Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1914-03-05
ELLIS QUA|LS As
PROSECUTOR CALLS
HIM VILE COWARD.
Alleged Wife Murderer Breaks
Down Under vitri0liC Plea
That He Be Given the
Death Penalty.
JUDGE RECEIVES THREAT
End of Sensational Trial of Rich
Cincinnati Leather Manufac-
turer Near-"Ma in
Case Is Flayed.

Case Is Flayed.
Chicago, March b.-"A vile coward,
who killed his wife and made his
children motherless and then attempted
to blacken her character to save his
wretched life AS Prosecutor Malato
uttered these words of denunciation OF
William Cheney Ellis, Cincinnati
leather merchant on trial for the
murder of his wife. in the opening
argument to the jury today, Ellis
swayed in his chair and had to be
supported.
"Look!" exclaimed NIalato. "Ellis
gets a glass of water and has someone
to lift him up. but he gave his wife no
water while she lay shot four times
and with her throat gashed. If he is
given the death penalty at your hands
he will have chance to make his
peace with God. He gave his wife
none"
Malato attacked unsparingly both
Ellis and Fred Cauldwell, of Brant-
ford, Ont. alleged by Ellis to 'be the
man in the case.''
Mrs. Illish was shot to death in her
room at the Hotel Sherman: Ellis also
wounded himself and for hours re-
manned beside the corpse of his slain
wife hugging and kissing the lifeless
body and bewailing the tragedy.
Asks Death Penalty.
"Cauldwell lives out of the juris-
dictlon of this court" Malato continued,
and could not be compelled to come
here to testify We have begged him
in the name of humanity and in the
name of the/ little children made
motherless by this tragedy, to come
here and speak, but he has refused.
There are no adjectives to describe the
kind of coward Ellis is.
Under the fire of the prosecutors in
vective, Ellis turned pale, but the at
tacks only grew more bitter. Malato
insisted that nothing but the death
penalty could be imposed on a man who
had killed his wife in the manner in
which Ellis did.
The reading of l5,0OO-word hypo-
thettcaI ti1esfion to DIR. Sidney Kuh,
alienist, 81 North State street. that
consumed almost two hours by Assist
ant States Attorney Stephen A. Mala-
TO, prosecutor, came as sensational
climax to the trial late yesterday.
Judge Receives Threat.
For the second time during the trial
Ellis collapsed when telegram sent by
his wife to Fred Cauldwell. the Cana
dian merchant. was read into evidence.
The message was intended to corrobo-
rate Ellis testimony on the stand that
well in Chicago.
1t ran:
Cincinnati. Oct 10, 1913. Fred Cauld-
we'll, Biantford, Canada:
Arrive in Chicago alone Sunday, {
a. M, Pennsylvania. Cousin meets
train"
Prosecutor Malato's 1s,OOO-word hy-
pothetical question embracing all the
evidence submitted by the prosecution
and part of that offered by the defense,
besides Ellis testimony at the time of
the coroner's inquest.
Judge Petit today received an anony-
nous letter declaring that he would be
shot to death in court if the jury re-
turned a verdict of guilty against the
once wealth leather merchant
The. judge said he did not credit the
note, but would nevertheless keep its
contents from the jury, that there
should be no chance of biasing their
opinion.
The letter read:
Judge Petit: You will be shot in
the courtroom il Ellis is found guilty.
Search all persons. l heard the threats
in saloon near the corner of Van
Buren and Michigan avenue.
Justice"
to have this investigated" said the
judge. as It apparently is the work of
some crank"
Denial by CauldwelI.
Fred G. Cauldwell, of Brantford,
Ont, Canada, according to a telegram
received here today, declared that it
was an outrage that his name had
been brought into the case of William
G. Ellis, on trial for the murder of
Mrs Ellis In Chicago hotel. He said
that he had never spoken to Mrs. ELLIS
except when she was with her husband
or daughter Cauldwell said that he
had received the telegram signed E. H.
Ellis, put that he did not believe it was
from Mrs. Ellis
tempt to save his own neck. 1t is the
act of a dispicable coward" said
Cauldwell. II met Mrs. Ellis, Ellis
and their daughter Violet last fall at
Georgian bay where / was spending
my vacation. BY accident we, were as
signed to the same hotel table and
Ellis introduced himself to me and i
met the family. did not cultivate
them. as Ellis was disagreeable to me
or account of his extreme nervousness.
All Mrs. Ellis seemed to think of
was the health of her husband and
the comfort of her children. They
would go for long walks together some
times just Ellis and Mrs. Ellis, but
generally the. three of them. I never
saw Mrs Ellis except at the table at
which we had our meals
II don't believe the telegram sent by
'E. H. Ellis which received was sent
by Mrs. Ellis. I can understand no
circumstances under which she would
send a telegram to me. My friends
here have not lost confidence in me on
account of Ellis cowardly attempt to
drag me into this case"