The San Francisco call., 1909-11-17
Girl Slayer Shrieks in Horror
When Blood Stained Gar
ments Are Shown
Aged Mother Shields Daughters
Eyes From Sight of Dead
Mans Clothes
Prosecutor Outlines New Eyi.
dence in Opening Address
to the Jury
Prisoner Alleged to Have Long
Carried Revolver and Threat,
ened to Kill Armes
BY ARTHUR L. PRICE
Special Dispatch TO The Call


A UBURN, Nov. 16.-Alma Bells
~ aged mother made herself to-
n day broad maternal screen to
shield from her daughters eyes the
sight of the blood stained garments
of the dead Joe Armes, which seemed
in court to epitomize all the woe
caused by the killing of the man by
his sweetheart With tragic calm the
old woman from the foothills stood in
the center of the courtroom, while be-
hind her crouched the girl who had
killed her lover. Before them stood
Special Prosecutor George w. Hamil-
ton, offering for identification the
clothing Joe Armes had worn when
he was killed When the garments
were presented by the prosecution to
be identified by Frank Armes, a
brother of the dead man, Alma
shrieked in horror and grief at the
CHASTITY reminder OF the tragedy. The
brother on the stand wept, and at one
side of the courtroom the widowed
mother OF Joe, huddled in her mourn
ing garb, cried silently, while near her
sat sister. sobbing. The woe caused
by Alma Bells bullet seemed concen-
trated in the courtroom Jurors wiped
stheir dampened glasses.
Sorrow for Defendant
There was sorrow for Alma Bell to-
day, which was the opening one of her
actual trial for the killing of Armes
June ) last, and there was also the
introduction of particularly strong evil
denee against her. 1t was asserted that
as long ago as December OF last year.
six months before she killed Armes in
what the defense claims was moment
of temporary insanity. the girl carried
a pistol strapped to her leg below the
knee. and that indirectly she then
threatened Joe with death if he neg
lected her for other girls
Frank Armes, who was the chief wit
ness today. testified to that matter.
He and Alma were driving to Au-
burn from dance at Rock Creek some
time during last December. he testified
Joe Armes had been at the dance. but
had gone home, with some other girls.
Armes testified that on the road to
Auburn Alma complained bitterly of
Joe's conduct.
Il can't bear to have him go with
other gIrIs@ she is alleged to have
said. He thinks L haven't got a gun.
but I'll show him some day. III kill
him. she said.' continued Frank
Armes, "and then she lifted up her
skirt and drew out a revolver which
was fastened to her Leg.
Attorney Hamilton produced a small.
black weapon. which the witness partly
identified
, Attorney Chamberlain tried hard to
upset that story. which was the most
sensational development of the day.
Rut Armes held to the story
Two Shots Heard
1t was also testified to that two shots
were heard on the night of the shoot
ing. the shot which caused the death
of Armes and another, which had not
been mentioned before as having been
fred The impression is that the Sec
ond shot might have been'hred by Alma
in an attempt to kill herself after she
saw that her lover was dead
Attorney Hamilton made his opening
address TO the jury this morning He
reviewed the evidence that will be pre-
sented. most of which had been antici-
pated. but also outlined the testimony
regarding the threat made by the girl
last December
The courtroom followed with closest.
att ention the references Hamilton made
to the question OF the defendants
moral character. He declared that IL
that issue was brought up it must first
be introduced by the girl herself He
declared that the girl had already ad-
invited her shortcomings
I'm her statement to Sheriff McAuley.
which we will produce" declared Ham
ilton. "she admits that she had been
intimate with Joe Armes and had been
engaged to him. and also that she had
been intimate with Frank Peters and
engaged TO marry Peters"
The defense raised no objection to
that point. although it was vital to
the success of their case to show that