The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-01-15
WAN TRIAL
TO 60 ON
MONDAY

X
Adjourned until Monday, the
second trial of Ziang Sun Wan
for murder of Ben Sen WI, at
the Chinese Educational Mission
here in 1919, is about to enter
upon long and hard-fought
legal battle.
Death, the law and circum-
stance have robbed the Govern
ment of evidence that assisted in
the conviction Of Wan in 1920.
On the other hand, there has been
no indication that the defense has
turned up new evidence to
strengthen its case.
Shorthand Notes Missing
The statement of guilt Wan is
alleged to have made to detectives
during his detention in Washington
prior to the first trial has been
declared inadmissable as evidence
by the United States Supreme
Court.
Several police officials and civil.
ians who were prominent Govern
ment witnesses in the earlier trial
have since died.
And Yesterday afternoon, Grover
&c. Dismukes, shorthand reporter,
stated on the witness stand that
the shorthand notes of the first
trial had been left in the basement
Of the Appeals Building and have
not been recovered.
CrOss-examinatio ton of Dismukes
was waived by defense counsel.
Defense to Fight Hard
1t became evident at an early
hour yesterday afternoon, when a
Jury had been secured after three
days effort, that the defense would
take advantage of every loop-hole
in the examination of witnesses by
the Government, and would seize
upon every apparent discrepancy
in the testimony.
Six prosecution witnesses had
been heard before court adjourned,
and even then the case was we'll
on its way, though fifty remain TO
he heard for the Government.
Facts established by the prosecu-.
ton, through witnesses, prior to
adjournment, were:
Kang LII a Chinese student re-
siding opposite the mission house,
visited the institution on the night
of January 81, 1919. He found The
dead bodies of DIR. Theodore r.
Wong, Chang H. Hsie, and Ben
Sen WI. Wong's body lay at the
entrance to a reception alcove. Tile
other bodies were in the basement.
Ii then notified the police.
Shots Well Placed
Autopsies on the bodies at the
District Morgue by DR.. Elijah White
Titus, then deputy coroner, showed
Wong was shot through the heart.
WI through the heart and head,
and Hsie through the head. Cor
roborative detail, was supplied by
Coroner J. Ramsay hewitt anu
Morguemaster William Schoen.
berger.
Wan, the defendant, left the
rooming house of Mrs. Gertrude
Bartels, in New York, where ms had
been living with his brother, Van,
on January %, and was next seen
by the landlady in his room on
January 81.
The defense, plunging into the
attack, found DIR. Titus unable to
account for severe laceration on
the head of DIR. Wong, and brought
from him the admission that no
post-mortem examination of WIS
stomach was made to determine its
contents.
Assistant District Attorney George
ID. Horning conducted tn lmina-
ton of witnesses for the Govern
ment. His questions were brief and
direct, and his inquiry took little
time.
The cross-eXaminations. which
were divided between Wilton j
Lambert and former Senator A. |
Owsley Stanley, were considerably |
more detailed, particularly the !
quizzing of the former Kentucky |
solon.
Mrs. Bartels. the last witness on
the stand, spoke with a decided for
eign accent, pronouncing the name
IF the accused man "Von," which !
ed to frequent Observation-Disclosures
INVOLVING Van, VANS brother. She
vas on the stand. and the direct
examination was not completed
when Justice Wendell p. Stofford
allied it day. Mrs, Bartels will