Evening star., 1927-12-02
BABY AND2 CATS
AID BEACH AL|B|
Witnesses Recall Events Es-
tabIishing Time They Saw
Him on Certain Day.
By the Associated Press.

friends, relatives, neighbors,
)aby and even two cats were used in
In effort to prove that Mrs. Margaret
4illiendahl and Willis Beach are inno-
,ent of the murder of the woman's
1t was the first day of defense testi-
nony, and many witnesses were called
% tell of the good reputation of both
iefenda nts and deny that illicit init
macy between them had ended In
amily disagreements that might have
been motive for a murder.
Most of the morning session was
given over to building up an .alibi
for Beach. who Is accused of the
actual killing. Testimony was given
to show that he was In his home at
such a time that no oouIa re: have
reached the scene of the crime by the
hour that the killing took place.
Cats Aid His Memory.
One woman remembered that she
had seen him near home at a certain
hour because she had just been told
of the birth of a baby to a friend
when Beach went by.
A man changed previous testimony
to say he had seen Beach. having
had his recollection refreshed that
Beach waved to him as the witness
was talking to his mother. who had
been followed across field as she
came to meet him by two cats. The
cat incident was so unusual, he said.
that when he saw his mother two
weeks ago with two cats everything
ca me hack to him.
Counsel for Beach promised to-
day to show that Beach never knew
Samuel Bark. the circus lariat man,
who testified yesterday that Beach had
confessed to him at Baltimore that he
shot and killed DIR. A. William Lillien-
dahl.
BY agreement of counsel. Beach was
given the first chance to defend him.
self. although yesterday, when the
state rested. it had been expected that
counsel for the other defendant, Mrs.
Margaret Lilliendahl. would open the
defense.
Holds Families Friendly.
Edison Hedges. counsel for Beach,
began his opening address to the jury
BY pointing out the various members
Of the family.
He promised to show that the Beach
and Lilliendahl families were ex-
tremely friendly and that the friend
ship lasted until the end of DR.. Lii
life.
Hedges told of both Beach and DIR.
Lilliendahl having chickens that were
diseased.
"The doctor gave Beach some
remedy" he said, that he claimed
would cure the chickens in three days.
The medicine was administered and
the chickens began to die. Beach told
the doctor this and they had a few
loud words about efficacy Of the cure.
This was the nearest thing to a
quarrel the two ever had. There was
some coldness for a time, but the
friendship soon was resumed"
VIII Discuss Notes.
The so-called Peggy Anderson notes
that passed between Beach and Mrs.
will be shown to have
been brief and harmless letters that
have nothing to do with any Illicit init.
macy.
I'VE will bring out that Beach never
in his life saw Samuel Bark until he
took the stand yesterday"
Hedges said it would show that
Beach could not have been at the
scene OF the crime and said witnesses
would testify. that he was in his own
home at the time.
The attorney took only Is minutes
for his address.
Says Negroes Were Seen.
Charles Phillips, attorney of record
for Mrs. Lilliendahl. then opened for
his client.
He pictured the Lilliendahl home
as a completely happy one and
shrugged away the quarrel between
Beach and DIR. Iilliendahl as of no
import.
He said that two negroes were
seen i'm the lane when the killing
took place by a woman who will take
the stand. Mrs. Lilliendahl says
negroes killed her husband.
when you hear the witnesses we
will produce you cannot believe The
prosecution story" he said.
He then asserted that the blood
found on Mrs. Lilliendah1s garments
after the killing came from a nose
bleed her little son had had the day
before.
He closed after talking 10 minutes.
State Witness Called.
After Bishop Emanuel Fernando.
suffragan Bishop of Porto Rico, and a
relative Of Mrs. Lilliendahl, had been
permitted to testify as a character
witness for Mrs. Lilliendahl, so that
he might get away. Jack Thornbor-
row, who had testified for the State,
was called as witness for Beach.
He told Of seeing Beach the MORN
ng of the killing. but was unable to
set the time exactly.
Thnrnh0rrnvv shown n state.
nent which he had made in the pres
ence of a State detective. and was
asked:
"Dont you recall that you said
Beach asked you to remember that
he was with you when you were
punching beets at 1880 and later when
you went to the egg plant patch?"
81 do not. I made some such state.
nent. but It was In error and asked
1t the time that 1t be stricken out"
He acknowledged that in making
he statement he said that he had not
seen Beach at all the day of the kill
having seen him that morn
ng.
Four Saw Beach.
After two woman neighbors had
estified to seeing Beach on the day
If the crime Ray Beash. son of the
was called.
He said his father was at home
when the killing of DR.. Lilliendahl
ook place.
Mrs. Daisy Beach. Rays wife, tes-
ified that she saw her father .in-law
lbout 8 O'Clock the morning OF the
iilling; at 9. at 1880 and from then
Until he finished lunch about 1850.
1t was admittedly impossible for
my one to have reached the scene
f the crime in time to have been at
he killing when 1t was done, by leav.
ng the Beach home at 1890.
Us. Hard Up Today,
NsaI a. .ra.