The San Francisco call., 1909-11-12
Alma Bell Recognizes Former
Patron in Man Who SwOre
He Did Not Know Her
Alleged MurdereSs Makes First
Show of Active Interest in
Her Trial for Life
Married Sister Comes to Court
room to Comfort Prisoner
During Her Ordeal
By ARTHUR L. PRICE
-Srecial Dnpoich 10 The Cali

A JBURN. Nov l1--Alma Bell
"A charged with murder, took part
Afor the first time today in the
work Of selecting a jury which is to
pass upon her guilt or innocence of the
accusation of killing Joe Armes. her
lover. For a week the girl had sat
white faced and listless some distance
from her attorneys apparently not in
teresting herself in the action.
Girl Causes Challenge
All that she did today was to suggest
10 her attorneys. Lee Chamberlain and
~. J. Prewett, that one of the jurors
be peremptorily challenged. She was
very quiet about her suggestion and
few in the courtroom knew why the
venireman with the suggestive pioneer
name Of Nevada Carson Busby was
challenged. The venireman had sworn
that he had not known the girl. Alma
however. recognized in Busby a man
she had frequently served at a restau-
rant where she had worked.
Il thought it strange" said the girl,
that he did not admit that he knew
me, when ] was sure that he did, so /
did not want him on the jury"
She dropped a hint to her attorney
and Busby was challenged. 1t is not an
unusual matter for the ordinary de-
fendant to express tastes in jurors. but
it was remarkable for the girl from the
poison oak hill to display any animos-
ity over her case.
The presence Of the girls married
sister. Mrs. Annie Stone. in court today
may have had something to do with the
besurred energy of Alma The sister is
very much OF Almas type. with the
same circular puffs of tawny hair and
a similar black dress. The sister brought
in word that the aged mother of Alma
is very i'll on the little mortgaged tur-
key ranch.
s The two sisters kissed each other af-
fectionately and sat during the greater
part Of the day with their arms en-
twined about one another's shoulders, a
desolate picture Of helplessness, pow
erfy and plainness, facing situation
which demands tlse rarest charms and
gift Of acting which woman can COM
man. Bluebeard's wife. to stretch a
wsyward comparison, waiting with her
sister Annie in ehe high tower. could
not have seemed as helpless as this
little. pale mountain girl who had killed
her lover did today while her sister An
nc sat by her side.
The girl coughed frequently during
the day and complained of a cold, but
she appears strong and husky, though
she is desperately pale.
Hypothetical Question
IL is somewhat the usage in murder
trials for counsel to PROFOUND hypo-
thetical question which sums up in
long epitome his case Special Prose
cutor o. W. Hamilton stated his ques-
tion today. clearly expounding the the
ory upon which the girls plea OF emo
tionaI insanity viii be combated The
question was put to j. F. Roddan,
farmer from Boomis. after the prose-
cution's challenge Of the venireman, on
the ground Of prejudice in favor of the
unwritten law had been denied by
Judge Arnot Roddan had expressed a
bias in favor Of the mythical statute
invoked in murder cases involving q
girls honor, but he insisted that his re-
spect for the written law was greater
than his leaning toward the unwritten.
SO Judge Arnot denied the challenge
UphoIds Written Law
Hamilton then developed his hypoth-
esis. He said: Now suppose in this
case that this should appear, that a
woman p or % yesrs of age. in full
possession Of her mental faculties.
physically and mentally strong, had
consented. under any possible pretext
or under any condition of fact. / will
not call it pretext, that she had con
sented 10 the opportunities of her lover
or anybody else, and had submitted
herself to him. do YOU understand that
if she had killed him because of his
refusal to keep the promise of mar
riage made to her, and II selected as a
Juror viii you act accordingly that if
fatal shot and knew that the firing of
that shot was wrong, and that she had
fired the shot in a spirit OF passion. re-
venge hatred, anger or jealousy-do
you understand that fact or those facts
would not excuse her nor Justify her in
The law and would not constitute in
sanity27
Il understand replied Roddsn. He
was then passed by Hamilton, but was
later excused for physical inability.
The morning session was rather fruit
fui Of jurors. The prosecution went
into the case against Alma with an
analysis more relentless than hereto
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