The San Francisco call., 1909-11-24
Defense Scores Important Point
in Having Certain Love Lett
ters Excluded as Evidence
Special Prosecutor Mercilessly
Scores Defendant as Wicked,
Jealous, Low and Depraved !
Censures Girls Family for Hav.
ing Attempted to Blacken /
Memory of Father ~
By ARTHUR L. PRICE :
Especial Dispatch to The Call

Especial Dispatch to The Call
A UBURN, Nov. 23.-WhiIe to-
"A morrow forenoon the case OF
n Alma Bell will be in the hands
of the Placer county jury, the
girl accused of the murder OF her
lover, Joe Armes, had to UNDER
go an ordeal today with three
distinct aspects. In the morning her
lawyers scored for her a vital legal
and sentimental victory over the
prosecution. In the afternoon Spe-
cial Prosecutor George w. Hamilton
excoriated her in a fearful, eloquent.
stinging, incisive closing argument,
and tonight Lee L. Chamberlain, her
attorney, in his final address impress
sively justified the girl for the killing
of Armes and appealingly pleaded
that the jury set her free to return to-
the hills of Rock Creek, where she
was born and where her aged mother
lives.
District Attorney c. A. Tuttle fol-
lowed Attorney Chamberlain He
completed his argument, which was
the last to be made to the jury. Judge
Arnot stated that he would instruct
the jury at 9 o'clock tomorrow morn
ing. 1t is possible that verdict may
be returned in the Bell case before
night.
Prosecution Loses Point
The prosecution closed its case in
rebuttal at noon today, after losing
in its attempt to enter as evidence
certain correspondence which passed
between the girl and her lover. All
that the state was permitted TO offer
of the correspondence, extending
over a period of three years, were a
few letters which Judge Arnot held
had some bearing on the question OF
whether or not Alma Bell was engaged
to Armes. These letters standing
alone. were. if anything. favorable TO
the defense. They showed the reckless
and absorbing passion which the de-
fendant had for the man she slew.
Had some of the correspondence
which the girl exchanged with Armes
been admitted it would have been a
desperate morning for her. but H. c.
Ross of counsel for the defense
adroitly produced authorities. particu-
larly the Laura d. Fair decision and
the case of the People VS.. Wallace. to
show that evidence bearing on the lack
of chastity of a defendant accused OF
murder could not be produced in the
circumstances which have obtained in
the Bell case.
Girls Love Letter
The girls love letters were read to
the jury. All were similar in sub
stance, as there was apparently only
one topic thought of by the girl The
first one read as follows:
April IS. 1909.
Dear Black Eyes: 1 reached home
at $3.50 o'clock and was so pleased to
hear from my handsome sweetheart. I
would like TO have you come up Satur-
day night. dearie. for 1 do want to see
you so much 1 am always so lone
some without YOU II rdlned some TO-
day and it made it all the more dreary.
Il am good at heart, dear. and there
is some one in the world could make
happy. but 1 feel wretehed at the
thought that no one cares for me. I
feel. dear heart, that even YOU do not
care for me seriously and feel 1 don't
care what happens TO me.
sometimes perhaps you feel that
am as friendly with others as 1 am
with you. Never sweetheart. never.
believe that No one knows what an
unhappy life 1 have. Maybe in years
TO come there will be some one in the
world that will make my life happy
one Where there are clouds there is
sunshine. and maybe the good God viii
send me a little OF it.
Il must go to bed now. so 1 will
close and hope to hear from you soeE.
With love and many kisses. from your
little girl. ALMA"
Offer to Submit Case
No attempt to refute the evidence
advanced in rebutta1 was made by the
defense. The attorneys for the de-
fendant rested when court reconvened