The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-04-16
NELSON GOES ON TRIAL IM
 MURDER CASE
Jury Is Secured, Witnesses Begin Tesfifying on
 Jim Ellen s Death

noon she saw Austin Nelson
 in the Jim Ellen grocery store,
 and leaving the store at ap-
 proXimately the time of the
 murder, little before o'clock
 Sunday morning, Dec. 22.
 She testified she saw Nelson
 enter the store and talking to
 Ellen: later saw him leave by the rear door after the lights
 were turned out.
 At press time the prosecu-
 ton was to call the last two
 witnesses, two FBI laboratory
 experts frcm Washington, D. C.
 who were to give testimony re-
 garding hair and blood found
 at the scene of the crime, and
 would probably rest it's case
 and the defense take over.
 The trial of Austin Nelson for lhe alleged murder of Jim Ellen is underway in U. s. District Court following late start yesterday, Nelson is charged with cutting the late Juneau groceryman in the throat with a razor December p, l946 at Ellen's store on Willoughby Avenue. Nelson is being tried for first degree murder following an by the Federal Grand Jury here two weeks ago.
 The first witness, Miss Gerry was called to the stand 1t 4:30 pm. yesterday. She told of Ellen's body on the of December g, l946 in his grocery store She said that she had come into the store to make purchase and, not seeing Ellen, had wandered around the store until ,he came across his body laying in l pool of blood behind one of the counters.
 The next witness, Mark Jensen, truck driver, told of Miss Fitzger- aids running out into the street and Tagging him down as he was driving by. He said that he went back into the store with her and hen called the police.
 George R. Fletcher, special agent 0f the Federal Bureau of Investlga- ton, was next to testify. He identi- fled photographs which he said that he had taken of the body at the scene of the crime and at the later. U. s. District Attor- ney P. J. Gilmore, Jr. then intro iuced the photographs as Govern nent Exhibits No. and No. ?.
 Police Witnesses
 Milo G. Clouse, then Assistant Chief of Police, and Patrolman 5olon Dore were the last two wit nesses yesterday Both testified as to the discovery of check on the premises containing Nelson's name. They said that they then went, with Deputy U. s. Marshal Walter c. Hellan, to the Ismail Rooms and Nelson. They identified a pair of rubbers which were intro duced as Government Exhibits No. 3-A and 3-B. They said that they had picked up the rubberS in Nell sons room at the time of his ar rest.
 Position of Body
 Deputy Marshal Hellan was the first witness to be called this morn ing and was on the stand for more than an hour. He stated that he was called into the case at the re- quest of Resident FBI Agent John B. Hayes who was ill and unable to answer the call. A detailed drawing of Ellen's store made by Hellan was introduced as Government Ex- hibit No 4. Hellan described the position of the body when he ar rived at the scene, telling of the amount of blood on and around it.
 Hellan testified that he had dis covered the cash register open anc, upon inspection, empty of currency and checks. He said it contained only silver. Then, he said, he and the City Police found a check made out to and endorsed by Nelson and to be signed by w. D.