The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-19
David Edwards, States Chief
Witness in Blackhand
Trial, Exhausted After
Cross-examination.
ENACTS SCENE ON
NIGHT OF SHOOTING
No New Developments, but
Public Is Highly Interested
in the Already Sensa-
tional Case.

Special to The Tribune.
OGDEN, March 1S-Attired in the
long black overcoat which is riddled by
shot and stiff by reason of it's satu-
ration with his own blood, David Ed
wards, gunmap and detective, stood in
Judge J. A. Howell IS crowded court
room today and enacted again his move
ments when he faced seemingly certain
death and the guns of the blackmailers
on the morning of November 8, 1913.
Slung by a copper wire from about his
neck and concealed beneath the coat
was the sawed-off shotgun with which
he contended that he shot one or more
Of his assailants.
Whether it was due to his position
in front Of the witness chair or other
wise, the shortened muzzle of the shot
gun was pointed directly at and was
within eight feet of Joseph Henry Mar
tin the accused defendant, as the aged
shoulder In demonstration of his attack
when he encountered the ambuscade on
West Seventeenth street, For second
the tottering gunman squinted over
the sights directly into the face of the
man now on trial for the murderous
assault. 1t was gripping moment for
the several hundred persons in the
courtroom, many of whom regarded it
as strategic scene Of accused and
accuser.
Marking the real opening of the
trial, Detective Edwards was the first
witness introduced by the prosecution
and, with the exception of brief inter
walls, he was on the stand from 10
clock this morning until 3 o'clock
tnis afternoon. Having never COM
pletely regained his strength since re-
ceiving nearly twenty gunshot wounds
in the encounter with the blackmailers,
Edwards collapsed Immediately after
leaving the witness stand and was un-
able to leave the building for more
than an hour,
Detective in Distress.
1t was evident from the moment that
the wounded detective entered the
courtroom mat he was suffering physi-
cal pain Although Attorney Soren
X. Christensen displayed every effort
to be lenient with the states principal
witness, he was none the less de
termined and his persistent cross-eX
animation consumed much of the days
session. Unable to hold out under
such strain, Edwards displayed q
weakness near the end Of his ordeal
which made 1t almost impossible for
him to stand on his feet.
Edwards seemed anxious to rid him
self OF the heavy shotgun slung by the
overcoat. Toward the end of the
cross ssoxamination his answers to At
torney Christensen 3 questions were
given in tones scarcely audible to the
jury and his hstless manner in making
answers indicated great fatigue. He
tottered as he left the courtroom and
foil fainting into chair upon reaching
the first anteroom. After temporary
ness was able to leave the building
Throughout the two hours recess for
noon Detective Edwards lay on a bed
in the private office Of the sheriff.
Courtroom Crowded.
Other than Detective Edwards, the
only witnesses testifying during the
day were L.. R. Eccles, who testified
briefly regarding weapons purchased for
tho attack upon the blackmailers, and j
Orson Douglas, salesman for the Boyle
Furniture company, who testified to
having loaded the shotguns used on the
night of the attack. Both will be re-
called. Douglas probably taking the
stand tomorrow morning for crosscx-
animation.
The great interest displayed by the
public in s-e blackmail eases was best
evidenced today when the large court
room was crowded to the doors from
before 10 o'clock this morning until
the hour of adjournment this evening.
Those unable TO obtain standing room
in the morning session returned early
after lunch in order to obtain a seat.
Doorways and halls were filled by peo,
pie who sought to look at the defend.
ant or to hear the evidence.
The great stress placed upon { he
weapon and shot alleged to have been
used by Edwards in the West Seven.
teenth street affair showed the connec-
tion which the state evidently hopes to
make with the wounds found in Mar
tin s leg following his arrest. ATTORNEY
Christensen was even moro persistent
IN his effort to bring out that the shells
used in the shotgun which Edwards car.
ried out to West Seventeenth street
might not have been the shells pur-
chased for that purpose. Much time
was devoted to the technical considera-
(Continuod on Paee Etght-N