Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-13
Alliance Woman
Has Hearing on
Murder Charge
Testimony of Friends Damag.
ing-Denies Confession Po.
lice Chief Alleges She
Made After Shooting.

NiiidhCe, NED, Dec. lZ.-(SDeclal
Ielegram.)-Mrs. Evelyn PRESS
McElhany, Is, and pretty, was held
to the district court on charge Of
hrst degree murder, in connection
with the fatal shooting OF Earl B.
Anderson, barber, here last Tuesday
morning, following a preliminary
trial IN county court here. Her trial
IN district court, which is in session
here, has been set for next Wednes-
day. 1t will be the first case in the
history OF Box Butte county. and
possibly in western Nebraska, in
which a woman had been tried on a
first degree murder charge.
-Four witnesses were examined at
the preliminary hearing, three OF
whom gave strong evidence against
4 Mrs. McElhaney. Two of Nthese
were friends of the defendant.
Earl B. Anderson was shot to
death in an alley ut the rear Of the
Joe Smith pool hall about ! last
Tuesday morning. Mrs. McElhansy
is alleged to have told night Chiet
OF Police Eugene Stillwell, who ar
rested her few minutes after the
shooting, Il shot Anderson" She
denied making this statement.
Friends Testimony Hurts.
The most damaging testimony
against Mrs. McElhaney at the pre-
liminary hearing was given by her
personal friend, Miss Mydia Mike
Verde, who was Mrs. McElhaney's
partner in conducting the Wilson
rooming house here, which has
borne a nunsavory reputation. and
by Tom Gray. Miss Verde testi-
fed that Mrs. McElhaney pulled
revolver out OF her pocket while the
two women were walking along the
shooting and remarked that if she
did not kill Anderson he would kill
her. She said Mrs. McElhaney said
that it was case of one or the
other getting killed.
Miss Verde left Mrs. McElhaney
near the scene of the shooting and
went into a restaurant to get some
thing to eat. Within a few minutes
word came that Anderson had been
shot. Miss Verde then went to the
alley at the rear of the pool hall
and found Anderson lying on the
ground in an unconscious condition.
She said Mrs. McElhaney and sew
eral other persons were standing
over him and that Mrs. McElhaney |
remarked that she had aimed at his
heart. The bullet which killed An
derson pierced his abdomen and
lodged in his spine He died within
half an hour after being carried into
a pool hall.
Says Victim Drunk. |
Miss Verde testified that Ander
son came to the Wilson rooming
house about 5 on the night of the
murder in an intoxicated condition
and later at II. He demanded en-
trance to Mrs. McElhaney's room,
she said, and upon being refused
kicked panel out of the door and
went in. Later he left and went down
the alley, Mrs. McElhaney and Miss
Verde then left the rooming house
together and it was then Mrs. Nc
Elhanev remarked that if she didn't
kill Anderson he would kill her and
that she pulled a revolver out of her
pocket and carried it in her hand,
Miss Verde testified.
She said Anderson had previously
made threats against the woman and
was very jealous of her.
Tom Gray testified that he was
passing the alley where the murder
occurred and heard Mrs. McElhaney
quarreling with some one few min
utes before the shooting. Persons
standing in the alley with Mrs. Nc
Elheney, just before the shooting,
were Fred Melick, prominent busi-
ness man of Alliance and Hemlng-1
ford, and Earl Anderson, testimony
showed.
When Gray heard the shooting he
returned to the alley and said he
heard Mrs. McElllaney say, Il shot
that man and if he dies I/suppose |
will be tried for murder" After An
dcrson had been carried into the pool
hall Gray said the woman called him
from across the street and inquired
if Anderson was dead.
Cave Man Tactics.
Miss Verde on cross examination
testified that Anderson had beaten
Mrs. McElhaney on several previous
occasions. but that she did not
know whether or not he had struck
her on the night of the murder.
She said the two frequently quar-
relied.
Earl B. Mallet, pool hall employe,
testified that Mrs. McElhaney a
short time before the shooting
passed him on the street and in
quired if he had seen Anderson.
He said she was carrying something
in her hand but he could not see
whether it was a revolver or not.
He said she told him that she was
afraid Anderson would kill her if
she didn't get him first.
Mallet said that before the shoot
ing he advised Mrs. McElhaney to
g9)home and stop quarreling and
That she replied that it was no use
for her to go home as she was
afraid Anderson would follow her
there and kill her.
Smile Wears Off.
Mrs. McElhaney appeared in
court stylishly dressed She did
not wear the smile that she did the
day following the shooting and ap-
peared nervous throughout the hear
ing. When the charge of murder
was read to her by the county attor-
ney and she was asked to plead, she
replied in a voice scarcely audible,
mot guilty" She sat with her face
in her hands most of the time and
did not once smile throughout the
hearing, which lasted more than two
hours.
Her husband, L. A. McElhaney,
who operates tailor shop at Edge.
mont, S. D., and who has not lived
with his wife for some time, followed