- Murder Trial of Arthur Channel
First degree murder charges were filed in district court at Del Norte Thursday against trArthur Channel, accused of murdering his wife, Edith Channel, early Sunday morning following a quarrel that developed at the Rainbow Dance Hall Saturday evening. The charges were filed by Deputy District Attorney Ralph Horton of Alamosa, and the information was signed by Mrs. Clara Schroeder, mother of the murdered girl.
Channel 25, who first told Sheriff C. D. Phillips that he had choked his 24-year old wife to death and then carried her body six blocks to their home, changed his story Wednesday and denied that he murdered the young woman, mother of a four-year-old daughter by a former husband.
When Channel gave himself up to the Sheriff Sunday morning he told the officer that he had killed his wife as she lay in a liquor stupor near the corner of Third Avenue and Adam Street. He then carried her body to their home at S. Batterson Street, placing her in bed. He notified Sheriff Philips at S. 3rd Sunday of the crime.
According to Phillips Channel appeared at the Sheriff's residence Sunday morning stating that there had been trouble at his home and asked the Sheriff to accompany him there. When the Sheriff inquired as to what kind of trouble Channel replied that there had been quite a party Saturday evening with lots of drinking.
Asked if anyone was hurt Channel told the officer that his wife had been killed.
Phillips accompanied Channel to the house, stopping on the way to pick up the boy's mother Mrs. Eula Channel. He also called County Coroner Harry Kistler and Undersheriff Othe Crawford. Arriving at the residence they found Mrs. Channel's body in bed.
The Sheriff ask Channel if he had shot his wife. "No, I choked her to death", he told the officer.
At a coroners inquest Sunday afternoon first complete story of the tragedy was unfolded as witnesses were called. Dr. C. A. Smith testified that the woman's death was due to strangulation and quoted the husband's story related to them previously concerning a cocktail party at the William Lecht home early Saturday evening.
Lecht was called as a witness and described the events that happened at his residence Saturday evening. He stated that Mrs. Channel and her small daughter, Joan Schroeder, had come to their home around 7:30 Saturday evening. She visited them for an hour when Channel arrived to take her on a shopping tour. They left, returning later, and the four persons had several glasses of wine, according to the witness.
John Schroeder, former husband of Mrs. Channel and a brother to Mrs. Lecht arrived at the Lecht's home while the party was in progress. He remained a short time and then left.
Later Mr. and Mrs. Channel left for the Rainbow Hall with Mr. and Mrs. Lecht following some time afterwards. Mrs. Channel danced with her husband and then her former husband John Schroeder. When the dance ended Channel met the couple and as they left the floor he took his wife in charge. Witnesses at the inquest testified that they left the dance hall immediately and alone.
Lecht declared the Channels were not intoxicated when they left his home, but that he had seen a bottle in Channel's possession. He stated that he and his wife did not enter the dance floor but remained in the lobby. According to his statement, when the Lecht's saw Channel and his wife leave they also left the hall and started to followed the couple for a short distance, and believing that Channel was taking his wife home, they turned around and went to their own residence on Jefferson Street.
John Schroeder substantiated the story told by Lecht. He insisted however, that there had been no open trouble between himself and Channel during the evening when Deputy District Attorney Horton sought out evidence which might prove that Channel killed his wife thru jealousy.
After questioning other witnesses the jury returned a verdict that Mrs. Channel died of strangulation and that the deed was felonious. The coroner's jury was composed of A. H. Webster, James O. Riggins, J.W. Pierson, E.E. Crawford, W.E. Kistler and Sain Chapman.
Two theories have been advanced by officers regarding the murder of Mrs. Channel. They either believe that Channel killed his wife during a fit of jealous rage, or that he took her life as a result of a drunken quarrel.
Brought from the county jail at Del Norte Wednesday to bid a last farewell to his wife, who lay in her coffin at the Woods Mortuarty--Channel appeared visibly shaken as he gazed upon the dead body of the woman he loved.
Since his confinement in the county jail he has refused to discuss the happenings that occurred on the night Edith Channel was murdered, the only statement made being that given Sheriff Phillips, Dr. C. A. Smith and Coroner Kistler Sunday morning.
When brought from Del Norte Wednesday by Deputy Sheriff Bill Frye, Channel discussed his wife's death with officers for the first time since his arrest. He insists now that he left her lying along the sidewalk in a drunken stupor and went home at approximately 12:30 o'clock Sunday morning. Unable to sleep, according to his story to officers, he dressed and returned to the Lecht home an hour and a half later, where he failed to arouse anyone.
Channel declares he then returned to the spot where he had left his wife only to find her dead. He picked up the body and carried it to the home on Batterson Street. Officers have been unable to learn what transpired from that time until Channel called Sheriff Phillips at 8:30 o'clock Sunday morning.
Phillips and his assistants are seeking other clews to the slaying, beliving that there are possibly witnesses to the crime. It has been reported to officials by two persons living near the scene were Mrs. Channel was killed that they heard a woman scream shortly after midnight Saturday.
Mrs. Channel obtained a divorce from John Schroeder on grounds of cruelty 2 years ago and married Channel early this year. The couple lived at Hot Sulphur Springs, where Channel operated a filling station, moving to this city during the summer; where Channel secured employment at the Monte Vista Flour Mills.
Monte Vista, Co Journal Oct, 4, 1935 (By Lonnie Pippen)
After two days of taking testimony, the trial of Arthur Channel, accused of choking his wife, Edith Channel, to death here on the night of September 28, came to a close at Del Norte Thursday at 6:30 o'clock p.m. when the fate of the young man was placed in the hands of a jury.
Following a brief questioning of the last witness, Mrs. Ella Lecht, John I. Palmer, judge of the 12th district in whose court the case was tried. District Attorney Leonard Haynie and his deputy Ralph Horton, and W. Scott Carroll, attorney for the defense, retired to frame instructions that would be given the jury.
Five choices were given the jury in which to return a verdict, according to the instructions read by Judge Palmer when court convened at 4 o'clock. They included murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter or not guilty. In the event the jury returns a verdict of murder, they must fix the penalty, either life imprisonment or death.
Deputy District Attorney Ralph Horten opened the closing arguments for the prosecution. He summed up the testimony presented by witnesses, stressing particularly the point that Dr. C.A. Smith and Dr. Hurley had testified that death was due to strangulation. In closing he asked the jury to carefully consider the facts that had been presented and ask that a verdict of murder be returned.
Horton was followed by W. Scott Carroll, attorney for Channel, who had been appointed by the court to defend the young man. Carroll delivered an eloquent and emotional plea on behalf of Channel and it required one full hour for him to address the jury. In his closing remarks Carroll repeatedly referred to the excellent reputation Channel had established, and later referred to his marriage to Edith Channel, divorced wife of John Schroeder, to which he termed Channel's part as being a mere "bread winner" for the family. Carroll speaking in a quiet voice at times and at others giving rise to emotions, went into details in regard to the character of Channel's life after he and Edith Maybe were married.
Prosecutor Haynie wound up the trial when he presented the final arguments before the jury. He spoke quietly for 30 minutes, carefully going over the courts instruction to the jury and in summing up the case. Haynie argued that the telltale finger marks left on the dead woman's throat were evidence enough to convict, and that Channel's confession the morning following the alleged slaying had not been disproved.
Channel, dressed in a dark blue serge suit and light blue shirt, sat calm, thruout the final arguments. He displayed great interest in the proceedings as the trail came to a close.
Shortly before midnight Thursday the jury returned a verdict of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a penalty of not to exceed a year in the county jail.
Nov 15, 1935 Monte Vista, CO/ Monte Vista Journal
|