The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-11-28
PROSECUTION SPINNING LEGAL. WEB
TO CONVICT SLAYER Of CEDER
Testimony in Mcmahon
Trial Begins-.-Wtle
Breaks Down.
fFrom satataayls AdvoIlI.er.l

fFrom Saturdays Advortlser)
Daring tho whole Of She trial Of Ser.
ecant MeMahon yesterday in the fed.
erai court on the charge Of killing A.
y. Codorlof, at Loilchua, September 2s,
the only evidence connecting the dc
PENDANT with the killing was state
ment mado by Alois Feicrciscl on the
stand, he tcstifyiug that he had heard
Mrs Cederlof say shortly after the
shooting, ''AIcMahon shot my hus-
band"
Several timos the prosecution tried
10 introduce evidence connecting McAIa-
hon with the crime, but in all otlfeI in
stances it was regarded as hearsay
testimony and tho defendant was not
present when the statements were made.
From the time the case formally
opened yesterday morning by short
review of it to the jury by United
States Attorney Breckons, it was shown
all along how desperate would be the
attempt of the defense to save Nc
Mahon from the gallows. Many time
objections were made by She defense
and generally sustained by the Court
on the introduction of testimony in adj
vance of the time it should be brought
into the case.
The defendant himself was calm
throughout the ordeal of the trial yes
teTday, never flinching as he listened to
the testimony of various witnesses, but
shaking his head slightly when Feier-
eisel testified that after the shooting
he put his arm around McMahon's neck
and helped to hold him.
Wife in Tears.
Beside Mcmahon sat his petite wife,
but not once during the day did she
speak TO him in the courtroom, watch
full all the time of the court proceed
ings, and taking note mentally of the
story as told by each witness on the
stand.
For several moments at stretch she
would sit gazing into vacancy, her gaze
resting on spot on the floor several
feet from her chair, but only once dur
ing the day did she break down in any
way or show emotion, and that was
Wnth 0tOlko. IlbdR was On tHe bbdnu
telling of hearing two shots and a
woman g scream. As the witness made
that statement recalling so wildly to
her mind the events of that tragic
night. she broke down completely and
sobhed convnlsively.
For the trial yesterday she was
dressed in the same quiet manner as at
her appearance on the first day. except
that she wore a white serge skirt in
stead of the black one of the former oc-
easions. The same broad, black straw
hat, white shirtwaist with heavy black
bow at the throat and tan shoes, while
in her hand she carried the brown ALI
gator handbag which has been her con-
slant companion during the week.
History of the Shooting.
When court convened in the morn
ing for the trial, United States Attor-
ney Breckons told the jury of the crime
committed and what the prosecution in.
tended to prove.
He rehoarsed the whole history of the
case, practically all of which has been
found on Mcmahon when he was
searched after the shooting in which
he said he was going to kill his wife.
He told of the trouble leading up to
the alleged crime, of Mrs. Mcmahon
and Mrs. Cederlof being at the Nation
al Guard camp that evening and return
ing to the Cederlof home where they
were with Mr.. Cederlof when Mcmahon
came along and asked for his wife. OF
the actual shooting when Cederlof came
down to the gate, and of his threats
among some of the non-commissioned
staff of the regiment several hours be.
fore to kill his wife.
Also about Mcmahon Is remark when
asked why he had done the deed and be
answered that he must have been crazy
as well as the remark coming in under
guard the following day when he said
THAT is what booze win do'
Prosecution Opens.
Lieutenant Demmer, medical corps.
U. s. Army, was the first witness called
by the prosecution in the case. he hav-
ing performed the autopsy over the
body and extracted the bullet from the
brain. He testified that the wound in
the head was on the left side and that
brain was oozing from it, and that
there was a smaller wound beside the
larger one which was caused by some
foreign substance outside the bullet
which was responsible for death.
he found the bullet in two pieces,
both-of which, however, did not repre-
sent the whole slug which had been
shot from the revolver. The bullet was
3S caliber one and should weigh 14s
grains, but the two pieces which he
found weighed but 100 grains.
After entering the head the larger
part of the bullet went to the center
Of the brain while the smaller piece
found was nearer the skull on the other
side.
Another statement which he made
N.nn In rnn.n Il. q. - I.