Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-03
CALMLY TELLS OF TRAGEDY
Describes Scene When He Shot Pc.
lice Capt. Mathews.
MAKES PLEA OF sELF-DEFENsE
Former Policeman Declares His SUI
Reached for Hip Pocket.

lier. on trial for the killing OF Capt. Will
liam II. Mathews Of the police depart
ment at the fifth precinct station
March last. went on the witness stand
today in Criminal Court No. I and told
his story OF the tragedy.
The former policeman was as cool as a
excellent witness, and, it is believed. ma
terially strengthened his own case. With
out a trace of emotion. and speaking in
an ordinary tone OF voice, Collier de-
scribed the events that led up to the
killing Of Mathews and gave the details
of the shooting. He made no effort to be
dramatic. and did nothing which indicated
a desire on his part to create sympathy
for himself. His utterances were made
in an unusually frank and straightfor-
ward manner.
Plea of Self-Defense.
IT shot Capt. Mathews because I
thought he was going to shoot me- Coli
Her said.
At no time since the Collier trial began
had there been such a crowd in the
courtroom as there was this morning.
Outside the doors hundreds waited To
get in, while inside there was not an
extra inch Of standing room even. once.
when the audience laughed boisterously
at a statement of one of the witnesses
Justice Gould administered a severe re-
Duke and threatened to clear the court
room IL the laughter was repeated.
Such behavior is dlsgracerui. SAID
Judge Gould. II will not have opera
bouffe in this courtroom when a man Is
police officers present to preserve order.
and IL they cannot do SO l will have om-S
GERS here who can.
Judge Gould's remark about the police
men present was far from an eXaggera-
ton, for good percentage of those In
the courtroom were policemen who hao
come either as witnesses in the case or as
spectators.
the defense placed a dozen or more wit.
nesses on the stand to TESTIFY that
Mathews character for violence and dam
gerousneSs was bad.
Collier Tells His Story.
Collier opened his story with the state"
ment that he went on duty at the Union
station at o'clock on the morning or
March 4, and was on duty there all DAY.
At night he was on duty at the inaugural
ball at the pension Office. He was on con-
tinuous duty from s am. March 4 untit
go am. March 5. From the Union sta"
ton he reported by telephone to Capt
Mathews. During their conversation Ma
thews, the witness declared, said:
II wouldn't give Is cents for your
chance when you come to my once
. When Collier entered Mathews ONCE
the evening Of the tragedy Mathews was
at his desk.
His back was turned toward me-" said
Collier, "and he was looking at a paper
which he held before him on the desk.
His elbows were resting on the desk.
II saluted and said, Good evening, cap
tain. I have come to see about my re-
serve duty He turned upon me and
~ think your goose is cooked this
time
You have another think. captain I
replied.
captain said.
Reaches Toward Hip Pocket.
LAS he said this he reached back toward
his hip pocket with his right hand. L
thought he was going to draw a revolver
and shoot and I drew and fired at his
right hand He moved his right hand
over toward his left hand and 1 thought
he was about to transfer a revolver from
one hand to the other. Then / fired
again. / do not remember what happen
ed after that
District Attorney Baker took the wit
ness on cross-examination, but did moth
ing toward breaking down his story. COL
lier was calm throughout, and the Dlc-
trict attorney could not make him admit
that he remembered firing bullets into
Mathews body as the latter lay upon
the floor.
Dramatic Scene Enacted.
An intensely dramatic scene came when
Mr.. Baker called upon Collier to enact
again the part he played in the tragedy.
He wanted Collier to draw from the
pocket of the policemans blouse. which
he had put on. the gun with which he
killed Mathews, and show the jury just
how it was done.
Mr.. Bakers object was evidently to
show that Collier could not draw and
fire as quickly as he said he had. the
intimation being that he entered Mathews
room with the revolver in his hand. ready
to shoot. Golfers attorneys objected TO
Mr.. Bakers proposition and were sus-
tanned.
Collier frankly stated that he would not
care to have his life hang upon his ability
to draw quickly. He explained that upon
the evening Of the tragedy his gun was
in a holster. while Mr.. Baker would have
him draw it from his hip pocket, more
difficult proceeding. he said, since gun
may be drawn more easily from leather
holster than from pocket. He added
that he had not had u revolver IN MS
hand for nine months and was out of
practice.
Illustrates Quick Gun Play.
Then 1t was that Collier slipped before
the eyes Of the jury a pretty piece of evil
dence. He was told to remove his blouse.
While the eyes Of everybody in the court
room were upon him he reached back TO
his hip pocket, drew from it the revolver
which he had placed in the pocket pre-
paratory to obeying Mr.. Bakers instruc-
lions to give a demonstration and whipped
the gun on the table before him.
1t was q neat piece of gun play and
demonstrated to the Jurors how quickly
the former policeman could draw"
When court reconvened at 1:13 O'Clock
after the luncheon recess the examina-
ton Of character witnesses was continued
by the attorneys for the defense.
Government Rests It's Case.
After the examination of about half the
witnesses scheduled to take the stand for
the government yesterday afternoon AS
sistant United States Attorney Turner
suddenly informed the court that the gov
eminent would rest its case.
Attorney Andrew Lipsoomb expressed
surprise and said he was not quite pre-
pared for his opening address to the jury
However he did have something to say
and would say II, he declared.
And what Mr.. LIpscomb said about the
police department of Washington made
and listen intently. He started with Capt
Matthew'S who. he said, was oyerbearing