Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-20
SANTA ANA
of1ce s15 y. Sycamore.
Phones-Home s15; Sunset Black Tss.
WIFE ACCUSES SHELLY,
IS TESTIMONY OF MANY
He Has Murdered MeY Cried the
Woman, Writhing in a
Sheet of Flames

SANTA ANA, May 19.-Breaking
the record for attendance at any pre-
liminary examination ever held in Or
ange county, men and women surged
into the court room of Justice Smith
wick this morning when Frank F..
Skelly appeared to be examined on the
charge Of numbering his wife, Ethel
Skelly, on Friday morning, May 6. So
great was the press of spectators that
adjournment was taken to the superior
court room.
The man charged with numbering
his wife by fire appeared in court with
his arms bandaged on account of the
burns received in the struggle with his
wife as she writhed in the sheet of
flame that enveloped her. Accompa-
nying him was his mother, Mrs. Jennie
Bradley, a quiet and pathetic figure,
absorbed in the care of her son. Before
the examination all witnesses. on the
request of R Y. Williams, attorney for
the defense, were excluded from the
court room except the one who might
be testifying.
JR. Cavanagh, the first witness, tes-
titled to hearing continuous screams
from the Skelly house, distant some 300
feet: to seeing Mrs. Skelly run from
the house with flames streaming from
her form from shoulders to knees.
Skelly was following her Cavanagh
gave the particulars of Mrs. Skelly
falling, with Skelly over her, fighting
the flames; of snatching a quilt from a
nearby clothes line and throwing 1t to
Skelly; of running into the kitchen
for water, as Mrs. Skelly called for 1t;
of finding the gasoline stove burning
with full jets. fire in the pan on the
stove and fire in the adjacent pantry.
sAf- /,
tub at the well outside and deluged
Skelly and his wife with water.
"Mr. Cavanagh, Mr. Skelly has mur-
dered me-" These are the words that
Cavanagh heard from Mrs. Skelly's lips
as he received her in his arms when
she was passed over the fence by
Skelly and another man.
Cavanagh said he went to the
kitchen again aftetr Mrs. Skelly had
been taken to her room. His suspicious
were aroused by hearing Skelly say 81
dropped it." Mrs. Skelly had also re-
peated accusing exclamations: Frank,
why did you do it?" and Mr.. Skelly
murdered me-" In the pantry the
shelving was on fire, and fire was play
ing up and down the walls almost to
the floor as though some burning fluid
had run down the seams of the wall.
Cavanagh said he helped to dress
Skelly's burns and heard Skelly say:
IF I could Just have kept her in the
house this never would have hap
pened."
When asked by District Attorney
Davis if Mrs. Skelly was rational, Cav
anagh replied, "She was"
On cross-examination Cavanagh said
Skelly appeared frightened and hor-
rified as he assisted in lifting Mrs.
Skelly over the fence; that he seemed
to be in earnest in his attempt to beat
out the flames: that he had never
heard of trouble in the family, and
that Skelly was a good friend and
neighbor.
William Shamrock, the secaond wit
ness, gave much the same testimony
as Cavanagh, except that he had not
heard Skelly say anything. He heard
Mrs. Skelly's accusations, and helped
Cavanage to put out the fire.
Mrs. William Shamrock testified to
being present after Mrs. Skelly was in
bed after being burned; to hearing her
say Frank has murdered me-"
Mrs E. A. Hare also testified to Mrs.
Skelly saying. Frank has murdered
me-" and when Mrs. Hare eXpostu-
lated she replied Eyes, he did. He
threw gasoline on me-" Mrs. Hare de-
clared that Mrs Skelly said: Frank,
why did you do it? Such a DEATH"
DR.. Gordon testified as to Mrs. Skel-
treatment. He said she endured great
pain, but her mind was quick and ac-
tive, but excited. Her death was the
result of the burns.
The prosecution rested with these
witnesses.
The defense called on five or six wit
nesses for the prosecution who had
been subpoenaed but not put on the
stand. This was done apparently to
find out the full line of the prosecution.
Among these witnesses were DR.. c. c..
Violet, who testified 20 the extent Of
Mrs. Skelly's burns, and to hearing
her accusing her husband in phrases
such as ooh, Frank, why did you do
it?" He also said she spoke in a
friendly way of her husband twice.
Mrs. Margery Kennedy testified to
being present at Mrs Skelly's bedside.
Abraham Cans, who is expected to
be an important witness at the trial,
spoke of being awakened by Skelly
early in the morning, asking if "he had
heard that noise;" also of being
aroused later by a cry and the sound
of apparent scuffling. then agonizing
screams, and that Mrs Skelly cried,
"Oh. Mr.. Skelly tried to kill mel" He
testified that about half an hour later,
he was in the kitchen and found the
gasoline tank on a chair with the top
off This was contrary to the testi-
mony Of earlier witnesses.