| Show STATE OFFERS 7 I EVIDENCE IN COLLINS CASE First Witness Testifies in Murder Trial Following i Opening Statement by I I District Attorney Rogers That the state will prove Mark Collins had possessed a 45 Colts Colt's automatic pistol a a holster hoister and belt similar to those found near the scene of the holdup and murder of C. C R. R McQuown 1 near Nineteenth East and Seventeenth South streets on the night of ot October 11 11 1924 that he had ammunition of or th that t calIbre calbre calibre cal cal- ibre bre In his camp and andin in his pocket when arrested and that bullets from the pistol found killed l was asserted by District Attorney E. E A. A Rogers in his opening statement statement statement state state- ment to the jury In Judge W. W M. M McCrea's court Wednesday Selection of a jury to try Collins was completed Tuesday afternoon and when court opened Wednesday morning the Information charging Collins with murder In the first de degree degree degree de- de gree for the killing of McQuown was read for the Information of or orth th the Jury GIVEN STORY OF ATTACK District Attorney Rogers then began his opening statement re reciting reciting reciting re- re citing the circumstances of McQuown McQuown Mc Mc- a guest at the Newhouse ho hotel hotel hotel ho- ho tel driving Miss 1 Rhoda Tanner an of ot the hotel home on the night of the murder of a man approaching approaching approaching ap ap- ap- ap the machine near Nineteenth Nineteenth Nineteenth Nine Nine- East and antI Seventeenth South and ordering them out of the car o of firing of four shots the killing of McQuown and the beating of Miss 1 Tanner over the head apparently apparently apparently with a gun The attorney related how the theman theman theman man had attempted to make Miss 1 Tanner search the body- body of McQuown McQuown McQuown Mc Mc- and had later taken McQuown's McQuown's McQuown's Mc- Mc car oar and driven away with it v I- He told how a woman appeared l lat at the scene of the murder a few minutes after the shooting apparently apparently apparently excited and later named this woman as Mrs 1 Mark 1 Collins Defense Defense Defense De De- De- De raised objection to the state referring to this in the opening statement statementS but the court overruled I the objection Counsel for defendant defendant defendant defend defend- ant noted an exception TRACED TO CALIFORNIA I The district attorney said it would be shown that Collins had stated when arrested at the scene of the murder that he had had a 45 calIbre calibre calibre cal cal- ibre pistol but had not had it in his possession for a year ear that he had left it in California Counsel further stated it would be proved that Collins had such a gun belt and holster as were found near the scene of at the murder in his possession in Chico California on August 31 1924 that 50 rounds of ammunition to fit this gun had been found on the running board of his car in the shed near the scene of the McQuown McQuown Mc Mc- murder and two such cartridges cartridges cartridges cart cart- ridges were in his pocket when ar arrested ar- ar rested Mr Rogers then took the gun belt and holster which had been been found near the murder scene and shower them to the Jury jUr which brought t Attorney E. E R. R Calls Calister tel to his feet with a strong objection This was sustained by the court on on the ground that the exhibits should not be shown to the jury until introduced introduced intro intro- in evidence Mr 11 Rogers continued by sa saying that two witnesses would testify that Collins had such a gun belt and 9 t holster in his possession In Chico shortly before coming corning here and that it would be proved that McQuown was killed b by r bullets from the identical pis pistol to found near the scene of tho the fatality GIRL TO TESTIFY Mr Rogers also stated the state would prove by Miss Tanner who he admitted was not nut able to Identify identity the slayer of McQuown l that he waa was wa wasa va vaa a man a little taller and heavier than Deputy Sheriff Shed Carlisle and lre wore a brown overcoat lIe He stated that it would be shown that Collins Collin's Is Just an inch taller than Carlisle and is heavier ard and that he wore a abrown abrown abrown brown overcoat on the night of ot the murder I The rh attorney also said it would bo be shown that Collins explained his presence at the scene of the murder I shortly after atter the crime by saying he had been up town in search of work had been to the city and county county coun coun- ty building grounds to see some person and had taken a car on Fourth South and gotten ort oft on Fifteenth Fifteenth Fit Fit- Seventeenth South gone to his camp and found his wife missing sp Sf went vent over o to where he saw a crowd cro had collected at the scene of the murder The Tho attorney said it would be shown that it Is impossible for Collins Collins Col Col- lins to have taken a car on n Fourth J South th that t would have taken him i anywhere near Fifteenth East and Seventeenth Se South streets I Following Following- the statement by Mr I Rogers II IL W. W county surveyor was called to the witness stand and Identified a map map I I showing the scene of ot the tho murder and the surrounding section of ot the I city I |
