Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-06-02
SHECRALLAH TAKEN TO JAIL
AT AUGUSTA ON CHARGE OF
MURDER; MANY THREATS HEARD

Manner Shecrallah was held with
out bail when he was arraigned be-
fore Judge Charles w. Atchley in
the Waterville municipal court yes
terday afternoon on a charge of
numbering Nimon Karter on Front
street Sunday afternoon. Shecral-
lah, who was represented in court
by Herbert E. Locke of Augusta, en-
tered a plea of not guilty. County
Attorney Frank E. Southland was for
the State.
Threats of violence had been
numerous among the Syrian popu-
lation of the city during the morn
ing and the police took great pre-
caution in handling the prisoner. No
one was allowed into the basement
Of the city building until Shecrallah
had been conveyed from his cell to
the court room and while he was
there two police officers stood guard
over him.
Only two witnesses were introduce
ed by the prosecution and no de-
fense was offered so that the hear
ing was over in less than a half
hour. Charlie Karter of 8 Union
street, a cousin of the murdered
man, was the first witness called.
His story was identical with that
which he told the authorities on the
day of the shooting. He told of the
walk which he took with his chill
dren and cousin up Front street and
he said when they were walking
back towards Union street and were
at a point nearly in front of the
house at 9S Front street, Shecral-
lah came from behind them on a
run and when he got to be about
two feet ahead he turned and open
ed fire at Nimon's head.
When asked who it was who did
the shooting Karter raised his hand
and, pointing towards the defendant,
shouted.
"Shecrallah, that guy there"
This was the only time that Kar-
ter became excited during the hear
ing and it constituted the only dra-
matte moment of the hearing. She
crallah remained as unperturbed as
he had been since his arrest.
Karter in continuing his story
told of the number of shots that had
been fired into his cousins body and
how he had run from Front street
UP to the driveway to the rear of
Charles Georges house where he fell
for the final time. Here, said the
witness, Shecrallah leaned close over
the body and fired one more bullet
into the back of the wounded man.
Then, said Karter, Shecrallah, turn
ed on him and fired three shots but
none of them had taken effect rs
the witness had got behind an apple
tree for safety
DIR. John Towne, county medical
examiner. was the second witness
called. He told the court that he had
been called to the scene of the mur-
der shortly after the shooting had
taken place and that an autopsy per-
former by him later he had found
four bullet wounds in the man.
The wound that had proved fatal,
according to the doctor, was caused
by a soft-nosed bullet from the
80 calibre automatic revolver which
Shecrallah later turned over to the
police. The bullet entered the body
just above the hip bone and when
it struck the spine it was DETECTED,
the steel jacket of the bullet punct-
uring the intestine and liver and the
soft nose of the shell shattering the
thigh bone. There was another wound
in the face, bullet from the rs
calibre revolver going through the
cheek and then through the tongue
finally lodging in the jaw. Wounds
were also found in either arm, one
from the rs calibre and the other
from the .32 calibre.
At this point the state rested and
Mr.. Locke announced that there
would be no witnesses heard for the
defense.
The court room was quickly cleared
OF the audience which had taxed 1t
to capacity and before the prisoner
was turned over to the county au-
thorities he was given a few mo-
ments in which to speak to his wife
and children. During this time all
were excluded from the court room
but one or two officers.
Many had looked for trouble
because of the many who had clung
around the city building and the
mutterings of revenge that had been
made by men Of the same nation
ality as the man who had been kill
ed. All the Syrians who entered the
court room were searched by men,
bers of the police force who made
sure that they carried no weapons.
1t was said when the search started
that 10 or IL men hurriedly left the
corridor bit whether or not they
did so because they were armed is
not known.
When the hearing was over many
people still maintained their vigil
outside the lookup, waiting to catch
a glimpse of Shecrallah. They were
disappointed, however, when the
prisoner was removed from. the
building through the coal hole and
hurried into a waiting automobile,
which carried him to the Augusta
Jail where he will be arraigned be-
fore the grand jury on the first Tues
day in September.