Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-27
BELL IS HELD FOR
WIDAMAN MURDER
Coroner's Jury Returns Verdict
on Death of Attorney
Buried Yesterday
DELAY PRISONERS HEARING
Relatives Await Arrival of Slayer,
Who Comes Into Court
UnmanaCIed

Following an inquest on the body of
o. p. Widaman, the attorney slain at
Artesia Saturday morning by Frank
NJ. Bell, the coroner's jury yesterday
morning returned verdict that Vida
mans death was the result of internal
hemorrhage caused by bullets fired into
his body from a revolver used by Bell
with homicidal intent.
The funeral Of the attorney occurred
yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock from
the First English Lutheran church at
Eighth and Flower streets. Many
friends attended and well known men
acted as pail bearers.
Earl Rogers, who is to assist in the
defense of Bell, was i'll yesterday, and
the arraignment of Bell was postponed
until 10 o'clock this morning in Justice
Summerfield's court. The district at
torney filed arraignment papers yester-
day morning, sworn to by S. l.. Browne
chief of detectives. The papers were
served on Bell in the corridor of the
county jail and he was taken to the
court room. No action was taken in
the court, however, and Justice Sum
merfield granted a postponement of the
arraignment.
The Justices court room was empty
when Bell appeared, except for a few
of his friends and relatives, who had
heard that he was to be arraigned, and
several officers and attorneys. The
only question that was asked Bell was:
do you give your true name as Frank
M. Bell?'' to which Bell replied in the
affirmative.
PRISONER UNALANACLED
Bell was led to and from the court
room without handcuffs. Accompany
ing him were an officer and Bells at
torney, Frank Dominguez.
The family of Bell yesterday com
pleted the employment of legal talent
for his defense. The list as 1t now
stands, and which is said by Bell to be
complete, consists of Earl Rogers,
Frank Dominguez, John L. Flemlng
and Col Tom L. Johnson.
Bells mother, who was expected to
arrive Monday night, is i'll as result
of the news of her sons deed, accord
ing to kilograms from Ell Paso and
will not come to Los Angeles for sew
eral days.
A telegram was received yesterday by
Bell from William Rutherford, Phil
adelphia banker, offering any assist
ance needed.
The Rev. Herbert weaver, pastor OF
the First English Lutheran church, re,
turned from his vacation to othclate at
the Widaman funeral service and was
assisted by the Rev. Jesse W. Ball.
number of beautiful floral designs, sent
by organizations of which Mr.. Wlda'
man was a member.
The widow and two sons of the slain
man attended the service.
The pail bearers included Joseph
Scott. Charles Scott, Charles Funk, j.
C. wilmer, H. A. Getz and w. c. Dur
gin. Burial was in Rosedale cVeine-
terry.
The inquest held in the morgue of
Orr & Edwards yesterday morning
was short The chapel of the under
taking parlors was filled to overflow
ing with curious persons eager to eaten
a glimpse of Bell, whom they expected
to be present at the inquisit1on.
Neither Bell nor Mrs. Widaman, nor
any relative of either Of the principals
to the shooting was present, except
the brother-in-law of Widaman, L. 5.
Dawson.
JURY RETURNS VERDICT
After the jury was out a few min
utes a verdict of death caused by in
ternal henorrhages caused by gunshot
wounds inflicted by Frank M. Bell with
homicidal intent" was returned. Z. Il.
Brimhall was the foreman of the jury
and the other members were j. l..
Pickles, A. Candy, j. S. Ledford, Frank
D. Haddock and Fred A. L1ttooy
All the witnesses CdllSu WCi q utt
as to the main facts regarding the
shooting, although several of them
could not state exactly how many SHOTS
were fired.
Attorney Frank Dominguez, one of
Bells attorneys, was present, but ulu
not take part in the interrogation OF
the witnesses. Deputy District Attor-
ney Asa Keyes, who will appear Tor the
prosecution in the coming trial, was
present.
A. e. Bevis, a liveryman of Artesia,
one of the eyewitnesses to the tragedy
was the first called to the stand after
the Jury had viewed the body of the
decedent. He was standing about
twenty feet from Widaman when the
shooting started.
James r. Carter, a rancher who was
standing at the ticket window at Ar
tesla station, accompanied by his a
year-old son, and who narrowly es-
capped being killed by the ricocheting
bullet that lodged itself in the wall dl-
rectly above him, was also calleq as
witness.
q. e. Noon. a young attorney in the
offices of Paul Schenck, who. with
Constable Charles Lent OF ~ ArtesIa,
brought Bell to the Pacific Electric
depot, where they were met by depu-
ties from the sheriff's office, testified
regarding the facts of the tragedy
Noon was seated in the car when the
shooting began.
Raw Raney. foreman on Widamans
ranch, who was the last to speak with
the victim of the tragedy; E. L. Good
rich and Albert Frampton were called
as witnesses.
DR.. George w. Campbell. who per.
formed an autopsy on the body OF
Widaman, testified regarding the cause
of death and the location of the bullets
which he extracted from the body.
Three bullets which were extracted
from the body were exhibited to the
jury. A fourth bullet, which entered
the abdomen and caused death, could
not be found, according to the physi-
clans testimony.