The San Francisco call., 1909-04-23
ALLEGED POISONER
ON WITNESS STAND
j. Walter Wilson Relates His
Version of Connection
With Death Of Boas
Intimates Belief That Employer
killed Himself While
DespoEdent

j.. Walter Wilson, on trial for the
murder OF Harry ] Beas. young cleo
trician who died after taking strych-
nine powders sent him through the
mail December ? last, took the stand
in his own behalf yesterday morning
before. Judge Dunno. In direct fashion
he gave his version of his connection
with the poisoning and refused TO an
swer only one question asked him by
Assistant District Attorney Louis Fer
rari.
t. Norman Harvey, Wilson's attorney
declared that his clients testimony
would free him. Assistant District At
torneys Ferrari and Duke will make
every effort to show where, in a dozen
places, Wilson testified to an untruth.
A remarkable feature of the trial is
the interest the jury has taken from
the first in all the proceedings. Jurors
Saia. Haag and Belfridge yesterday di-
rected question after question at Will
son and other jurymen called for ex-
empiars of handwriting and other con-
crete bits of evidence.
DENIES REBoRTER's STORY
The paper that James A. Buchanan, a
newspaper reporter, testified he discov-
cred in Wilson's room at the Hotel
Netherlands and which is declared by
the prosecution to be Identical in tex
ture and color with the papers in which
the poison received by Boas was
wrapped, Wilson refused to admit had
been in his room at all. He hesitated
when Ferrari asked him whether or not
the words Clement Tailoring Co., in
scribed on the paper. we're written
by him, and Harvey, his attorney, was
quick to object to the question. Judge
Dunno refused to allow the objection
and Harvey fastened TO instruct ms
client not to answer.
Ferrari put the question and Wilson
declined to state whether the hand
writing was or was not his.
"On what ground do you refuse to
answer demanded Ferrari. ,
"On advice of counsel, Wilson an
swered quickly.
Wilson refused also to give the prose-
cution any information regarding four
letters found in his room on the ground
that 1t might incriminate him in some
other matters. What this other diffi-
Guilty is that Wilson fears is not known.
Harvey attempted TO show. by Viii
sons testimony that the electrical busi-
ness Boas conducted was losing money.
and thus point out cause for suicide.
Wilson said that the firm owed $500 at
the time of Boas' death and had s342
due.
DEFIANT ON STAND
Wilson was sulky and defiant on the
stand and inclined to give sharp an
swers to Ferrari's questions. He made
a point OF the treatment that had been
given him at the city prison. where he
was in detinue for 1e days, and at
tempted to impress upon the jury that
his nervous condition, lack of proper
rlourishnent and sleep made it inpossi-
BILE for him to give a fair sample of his
handwriting when Detective Gallagher
called upon him to copy the poison let
ter" which arrived with the two
strychnine powders. This letter forms
one of the most telling points made by
the prosecution, for in it are the words
.tuntill'' and ALREADY
Detective Gallagher testified that he
dictated the letter 70 Wilson and that
the prisoner wrote the two words 1ex-
actIy as they appeared in the spoi@n
letter" spelling the words incorrectly.
Wilson testified yesterday that Gall
lagher dictated only the first part OF
the letter and allowed him to copy the
balance.
The case goes on at $3.50 o'clock this
r,ornip1