| OCR Text |
Show WOODS HEARING I BEGINSIN S. L. Gruesome Testimony at Hearing Attracts Large Crowds SALT LAKE, Jan, 26 Gruesome I testimony offered at the preliminary hearing of Omer R. Woods, charged with murder in connection with the death of his wife, Maryetta, was listened lis-tened to yesterday by a throng which packed the courtroom of City Judg1 Fred Crockett. The courtroom overflowed over-flowed Into the halls and for a time many persons stood on the lawn outside out-side the city und county building, hoping hop-ing to get a glimpse of the accused through the courtroom windows. WT1 n ESSES i mim:ii Several witnesses were examined before be-fore adjournment yesterday, but indications indi-cations are that the hearing will not be completed until- late today or tomorrow to-morrow morning. W. H Bywater, chief of the fire department de-partment told of going to the apartment apart-ment following the fire alarm and described de-scribed conditions as he found them there. Miss Florence Kimball, apartment N. Immediately above No. 4, the Woods apartment, testified as to noticing notic-ing a burning odor. Then, she said, she hurriedly ate her luncheon and. again goln on the back porch, noticed notic-ed the odor of gasoline or benzine She reported this to Mm. Elisabeth M. Cot-terell, Cot-terell, wife of the proprietor of the apartment house. ill His m ( GB "Mrs Coltercll did not come up right away and I went for her again " Miss Kimball said. "She returned with me then and tried door but wo couldn't open it ,md she returned to the office fr her kes. I waited on the landing. Then, iust before she returned, re-turned, I heard a man coughing inside. in-side. I called to Mrs. Cotttrell to hurry and she rapped on the door and called to open It while she was fumbling fumb-ling with her keys. Then the door was opened from the Inside. "I saw only what appeared to bo the sleeve of a man's shirt as Mrs. Cottor-ell Cottor-ell reached and took hold of it. I then rushed upstairs to call the fire department. depart-ment. 1 didn't eeo Mr. Woods until after I returned and he then was lying ly-ing on the floor." LANDLADY TELLS STORl .Mrs. Cotterell testified regarding the notice given her by Miss Kimball and said the delay was caused by her search for Iho Janitor. She added that when the door was opened, a heavy cloud of smoke came out and Mr. Woods seemod to fall ;it ber feet. She c.iught him Just Inside the door and pulled him out. She- -,ald that later she noticed an electric light cord St hifl feet. She tried In give him flr?t aid. i n cross examination by Mr. Ram-age. Ram-age. Mrs Ceiltoroll said she at first thought Woods was Intoxicated when I he came from the apartment. Later he got up. she said, and mumbled something about his wife and started as though lo return to the room She said she prevented this, although It required no physical force to do so. PHI M l on STAND Dr. John J. Qallagan. city physician, told of examining the body in the apartment and later at the 10. G. O'Donhell & Co.. undertaking establishment. estab-lishment. He said that two molar teeth had been dislodged by a blow on the right side of the face which might have caused death He expressed the opinion that death was either caused by a blow or else the woman was stunned stun-ned by 8 blow and then strangled. He-Was He-Was positive that she was dead when placed On the bed, he said. He said that ha, Mrs Woods been alive when the smoke filled the apartment even though unconscious, this would have been Indicated by the condition of her mouth and stomach The first witness called at the afternoon after-noon session wa- Afbol) Ralllngcr, Janitor Jan-itor of the ProKress apartments. lb- tetlfled to seeing Mr Woods early the morning of the killing He also said that he had noted a change In tho de-mcanor de-mcanor of the defendant during the few days immediately preceding the tragedy. S. A. Cotterell, proprietor of the Pauline apartrhi nt. told of going to co Met the rent from the Woods family fam-ily at 1:S0 o'clock the day of the tragedy. trag-edy. He said he went as far as the landing In front of their door when he looked at his watch and decided that Mr Woods would not be there and that he would not bother Mrs. Woods. Heforo leaving however, he raid he noticed there was a shado on the window of the door, whero there had not been one prelously, and that it was pulled down. DAUGHTER IX COURT Lester F. Wire, city detective, concluded con-cluded Ills testimony iust li.-l'ere ad journment was taken last night either detectives will take the stand today. It was said by tho county attorney. The defendant and his daughter, Tee Leo Woods, were in tho courtroom early an.l sat together during tho forenoon. fore-noon. Tho daughter was also there when the court epcned In the afternoon, after-noon, but did not remain throughout the Si Baton, The defendant seemed to take a keen interest in what was going go-ing on but did not appear visibly affected af-fected by tho proceedings. Tho blackened black-ened eye which ho had when first se.cn after liie tragedy, and whnh he alleges tras given him by one of the robbers who., he says, entered his apartment ond knocked him out. Is now almost normal. Miss Woods seemed worn and tired, the .strain sho has been under un-der since the death of her mother showing plainly In her general ap-pearance. ap-pearance. She and her father conversed conver-sed la confiding fashion during re-cess re-cess anil during lulls In th proceedings. |
