The San Francisco call., 1910-12-09
AGED DOCTOR LAUGHS
AND ASSISTS LAWYERS
Woman Recites Strange His
tory of her Relations With
Head of SanatOrium
tETTERS PRODUCED TO
CORR0BORATE HER STORY
By HARRY DAVIDS
( Special Dispatch 10 The Call

lSPeolal Dispdtch 10 The Call
OANTA ROSA. Dec. 8.-Warped
love, lost love and loose love,
mingling with tale of crime
abhorrent, with horrible plottings to
XII. as brought out in the opening
statements and by the testimony of
Miss Lu Eta Smith in the trial Of DR..
Willard P. Burke. charged with dyna-
uidng an inhabited dwelling, gave to
the case a unique position in the
criminal history Of the state.
The accused, with gray beard and
pstrisrohal whiskers sweeping to the
belt, with hair whitened by times
Powdering, though the central figure,
was yet the most incongruous. No
place did he seem 10 have in loves
happenings. His bent and by no
means beautiful form belied the accu-
sations and charges of passionate en-
deavor. The weakness of his SO sum
mers III fitted the ron which fate had
thrust upon him.
Contrast of Age and Vigor
To love. 10 win and then to kill the
thing he loved seemed hardly for him.
But. seenly or not, the evidence ae-
eusing him OF these acts Of unreason-
ing fiery youth was there. The charges
20 this effect were made in open court.
And. despite his years and beard and
professional dignity, none in the
crowded courtroom was more alive to
the issues Of each succeeding moment
Beneath the bald head was the men
tai vigor Of youth. The whiskered
chin shook with laughter at every tell
ing point in his favor. He advised the
attorneys for the defense; he took
copious notes. His keen eyes. blink
ing and peering under shaggy brows.
took in every phase Of the situation.
His nimble mind was the first TO grasp
an advantage.
On the stand the woman whom he is
accused Of having betrayed and then
tried 10 kill told her story without
faItering over q detail
Woman's Story PassionIess
Behind Burke the neighbors. friends
and acquaintances Of a lifetime banked
the room in solemn silence. Outside
was the monotony Of dull day with
cold drizzle dripping from dark
clouds Jogging the window panes. and
inside the still greater monotony of
answer and question, Of question and
answer.
Thoughts vibrant with passion were
uttered in the most careless and impas-
sionate manner In telling her story
the woman impaired TO it not the least
vesrge OF LIE or OF color. She went
! over the events IN an even, steady and
Z monotonouss voice. AS she gave it the
tale was dead, as dead as the love
hopes she once might have nourished.
Wife Exhibits Sorrow
The wife OF the accused man. an
old woman with ewes heavy with sor-
row, with a face lined with woe, sat
by him the livelong day-colorless. ex-
pressionless At times Burke would
lean toward her and explain some point
from HIS notes. but she scarce gave
him q glance Her Jaws were set tight
and her lips compressed.
The testimony OF Lu Eta Smith was
in conformity with the story given by
her tine and time again since the
dynamiting OF her tent. February 3. II
was in line with the opening statements
OF District Attorney Clarence Lea. It
was in the recital OF the facts relied
upon by the prosecution that there
were brought to light the strange loves
mixed in wofuI confusion in this case.
Outline of States Case
After explaining that the state in
tended to prove that Dr. Burke had
betrayed Lu Eta Smith, Lea said that
evidence would be forthcoming show
ing the manner in which the physician
accomplished his purpose
we viii prove" he said. that Doc
tor Burke by insidious teachings and
advice turned the mind Of the woman
from her previous conceptions Of
morality We viii prove that in his
letters and other statements to her
Re uttered sentiments such as our
pNssent standard of morals is entirely
Euberstitious and not in accord with
the divine law. The real noble woman