The New York herald., 1877-03-02
IN HIS CORNER.
How Coburn Spared and Parried in His
Rally with General Sessions.
HIS VERSION OF THE @MILL."
Knocked Out Of Time on the
First Round.
"THESE ARE MY ONLY WEAPONS"

II was with an air OF slight curiosity that tne
majority Of spectators awaited tho opening oil
cefouce in t.e Court of General Sessions yesterday
By previous arrangement the court opened hait nm
hour earlier than usual but the audience and ousido
strarelers were prompt on tmo Indeed the lazzaroni
of the CITY Park had fuller representation than on
the previous days. Coburn sat meditativciy among
his friends as Judge Sutherland entered and thc crer
proclaimed the open. For few moments sherc
was some little fuss OF preparation Then the Jurors
answered 10 their names tho Judge raped Tor order'
and the work OF presenting the case for the defence
was ordered to proceed
Mr. Chipman made the opening speech, wnicn was
quite short He requested tho jurors to dismiss preu
dice from their minds consider only the evidence
nresented 10 them He then reviewed the evidence
for the prosecution and insisted that was full OF IN
cousistcnccs and contradictions Had the shots been
fired by Coburn at the distance testified to oy the
officers both OF them would have gone 10 their long
account he said. But the defence would show that
Coburn did fire shots. 1t would be shown, TOO,
TINT the officers commenced the difficulty and that
whoever fired the shots did not do SO until after
the defendant had been clubDcd severely These oii-
GERS il was said also threatened to close up Co.
burn,s pace and witnesses would be called to testify
IN the threats they had uttered In this connection.
Tobias IL was claimed had SAID tho evening OF the
assault "Coburn is drunk again tonight, and wen
break his place up,n and Jcfiries, counsel said had
employed similar language a few days before
THE DEFENDANTS OF THE STORY.
William Ring was the first witness called Tor tho do.
fence
.Wbere do you live ?" counsel asked.
W,tness-Ah-a-let mo scc) No 4-4-4o2 Sixth
avenuc.n
After explaining that he was employed as ostler,
md did not Coburn or the officers, Ring told
what he saw on tho night OF the assault He sald:-
.sI was coming up town from Twcnty ninth street,
wncrc called TO friend, and went in to take
glass of ale at Copurn's. While was ip thero
policeman put his head in at tho door and said,
.ivnch come out here and I'll settle with you Tor
what you did the OF her night Then won't out ana
walked up Sixth avenue. Then | heard some loud
talking and, turning round. saw man ial down,
md after that heard tho noise Of pistol shot, Then
I went on home Ring supposed the man whom he
had seen fall had been knocked down by "a box from
club .,,, -
rardug ms address, and said he lived In stable, cor
nsr OF Fortv-second street and Seventh avenue
sin the stable, . said Ring.
"Havc you no home ~
sleep with EN-"
Michael Costello, No. 800 Pearl street, who said he
has produce stall in Fulton Market, testified that the
hack standing at Coburn's door had brought himself
and friends to the saloon tho night OF The aray
and said something and Withdrew Then Coburn went
out, followed by some others and witness AS he LETT
the place witness Coburn struck and knocked
down by a policeman, and another pocehian running
from across tho way to the scene The second police
man struck Coburn he was in the act o gctting
up aud knocked him down second time. Then shots
were fred Very after Coburn was arrested, ana
witness followed him about 100 yards and then eft.
No shot was fired until Coburn had been dubbed
The cross-examnation discovered The TACT that Wit
did not see Coburn struck by oicer Iooas' he
saw him down and presumed he must have been
struck down; he Jerncs strike at the ball pros
trate iorm but could not say where the blow fell Wit
ness said answer 10 Mr. Rollins, that ne had been
arrested for being drunk and disordery.
.sFor other charger" MT. Rollins inquired.
'Not to my knowledge" -
Wupess-Yes, sir
And You say you ncvcr wore arrested for any other
causey'
you ad not see officer Tobias strike Coburn at ap''
Wnncss-No, sir; only saw Jerhcs strike at him.
In reply TO a urthcr inquiry by Mr.. Rollins witness
said he had been called 'Strong Armed Mike" once or
Twice but did to this alias In answering
questions the witness had an almost nsurinounable
habit OF ..Um hum" for yes, which set the people
WHAT AN sx-AssEMBLY CANDIDATE SAW.
Thomas +. Gould, No. 100 West Forty-iourth street,
was in the vicinity OF Coburn's saloon waiting for
the night the anray his attention was attracted
by seeing police officer running across from the south
west corner OF Thirty third street; the northeast
rorncr a getting up from rising position and
was bold by officer the second officer struck at tho
rising man. whom witness did not recognize; then he
heard pistol shots.
Gross s-exarnined-Has known Coburn nve or SIX
years
Witness-No, SIR; am no friend of his; wouldn't
care II he was dead.
'sWerc you ever ar restedS"
witness-Yes; once for skylarking on tho street.
ssWnat done wits the charger"
Witness--1t was dismissed.
s.Were you arrested on any other occasiOnY''
witness-Yes, once more; not exactly arrested my
cell, but was brought up as witness
.sWhat the nature OF the casoi"
wi;ness-It charge OF fraudulent naturaliza-
zion, and was candidate for the Assembly that year.
Witness formerly kept the saloon owned by
Coburn purchased IT, but was sold out on account of
business troubles He heard no angry words nor did
he any quarrel before the policeman ran across tho
Street
During the examination Of this witness UNDER
toned conversation passed between counsel and Cap
tam Williams. To this talk Mr.. Rollins objected, he
sad It reached the ears OF the jurors Judge Suthcr
land said 1t improper and should be stopped and
Mr.. Spencer in merry mood, jumped up like Jack in
the box and promised he would preserve order. This
though by the judcious considered little indecorous,
created a laugh, which seemed to Afford Mr. Spencer
good deal OF amusement
THE TOBIAS CHALLENGE.
John McDonough, No. so West Twenty eighth
street testified that after taking drink in Coburns
place on the night OF the affair with the two police
officers hc Ofcer Tobias put his head H. the
saloon door and heard him soy, "Lynch you sucker,
come out and say what You said TO the other
night and I'll make you take 1t back;' then Coburn
Saked TO the door, and taking the door knob in his
kand told the officer not to raise any disturbance about
he place; the officer then withdrew anu Coburn
eppcd out into the street; quite number followed
IN tho street Coburn again talked TO Iobas telling him
10 Lynch alone hat he could not alord TO quar-
rel with him; Tobias replied that he would take his
buttons oil aud 20 into room with either Lynch
Coburn; Coburn said something In a nuttered voice In
reply, and Tobias told Coburn 10 go away, adding "Or
n YOU don't damn you, I'll club youl"-s.rikng MIN
nj tho same time and knocking him down; then
officer Jerhes arrived, and, az Coburn was rising,
knocked him down again; after this shots were nred.
McDonough was cross-examned at some length, but
beyond the fact that he is blacksmith. and at one
time kept liquor saloon, and is now out OF work,
nothing material was elected from him.
After McDonough's examination Nc. Spencer asked
cermIssIon to take tho pistol ana put 1t into tho