Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-21
SANTA ANA
onlce s15 N. Sycamore.
Phones-Home s15; Sunset Black Ts2.
SKELLY IS HELD FOR
MURDER OF HIS WIFE
Attorneys Argue in Vain for Re-
lease on Bail of Accused
RanCher

SANTA ANA, Lay 20.--F'rank F.
Skelly of Westminster. charged with
the murder of his wife, Ethel Skelly,
on Friday, May 6, today was held for
trial in the superior court, without
bail. This order was made by Justice
of the Peace Smithwiek, before whom
the preliminary examination of Skelly
has proceeded for the past two days
and followed the pleadings of Skelly's
attorneys for his release and for bail
The accused man was taken by Sheriff
Lacy to the Santa Ana hospital, where
he is under treatment for burns re-
ceived when struggling with his wife
while she was on fire from gasoline
flames.
The most telling evidence given this
morning against Skelly was that of
Mrs. J. f. Patterson. who testified
that after she and her husband had
been awakened by Abraham Cans at
5:35 o'clock. she went to the room
where Mrs Skelly was on her bed. AS
she stepped into the room Mrs Skelly
greeted her with the exclamation, "Oh,
Mrs. Patterson, Mr.. Skelly has muir
dered mel"
Mrs. Patterson, replying, said: "Oh,
Mrs. Skelly, don't say that" Again
Mrs. Skelly said: He did do it. He
poured gasoline on me-"
The witness said that Mrs. Skelly
then addressed herself to Skelly, who
stood by Mrs. Patterson, and said:
"Frank, how could you do it? Why
didn't you shoot me?"
Skelly replied, Il didn't know it was
gasoline"
Then Mrs. skelly said, "You threat
ened me, but I didn't think you would
Mrs. Patterson testified that skelly
several times said: "I warned her
about that gasoline stove, to which
Mrs. Patterson replied. IT don't under
stand it: she was so afraid of it,"
John Gaines of Compton, who was
on his way to the home of the sham
racks, and who did not know the
Skellys, testified that he saw Mrs.
Skelly running all afame, with Skelly
following her; that as she ran she
cried: "Tm murdered. oh, my ba-
bies" and to Mr. Cavanagh she called
loudly: Mr.. Cavanagh, Frank mur-
dered me. He threw gasoline over me-"
o. H. Hare, automobile mechanic,
saw Mrs Skelly on the bed and heard
her say. Frank murdered me" and
He threw gasoline on me-"
George l.. Waters of Westminster
testified to Mrs. Skelly running from
the house and the subsequent details
of helping Mr.. Cavanagh carry her to
the house. He also heard Mrs. Skelly's
often repeated declaration tnaI MT.
Skelly had murdered her and had
throwp gasoline over her.
w H. Bentley who had previously
testified at the inquest, testifes that
Skelly said within a couple of hours
after the burning that he did not
know how it happened: that he was in
another room; that he heard Mrs.
Skelly screaming and ran in to find
her on fire Bentley testified that on
an examination made Sunday after
the fire he found the shelves and wall
of the pantry scorched and charred in
places. He gave a description relative
to the general appearance of the
pantry and its relative position to the
kitchen.
Miss Hazel Butterfeld. a trained
nurse, testified that she was called by
DR. Gordon from Santa Ana to care for
Mrs. Skelly: that she reached the house
In Westminster about s o'clock Friday
morning, May s, and remained there
until y m, May s, when Mrs. Skelly
died; that with the exception of walk
of fifteen minutes and half an hour
for each meal she was always within
hearing distance of Mrs. Skelly; that
she never heard Mrs. Skelly say how
she came by her burns; that once Mrs.
Skelly said, in reference to her running
out of doors, Il was crazy and ran
outdoors"