Show STATES STATE'S WITNESS GIVES TESTIMONY OF SELF DEFENSE IN ROMNEY CASE The preliminary hearing of Miles Milc W Romney charged with murder In the first degree for the shooting of or Harry Strong in the Oasis saloon on September Septem Septem- ber lUh was begun in Judge Diehls Diehl's State division of or the City court this morning The examination of or all the witnesses had not been completed at noon and an adjournment was taken until 3 o'clock this afternoon Prior to the commencement of or the hearing Judge Jude W. W H. H King and J. J M. M I. I Hamilton Romneys Romney's attorneys filed a demurrer to the complaint which was overruled b by the court A plea of not guilty was re reentered for COt th the defendant defendant defend defend- ant b by his attorneys s 's When hen Romney entered the courtroom in the custody y of ot Deputy Sheriff Joe Toe Raleigh h he appeared nervous and ill III illat illat at ease case lIe He soon regained his composure composure compo compo- sure and was as unaffected b by the testimony mon mony of the witnesses es The confinement confinement confine confine- ment in the thc c county Jail mu is beginning to tell on the prisoners prisoner's appearance The first witness called caned by the State was Dr C. C M. M Benedict who te testified d that he was called to attend Strong immediately after the shooting when th the wounded man wa was on his hisa way a to the hospital II H He described in technical terms the rounds which he found upon upon upon up up- on the person penson of Strong and nod said bald that death was caused by hemorrhage which was the result of ot the wounds He lIe swore that Strong had recovered fUll fully from Crom the effects of the anaesthetic anaesthetic which had been administered for forthe forthe the thc operation for tor the removal of or the bullet the du day preceding death William A. A Manning Introduced some new evidence which tended to show that Romney fired the tha fatal shots In self He swore that he en entered entered entered en- en the saloon five or ten minutes prior to the trouble Romney Strong rind and a man named Burke were In conversation conversation conversation con con- at the bar and had been shaking shak shak- ing log dice Strong was going to shake dice with Burke BUrk and said to Romney who was behind the bar If I lose Is Js my credit good for the drinks Romney answered that It was not and a quarrel arose over the payment of or If a a. note flOte which Strong had given Rom Rem Rom Rom-I ney Strong became very ery abusive according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to Mannings Manning's testimony and called Romney a number of or vile names Romney stepped to the drawer behind I the bar and drawing a gun pointed it at Strong Strong said Shoot you ou coward I r haven't got a agun agun gun Romney took the gun in both hands to throw the cartridges out and Strong Stron recommenced his abuse of Romney and ami stepped upon the railing in front of ot the bar saying as he did so 80 I can lick you the best day you ever walked Prior to this Strong who was very angry had removed his coat and hat and had thrown them on the thc pool table near the bar Romney repeatedly said to Strong I 1 dont don't want rant any trouble Strong again abused Romney when he hea a again aln got the gun which he lie had replAced replaced re re- re- re placed In the drawer behind the bar He fired a shot over Strongs Strong's head when Strong stooped to the floor and seized a n. cuspidor with both hands raised it to throw at Romney when he fired the second shot hot which struck Stron Strong in the neck Strong ran and Romney fired again Manning l then minute minutely described the room in which the trouble occurred and stated that he was as not frightened b by the shooting as he believed belle It was a bluff on Romneys Romney's part He declared that Strong reached over the bar to selzo seize Romney before the shooting but bul had no gun or other weapon in his hand Upon examination cross-examination which was conducted by Judge King Manning stated that he lie had known Strong five or six weeks before the shooting He lie said ald he had seen him a n couple of nights before beCore the trouble and that Strong said to him If H I and my friends get set Romney out outto outto outto to Murray Murra we wc will heat beat him to death Continuing his testimony under the questioning cross of Judge King Manning Manning Man Ian ning stated that Romney appeared very cr much afraid of or Strong durin during the quarrel that he was trembling and shaking durin during the entire altercation prior to the shooting His testimony was not materially changed by the cross exa cross m I nn t Ion Dr Mayo having been sworn described de tie- scribed the autopsy and the condition of the wounds The Thc testimony was lar largely larely h technical and nothing new was brought out On redirect examination he stated that Strongs Strong's death occurred from Crom twenty to twenty hours after the administration of or the anaesthetic which was used in the thc operation Deputy Sheriff O. O P. P Pratt who ar arrested arrested at- at rested Romney described the thc arrest and repeated Romneys Romney's statements to him He noticed the location of oC the furnishings of or the barroom and made comparative measurements o of the room He stated that everything In Inthe Inthe inthe the barroom seemed to be in place and th that t the four cuspidors were under the foot bar In front of ot the bar On cross- cross examination his testimony was un un- un- un shaken The court adjourned until 3 o'clock this afternoon The man Burke a I. I State witness who was present at the shooting is in Denver Den Den- ver vcr but will return next week when he will be examined |