Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-11-04
SEEK TO |MPEACH
MRS. WARDS STORY
Three Witnesses Don't Think
Much of Her Reputation
For Veracity.
SUICIDE THEORY ADVANCED
One Woman Tcstitlcs That Alleged
Murdered Wife Threatened
TO Destroy Herself.

TO Destroy Herself
The state completed the Introduction
of testimony on direct examination
Thursday afternoon in the trial OF
! Thomas Vance alleged uEorcidc. and
the defense began the Introduction of
testimony that is expected to save tho
life of the defendant. The defense put
three witnesses on the stand this morn
ing with view to impeaching the
testimony of Mrs. Amanda Vance
| Ward, who Is considered one of the
| states chief witnesses These all de-
clarcd emphatically that the reputation
OF Mrs. Ward, in the ucighborhood
where she lived, for truth and vcracity
| was bad.
Willard Hansen, former county at
torncy, was the first witness called to
the stand this morning. He identified
the bottle of oil Of savinc, offered in
| evidence by the defense as the bottle
that had been exhibited at The former
| trial.
a. b. Vance of Ogden, pa,roman on
the police force there. testified that he
| had II conversation with Mrs. Mary
Vance at st. Marks hospital a short
time before she died and that she had
| said to him. tom Vance isn't the cause
of my condition"
THREATENED SUICIDE.
| That Mrs. Mary Vance had threat
cncd to commit suicide was the state
| nf Nrs ha
| witness. She said that in a CONVERSE
| ton with Mary Vance, prior to the fatal
| sickness and death, the threat was.
| made.
II wouldn't believe Mrs. Amanda
| Vance Ward under oath" was the
| statement of Frank Stanley when ques-
toned as to her general reputation for
| truth and veracity. He said that lie
| had known her for some time, and
| that the people in the neighborhood
| where she lived did not place any ere
dence in statements made by her.
Joseph f. Taylor, undertaken, ana
his wife. testified with regard to the
condition OF the body of Mary Vance.
when it was brought to their undertake
! Ing parlors.s5 Both declared that they
had not noticed any discoloration or
bruises.
| QUESTION OF REPUTATION.
| Lewis NJ. Cannon. local real estat,.
| dealer said that he had known Mrs.
| Amanda Vance ward for several years,
| and that her reputation for truth anu
| vcrncity was bad He emphaticaly de-
ciayed that he would not believe her
| under oath.
John Abbott. "a years Of age, an iron
| worker, said that he lived neiglbor 70
| Mis-. Amanda Vance Ward In Eighth
| West street, between Seventh and
| Eighth South STREETS, in December. 1907
| He said that she had Il. bad reputation
for truth and vcracity in the neigh
| borhood.
The witness declared that one day,
| while Mrs. Ward was standing on her
| back perth. about Is feet from where
he was standing in his own back yard
| he heard a conversation between her
| ana Lena Vance, daughter Of Thomas
| Vance III which she appeared TO be
coaching the girl as to what she should
| testify to al the trial
! During this conversation. he said that
he heard Lena Vance make the dec
laration. mo, he didn't kick ma; he
only pushed her"
Thcreupon Mrs. ward said IF you
don't testify that way. they will put
| you in prison. too
Knowing ms, Amanda Vance
Wards reputation as you do, would You
believe her under OATH" asked Atty
John Tobn.
40. sir" cmphntically replied the
witness
| On cross examination by Asst. Dist
| Atty. Lcnthcrwood. the witness admit
| ted that. while there was no feeling be-
| tween him and Mrs. Ward that he
didn't Ike the looks of the woman"
CLOSE COMES AS SURPRISE.
| The defense was taken slightly by
surprise Thursday afternoon when the
state announced that 1t had completed
| The Introduction Of testimony and
rested without recalling important Wit
| nesscs examined at the first trial. Lem
| Vance. daughter of the prisoner aud
| one OF the states best witnesses at the
original hearing, Was not called, pre-
sunably for the reason that she hid
| made affidavit that Amanda Nance
| Ward told her tina, she would have To
go to Jail If she did not testify nj tbs
| first trial that Vance Kicked her moth
| er. 1t Is likely that the defense will
| cali her as witness later,
! Following the announcement by Mr..
! Leathcrwood that the state rested,
| Atty. A.. j. Weber for the defense made
! a motion that the jury be instructed
| to return Il verdict of not guilty and
| that the charges against the defendant
| be dismissed The motion was over
| ruled by Judge Lewis and ATTY. 5. ~.
| Maginnis then outlined the defense.
LINE OF DEFENSE.
Atty. Maginnis said that witnesses
| would be introduced to show that the
decedent came 10 her death largely
| through her own acts, He said that II
| would be proved by witnesses that thl
| defendant had not kicked his Wife and
| that the bruisc on her body. ailoS5U
| by the state to have been caused b
f, Vance Kicking her, VAS rather SCI
| or blemish OF long standing Tho
| fense would show, too, that In
probability death was caused By
use OF oil Of snvnc. An effort was
| be made. also, to impcnch the test,
monv OF Mrs. Amanda Vance Ward,
Mrs. CLARA l.. Richards, the first
! witness called by the defense Thur
| duv afternoon, said that Mrs. Amanda
Vance Ward had told her, after The
arrest OF Vance, that they have no.
got tho right man in jail
| Gnorge w. Vance, a nephew OF tn
defendant aud the former husband %
| Mrs Amanda Vance Ward testified
that on one ccason he had heard tho
| dcccdent say that she would rather
be dead than alive" and that III IT.
| wasn't for the children shc would Kill