Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-21
MITCHELL HELD;
BAIL REFUSED
SLAYER OF THAYER MUST
FACE MURDER TRIAL
WITNESSES TESTIFY OF KILLING
OF VICTIM
Friend of Dead Youth Denies Plan
Was Concocted to Get Girl to
Run Away from Door
of Hope

William Clinton Mitchell, charged
with Staying Cecil Clarence Thayer
was held without bail to answer in the
superior court on a charge of murder
by Police Justice Chambers yesterday.
The preliminary hearing consumed
about four hours.
The court room was crowded when
the hearing was begun yesterday morn
ing. Mitchell was brought into court
several minutes before the arrival OF
his attorney, Earl Rogers. The ac-
cuSed glanced about the room and his
gaze rested for a moment on the crowd
near the doors. He maintained the
same Indifference and GOODNESS that
have characterized his former appear =
anceS in the court.
a number of companions of Thayer
occupied seats in the room.
The first witness was the father o1
the dead boy. His testimony was to eS-
tablish the corpus delicti The aged
witness trembled several times and al
most was overcome with emotion as he
answered the questions of the lawyers.
George K. Coulter, who was with
Cecil Thayer when the latter was shot,
was the principal witness. He told OF
the movements of himself and Thayer
on the day of the shooting. He de-
clared he and Cecil had hitched UP their
horse and wagon and gone for a drive
of ten miles in the country.
I'VE returned about 6 o'clock and had
supper at CeciPs,' said Coulter. After
supper 1 asked him to come to my
house and stay all night, and he said
All right We left the Thayer home
after supper and walked to my house,
q distance of about two miles. When
we reached my home my mother told
hot 1o1 hrn
wanted to see Cecil. She described the
person, and Cecil remarked he had a
suspicion who the person was.
I'VE went over to a drug store near
my home, and Cecil called up the
Mitchells. I heard him say That's a
funny question to ask a fellow!' Later
heard him say If you want me 1 will
come, but you know l don't come be-
cause I was told to stay away -
Testifies to Movements
The witness then testified he and
Thayer started to town, and saw some
body sitting on bench in Hollenbeck
park.
I'VE paid no attention to the man,
and continued down the street." con-
tinued the witness. I'VE walked a
short distance when the man came up
and grabbed Cecil and turned him
around.
is this Cecil Thayer" he said. Ce-
Gil said Yes
"Then he shot him. Cecil staggered
forward, at the same time crying:
Don't shoot me, Billy; don't shoot
He then fell to the ground, and the man
shot him several times"
Coroner Calvin Hartwell testified as
to the tattoo marks on the body of
Thayer He described them as being
located on the right and left forearmS
and on the left thigh. This testimony
was corroborated by DR.. George w.
Campbell, autopsy surgeon.
PatrOlman Stelzreide, who arrested
Mitchell, and several others who heard
the shots, testified in the afternoon ses-
sion.
Coulter was put through a grilling
cross-examination by Attorney Rogers.
The witness held to his story of the
trip into the country, but was unable
to describe accurately where he went
or the roads over which he Travelled.
He would not admit having driven to
the neighborhood of the Door of Hope,
but declared they passed the afternoon
in the east part of town, where they
went for drive.
Coulter admitted he and Thayer had
visited the church at Thirty-f1rst street
where the inmates of the Door of Hope
attended. He said he went with Thay-
er ten times and had seen Ethel Mitch
ell on every one of the occasions eX-
cept once, when it was raining.
He stated that he Thayer, Ethel
Mitchell, Ruth Cox, Martin Maria and
Jewel Willis had met in Hollenbeck
park Christmas afternoon and gone to
a school on Boyle avenue and remained
there for about two hours. Coulter de-
MED that they there planned for Ethel
to leave the Door of Hope.
Coulter admitted Thayer had told him
of having intimate relations with Ethpl
Mitchell. This was before Thayer was
:. ordered from the Mitchell home.
After hearing the testimony of the
witnesses Police Justice Chambers held
Mitchell to the superior court, without
bail.