Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-08
ARGUMENT BEGUN
IN WAN CASE
Defendant Was 0bsessed
With Greed, Prosecutor
Says, Accusing Chinese.

Vehemently attacking Ziang Sun
Wan as a person obsessed with greed
for money, Assistant United States
Attorney George j. Horning, IT., In
his opening argument for the Gov
eminent before a jury In Criminal
Division today, declared the de-
PENDANT SIS the man who fired the
fatal shot that killed Ben Sen Wu'
| at the Chinese Educational Mission
here on the night of January %,
1919.
Mr.. Horning was the first OF sew
| eral speakers who will address the
jury on behalf of the Government
and the defense over an allotted time
of six hours and half. The open
ing argument for the prosecution
| was begun exactly at noon and,
owing to the lengthy period 70 he
given over for succeeding arguments,
1t was indicated the jury would not
| receive the case today.
The final stage for the trial Of tho
young Chinese was drawn after the
| government during the morning hour
! had submitted testimony solely to con
! tradict the defendant and Y. J. Var.
| his brother, and therefore 10 impeaCh
their probability. This was undertaken
! with the reading Of the transcript OF
| the record from the former trial from
| the testimony OF the two brothers
| In several instances the testimony at
| the first trial did not agree with that
| given several days ago. but the nature
! OF the discrepancies WAS not Of al
| outstanding importance
Bank Officials Testify.
| Robert V. Fleming, president Of III.
| Riggs National Bank, and George @.
| Nass, an official Of the bank. both
! testified that Van, the brother, denied
| TO them on the night of February 3.
! 1919, that he had attempted to cash
| a check for 5000 reported to bear
/ the signatures Of two murdered mem
! bers Of the mission
! They also testified that Van present
| ed the visiting card OF WI 10 the bank
| officials at the time he sought to have
! the check honored. Van, on the stand
| last week, denied he ever saw the card
when II was shown 10 him.
| Several minutes were occupied il.
| preparing instructions on matters o.
law affecting the case for the jury.
| United States Attorney Peyton Cor
| don presented the Governments III
| structions and Rudolph II. Yeatmau
read the instructions for the defense
| Following this Mr.. Horning began
| his opening argument for the Gov
| eminent by declaring that he holds no
| prejudice against the defendant indi-
| vidually, but Il am conscious of the
| deep guilt Of an atrocious crime com
| mitted by some one
| Then turning in the direction OF thu
| defendant, who had fastened his eye
on the speaker, Mr.. Mornings deep
! voice was raised To its fun volume
! ''Ziang Sun Wan, that man sitting
there, is the man who on that night
| fired the fatal shot that killed Ben
Sen WI"
Cautions Jury on Evidence.
Mr.. Horning cautioned the jury no.
! 70 listen to any arguments from the
defense that the chain Of circumstan-
! tial evidence is only as strong as its
weakest link.
! The young assistant district at.
! torney dwelt for some time on the
! evidence that Wan received 50 600
| from his mother in China for educa-
| uonal purposes. He attacked the
story of the defendant and his brother
! that the $4,000 was to be invested in
| a business venture. Wan had told
/ Chinese student, Mr. Horning de
| clared, that the money was to further
/ his education in this country. "Hut
(, Horning, "he invested il in moving
picture business, about which he knew
nothing then and knows nothing now.
| If this mother in China had wished
| her sons to enter business. would she
| not have recalled them to their native
| land or at least demanded a sound
! proposition"
! The defense, shortly after the trial
began brought Detective Sergt. Ed
/ ward J. Kelly to the stand as a wit
ness in rebuttal. He was asked h,-
! Wilton J. Lambert If he saw A. J..
I Creecy at the mission house on tn,
/ night of January 81. Creecy, testi-
| flying as a defense witness, had stat
ed several occurrences differing wide
| ly from stories told by the police ard
the Government sought to impeach
| his testimony. Kelly declared he
| could not say whether he saw Creecy-
that night, "as his presence there
would be of no Importance 10 me"