The Seward gateway and the Alaska evening post., 1917-08-30

With tears chasing each other down his face and his head bent, little Don aid Mclean took the witneSS-Stand this morning against his father, A. F.. Mclean. government teacher at NuSh- agak, and told of the death of hlS mother in their home during the win ter of 1915, he being the first witness called in the case.
 The jury was completed at the late session yesterday. Attorney Ray for the defense retained the right to use some of his remaining peremptory challenges this morning, if he saw tit' but when court convened this morn ing he did not use them, taking the jury as completed Those in the box are:
 Al Taylor, C. c. Cooper, Joseph Hoffman. w. W. Jones, Thos. Ham bright, J. O. Potter, ChaS. kreting, w.. A. Thede. Al Chamberlain, John King, Jas. Bryson and II. R. RaSsumSSOn.
 '. s. Attorney Spence stated that the defendant is charged with beating his wife to death at their home in Nushagak on Bristol bay, the beat ing having occurred on the night Of January 2Oth, and the death on the afternoon of the 2lSt in 1915. The only eye-witneSSes were the children Of the defendant and the dead woman, including Donald, now aged l2, and Hector, aged 9, in October. Two small Ter children were there but did not realize what occurred.
 Donald Mclean, on taking the stand, was frightened, and the U. $. Attorney could not secure as clear answers as were later given by Hec- tor, the younger brother.
 With much questioning, Donald told how he and his mother had attended a wedding on January goth, and after coming home his father had arrived with Oscar Carlson and demanded that she cook supper. She refused, and according to Donald, was slapped by Mclean, after which Carlson left. The boy described the orgy of vio- lence which ended sometime before midnight. He told how Mclean or dered the children to bed. and how he peeked out of the curtain around the bed in which he and his brother were lying and saw Mclean throw his mother on the floor, face down, grab her by the hair, and beat her face on the floor.
 'He sit on her back and called to me to get him a cigaret," said Donald.
 "Then he got up and threw the lamp at her. He put the fire out with a blanket"
 The boy then told how little later his mother struggled into the kitchen, and blinded by blood, asked her hus- band to wash her face, but he refused; how she washed herself as best she could and when he refused to help her back to bed, "feeled" her way back to the bed, only to be pushed off by Me Lean.
 At three o'clock in the morning, the boy said his father awakened him by yelling at him to get up and clean the floor, saying he would give him two bits. He did this and then went back to bed, being awakened again at five o'clock to build a fire.
 He said he knew his mother was awake next morning because she nov ed under a blanket.
 Then U. S. Attorney Spence pro- duced a letter, which the boy identi- fled as one he had carried from his father to his uncle, the priest, who has since died.
 The note was entered as Exhibit "A" over Attorney Rays objection, and read to the jury, as follows; "Dear Uncle. For the love of God, come quick. think Shuck is dead. AL"
 The District Attorney then turned the witness over to the defense for cross-examination and the first few questions by Attorney Ray develop ed the fact that Attorney Spence had neglected to establish by his chief wit ness the fact that Mrs. Mclean had died. He did this, and the boy said