The San Francisco call., 1909-11-19
GIRL SLAYER'S
RIVAL IS USED
AS EXHIBIT .
Pretty Minnie Foster Placed on
Stand to Prove States
Theory of Jealousy
Tiny Sisters of Joe Armes Tes-|
tify at Alma Bells Trial for
Sweetheart'S Death
BY ARTHUR L. PRICE
Especial Dispotch TO The Call

Z
Especial Dispatch 10 The Call
AUBURN, Nov. 1S.-To piece out the
is the Alma Bell case, there went on
the witness stand today two of the
quaintest and littlest witnesses who
ever figured in the trial of a woman
charged with murder.
They were Evelyn Armes, aged 10
years, and Oracle Armes, aged years.
Their testimony was sandwiched in on
the record of the days proceedings
record crowded with testimony re-
garding threats which Alma Bell is
said to have made against the life of
her lover, Joe Armes, and also against
Manuel Neves, the young man who she
declared had told the lies about her
which led to the last estrangement and
quarrel with Armes The children's
testimony concluded the morning ses-
sion, and Minnie Foster of whom Alma
Bell was Jealous, ended the afternoon
session.
Joe Armes' mother took the stand
today and testified that Alma Bell had
told her on the day she slew the
woman's son that she would kill Neves
for having spoken of her as he did to
Joe.
Alma heard the story stocally. She
shed no tears today, but she aided her
attorneys materially in the cross ex-
aminations
John Armes, brother of the dead
man. testified that three weeks before
the killing Alma came to him and said:
is Joe going with other girls. l am
watching him and if l find that he is
I'll kill him"
John also testified that some time
previous Alma had said to him: Joe
is never going to marry me, but want
still to go with him anyway
Witness Is Confused
On cross examination John was mixed
up regarding his dates, but he held
steadfastly to his story.
Joe Garcia testified that Alma had
told him that she was going to XIII
Joe. as he went with another girl, and
Frank Peters, an alleged former lover
of the girl and a cousin of her victim
also repeated a threat which he said
Alma had made against Joes life.
And to bind all that testimony given
by friends of Joe and consanguinously
biased against the prisoner came out
the echo of the girls statement made
10 District Attorney Charles A. Tuttle
and Sheriff George McAulay on the day
after the killing. in which she said:
Il told Frank Peters and Johnnie
Armes that l was going to kill him.
The statement was read in court in
the face of strong objections made by
the defense. 1t related the incidents
of the tragic night. She said in the
statement that she had gone to Joe
Armes' cabin to see him about the re-
port which Manuel Neves had been cir
culating. She declared the reports were
false. She related how she and Joe
had left the cabin.
al tried to apologize to him and tell
him L did not telephone to make dates
with other fesIows. I said, sWe are
engaged TO be married, and L told you
long ago I'D kill you IL you didn't
marry me-
".kid, 1 amt afraid he said. Then
said 1 very wei, then wen die to-
gefhcr.'
"He pushed me away and said, sIxid.
III have no more TO do with you. Il
couldn't get along with you as n wife,,
Then L shot.
81 held the pistol about a foot and a
half from him.
Alma Bell Is Unmoved
Alma Bell sat unmoved through the
reading of that simple narrative of the
killing of her lover. to whose grave she
now almost daily sends flowers.
What was expected would be one of
the sensations of the trial passed off
quietly today. Minnie Foster, the Is
year old girl from Pilot Hill, Eldorado
county, of whom Alma was Jealous
was put on the stand at the close of
the afternoon session and was exam
ined in the face of violent objections
from the defense. Her testimony was
not exciting.
Alma had betrayed certain symptoms
of dislike toward the younger and pret-
tier girl from the mountains Prob
ably Minnie Foster was intended by the
prosecution to be a sort of "exhfbitv in
the case. She is so much prettier than
is Alma Bell. Alma Bell is nine years
older than Minnie Foster, though the
latter has the maturity of a girl of