational way.
 The first witness was Dr. Hugh l.. Taylor. who assisted in the autopsy on the body of Father Leo. He said the cause of the priests death was bull let wound in the heart.
 Coroner R. F. Rollins told of the in- quest and produced the bullet which caused the death of Father Leo.
 During the entire morning session eight alienists watched Alia very close ly As during the progress of the trial Monday Alia sat most of the day with downcast eyes but occasionally he would look at the jury or witness and without blinking he would seem to be trying to make out what was going on.
 August l.. Mattel. an Italian who-act- ed as interpreter during the inter views with Alia. held by Mir Stidger along the line of the opening statement of the district attorney in regard to the manner in which Alia am swered questions in the first interview and in the latter interviews. He tes- tified that Alia at one time declared that if the physicians wished to make him out insane he was willing to act the part
 On cross examination Mattel said Alia told him he was communicated from the Catholic church because he had been seen coming from protest ant church For that reason he could get no work nor a place to live in Italy
 He therefore left for South America. While there he was told by country man of his that his wife had been un- true to him with q priest. He told these stories to Mattel without any show of feeling. The only time Alia showed any excitement, Mattel said, was when he told of the killing.
 Dr. George A. Moleen. one of the alienists who examined Alia. was the next witness. He read his testimony from notes he made during the exam nation. His story confirmed the tes- tlmony of Mattel, in regard to Alias life and his story of the incidents sur rounding the shooting. All these de tails were clear in Alias mind with the exception of the actual figure of the fatal shot.
 Dr. Geo. A. Newhouse read his testi- mony in regard to the examination he made at another time from that to which Dr. Moleen had testified. His testimony confirmed that of the pre- ceding witnesses.