The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1923-09-27
HARRY JOHNSON
HAVING HEARING
THIS SAFTERN00N
Man Charged with Murder Of
Two Women Is Having
Preliminary Hearing.

Before a crowd which jammed the
District Court room and overfowed
into the ediacent corridor and jury
room, the Government this after
noon hogan its case against Harry
Battling" Johnson, charged OF the
murder of Hilda Weiss and Billy
Mason last Monday morning.
At 2 p. m. today Judge V. A.
Paine in the U. S. Commissioners
Court began the preliminary ex-
animation of the accused man.
johnson, who was represented Dy
r. e. Robertson in the preliminary
hcaring, although maintaining at
most times almost complete self-con-
trol. at other times exhibited signs
OF nervousness and some emotion.
AT timee his lips moved aimlessly,
at others he passed his tongue
around his checks, moistening his
lips, and he swallowed frequently.
He was neatly shaved, dressed in
dark clothes and wore a soft shirt
which was open at the throat. The
coat he wore, made of brown whip
cord, was apparently a match in
pattern with the trousers seized by
the officers in his room last Monday
morning and which he admits to
hive washed free of blopdstains from
one of the women he is charged with
having murdered.
Castle Conducts Case
Special Assistant District Attorney
A. G.. Castle conducted the Govern
ment's case. Three witnesses had
completed their testimony and a
fourth was being examined late to-
day.
J. M. (Bones) Bennett, Negro porter
who discovered the crime, was the
Government first witness and said
he found them about 1:20 a. m. Mon
day He told of notifying the Off
GERS and of the position of the bo-
dies when he first entered the rooms.
Mysterious Husband Enters
In his cross examination of Ben
nett, Mr. Robertson intimated that
husband of one or the other of the
dead women is living in Juneau at
this time and asked Bennett If he
did not know this to be fact, which
the witness denied To the best of
his knowledge, he said, neither wo-
man had husband residing here.
Mr.. Robertson did not indicate what
the connection might be. He also
questioned Bennett closely about the
time of his arrival at the scene OF
the murder saying 10 minutes might
be all important in deciding the
case.
The Governments second witness
was Dr. W. A. Borland, who made
the examination of the victims. He
said that the women had been dead
not less than 20 minutes nor could
not have been dead one hour when
he arrived about 1: 80 a. m. He, also,
was questioned closely about the
time of his arrival by the defendants
counsel.
johnson Seen at a. m.
That she had seen Harry Johnson
on Front Street coming from the di-
reotion of the place where the muir
der took place and almost immedi-
ately afterward returning in the
same direction was the statement
made by Vira Wright, of the City
Baths. near the City Dock. She said
about a. m. Monday, she saw john
son pass directly in front of her
place, looking back over his shout
der and looking around as If for
someone, possibly a friend; that he
went only few steps toward up
town and then turned back and re-
passed her place toward the City
Cafe She said she could not be
mistaken as to the time.
James Russell. who was on the
stand late today, testified as to the
purchase of gun by Johnson, tne
came caliber as that used In the
commission of the crime. and also
box cf ammunition of the same Kind