Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-12
ETHEL MITCHELL
SAYS SHE LIED TO
SHIELD THAYER
SISTER OF MAN ON TRIAL AD-
MlTS PREJUDICE
CLAIMS SHE WAS ANGRY AND
TESTIFIED FALSELY
Sweetheart of Murdered Young Man
Continues Her Story of Betrayal
to Make Reparation for
Brother Prisoner

memory OF CeCll y. AAAebS - v -
n she thought was to become ne
husband, and because in her grlet sh'
was bitterly angered at her brother
who removed from her life the one sh'
held dear and had promised to cherish
and love, was the explanation tina
Ethel Mitchell gave in Judge Wills
court Yesterday afternoon for her ties
timony at the inquest, which she nov
admits was false and prejudieed.
II was angry at my brother Wilh'
and l testified untruthfully at the III
quest to shield the name Oh cecil Wel'
the words used by the sister OF Nllilan
Mitchell who is on trial for staying
Thayer. in answer to questions as u
whv her testimony at the inquest o
Cecil Thayer and her present testimony
was at a wide variance.
Cecil promised me from the mrs
night that we went to the room on Sai
Pedro street he would make me nl'
wife. and again in January, 1913, We
nledged ourselves to become husDanC
and wife as soon as l reached my
eighteenth birthday. l did not tnel
realize the meaning of an oath, ana
wanted to see Willie punished because
he had killed Cecil.
If ever a person suffered Tor the 81
rOTS OF Youth, hlu6t NhllN4ASAA
be one who can never forget the MAJ
rowing experiences of the past two
davs This mere girl, evidently reallz-
ING too late the wrong she dld TO nei
father. mother and brother, pared nei
soul of its innermost secrets that she
might make reparation for the suILerllis
for which she has been Responsible
Witness Did Not Finch
The greater part of the court session
Yesterday was devoted to grueillng
cross-examination by Deputy Dlstrlct
Attorney North, but not for an m
slant did the girl witness nlncn, II
seemed as though she had steeieu h0'
self for the ordeal.
To the spectators it appeared as
though no longer in her childish heart
was there feeling. Colby and stolldly
she answered every question. But
through all the story it was evident
that Cecil Thayer at one time at least
held a warm place in the girls heart,
AS the letters of her sweetheart Gays
were read she appeared Indifferent, as
though no longer they held any charm
and that their rehearsal was repus-
nant. Not once during the ordeal was
there the suspicion of a tear in hel
ewes. Her very innocent like answers
and simple, Straightforward utterances
were far more impressive than any
historical outburst or pietous soooing
Her pronunciation of her testlmon!
given at the inquest was the feature o
an otherwise monotonous day in th'
murder trial
The climax has been reached, the
BETRAYAL of the baby sister, which the
counsel for the defense bases as its
grounds for the temporary insanity OF
Mitchell, had been told. The jurors
appeared restless, and the fact that the
counsel for the defense has decided
not to place the defendant on the wit
ness stand made the days proceedings
of less speculation.
The throng that seeks admission to
the court room did not diminish, but
yesterday morning Judge Willis is
sued an order that no women except
the witness. her attendant and Mrs
Thayer and Mrs. Mitchell should be
allowed in the court room. The corri-
doris were filled with curious women,
vainly endeaVoring to gain a glimpse
of the principals in the tragedy who
have wrecked two homes.
At $3.50 o'clock the examination OF
Miss Mitchell was completed and tired
and worn from her experience she i'm
mediately left the court in the COM
pany of her attendant and returned to
the detention home, where she will re-
main until called, when the rebuttal
evidence is taken.
The matron of the Door of Hope ano
her assistant were called to testify tt
the efforts of Cecil Thayer to gair
communication with the girl while she
was confined in the home.
DR.. o. M. Justice was the last wit
ness of the day. being called by the
defense as an insanity expert. To
a hypothetical question, which en-
braced every whit of evidence intro
duced in the trial and which consumed
forty minutes in being propounded, DR.
Justice answered: Assuming the
question to be indicative Of the evil
dence, l believe that William Mitchell
was insane when he killed Ceci
Thayer.
Believes Mitchell Insane
I'm his condition, do not believe he
realized the difference between right
and wrong" Characterization of DR.
Justice will commence at the opening
of the court session at $50 o'clock this
morning.
An incident of the trial yesterday
was the arrest of Allen Horner, 70:
East Ninth place, charged with ad-
dressing puror, while the jury was
being conducted to luncheon during tho
noon hour.
Members of the jury were walking
down the street, outside the hall OF
justice, when Horner it is alleged, ap'
preached one of them and asked:
DO you think the jury will acquit
MITCHELL"
The jury reported the matter t.
Judge Willis, and Horner was arrested
and locked in the county Jail. At
o'clock, before the resumption of the
Mitchell case, Horner was brought be
fore Judge Willis and given a severe
lecture. He was allowed to depart OF
his own recognizance, to appear fol-
sentence before Judge Willis at II
o'clock Saturday morning. The prison,
er asserted he meant no wrong. anC
stated that he did not know he was
addressing a juror. He said he sup.
POSED it was a spectator at the tria
To whom he spoke. The case was close
~ Investigated, but as the circum.
stances seemed to be clear Judge VIII
lis does not believe any attempt wa.
deliberately made to tamper with the
jury
Must Not Talk to Jurors
Persons must understand that thii
is an important case" said Judge vii
lis in discussing the incident. and the!
must be careful and ascertain whethe
they are addressing a juror or not.
1.-THE promptness of the Jury in re
porting the matter showed that it wa
doubtless a mistake, but Horner will
appear again Saturday morning."
At the opening of the court yester
day morning Attorney North began tn
cross-examination of Miss Mitchell
He insisted on every detail Of the stor.