Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-21
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
THE FITZGERALD ExroRrIoN CASE.

In the Police Court yesterday the trial OF
The People vs.. r. F. Fitzgerald, for an at
tempt to extort money from the Pacific Mu-
tual Life Insurance Company, by means OF
verbal threats to publish defamatory articles,
which was commenced on Thursday. was re-
sumed. w. A. Anderson, counsel for the
defense, moved to have the case dismissed,
claiming that the prosecution had failed to
prove that the insurance company was a cor
poration doing business under the laws of the
State, but the Court overruled the motion
j. ii. Carroll was then recalled, and stated
that the defendant came to him on December
24th and claimed that the company owed him
the sum of 5000.
The defendant. R. +. FITZGERALD. then took
the stand in his own behalf though evidently
in opposition to the wishes of his counsel.
He testified that he did so to the office of the
Nice-President on the date stated and offered
to deliver up his claim against the company
for $780, as he needed money. He also told
DIR. Moore that Warren Heaton and W. d.
Stafford had offered him that amount if he
would publish certain defalnatory articles.
and was told to call again. Afterwards he
sold the account to Mr. Carroll for $50, and
|asigned a receipt in full
On cross-examinatiOn the witness was
shown his deposition taken in former suit.
and also printed circular containing Quota.
tions from articles that were published In the
Coast Revie9c, charging that he had been con
Vlcted aud imprisoned for stealing iewelrv
that he was once arrested for bigamy, gave
bail and fed leaving his bondsmen to suffer ::
that he had been posted as a fraud by various
Masonic Lodges that he had used many
aliases and committed various forgeries, in
Guiding what purported to be a decree of
divorce from his wife. The circular also
contained a certificate from the defend
ant acknowledging that the statements con-
corning his past record were true, and that he
voluntarily made the certificate When
asked if the signatures were his own, he re-
piled that he had signed documents similar
to that, and entered into long account of
his reasons for doing so. He said that he
once sued the proprietors of the Coast Reyieo
tor libel, and that they paid him a sum of
money to dismiss the suit, and in doing so he
signed the certificate, stating that the charges
were true and that the allegations made by
him were false. He claimed, however, that
some of the contents of the dispositions
shown were incorrect
Mr.. Anderson, for the defense, objected to
the introduction of any such testimony, but
the Court overruled the objection.
MIR. Cadwalader then produced a number
of legal documents to show that the defend
ant had used different aliases and committed
various offenses, but their genuineness was
denied by the defendant.
While the defendant was being subjected
to rigid cross-examination as to his former
career, Mr.. Anderson again complained of
the Irrelevancy Of such testimony, and pro-
posed to the opposing counsel that they
should submit the case at once under the in
structions of the Court The proposition was
accepted and the jury, after being instructed,
retired.
The jury at l o'clock reported that YER
dict could not be agreed upon, and were dis
charged.
BOARD OF SUPERvIsoRs.-Th The Board of
Supervisors met again yesterday, with all the
members present. The report of VIM. Cur
tiss, Overseer of Road District No. IS, was
approved. The report of John Prentice on
the survey of certain road was received,
and the road on the Sheldon grant was de-
elared public highway The committee to
whom referred the bids FOR grading and
crawling the road from Guthrie's to Lam
sings farm. recommended that the work be
postponed for want of funds. The following
claims were allowed James Holland, $40 co;
n. Williams, 1928 81 j. F. Clark. 1882 /;
James A. Putnam, $40; Reuben johnson.
S35. The applications of WIN. Farley. JAS
Council, James II. johnson, Paxton McDew-
ell, E. Blauer and r. II. Greer, for the posi-
ton of night Waterman at the Court house
were placed on file and Thomas Anderson
was given entire charge of the building for
the present.
The PHYSICIANS SPEAK At the last
meeting of the Sacramento Society for Medi-
cal Improvement, a resolution disavowing and
condemning the alleged practice of receiving
percentage on prescriptions, was unanimously
adopted The Society charaeterizes the prac-
tice as dishonorable, and says it considers it
unjust to censure entire profession for
practice which, as a body, it repudiates; es-
specially unjust III view of the fact that the
profession would refuse to affiliate with any
physician whom it knew to be guilty of so
reprehenSibe q practice The Society holds
that, with the same reason, one might con-
denim the legal, editorial or clerical profession
because of the vices of individual members.
THE BLossoMs.-Lasr year the tempera
ture was ten or fifteen degrees higher each
day than at present, and consequently fruit
trees and flowers are considerably later in
blooming this year. The almond tree, which
generally puts forth its blossoms about the
last of January, has hardly dared to risk
the effects of contact with the chilling frosts,
and the camelia japonica, which generally
reluctantly showing its color
MERCHANDISE REPORT. - The following
freight fer Sacramento passed Ogden Febru.
airy 18th and 18th For Lindley & Co., 100
half boxes candles, 20 boxes aud 81 cases to-
bacco Huntington, Hopkins & Co., "A pack
ages nails r. Stone & Co, 8 cases hardware !;
J. G.. Davis, 2 boxes chairs Weiustock &
Lubin, boxes hats; Nenbourg & Lagos, 2
boxes paper-hangings Eureka Publishing
House, box books Van Heusen & Huntoon,
car load of furniture.
RAINFALL.-The rainfall from A NJ.
Thursday to P. NJ. yesterday, according to
Mr.. Gerrish's gauge, amounted to .196 of an
inch, making a total for the month of .992 Of
an inch, and for the season s. 400 inches. In
1878, to date, the rainfall was S.S43 inches,
and in 1878, to date, .952 inches.
REV. r. BENTLEY will deliver lecture on
Sunday evening, in the Sixth-street Methodist
Episcopal Church, between K and L streets.
Subject: HGeorge Washing ton-the Christian
Soldier and Statesman"
FIRST SHIPMENT of Whittaker's celebrated
Star Hams" just received No hams COM
pare with them in excellence of flavor Try
them, and You will use no other brand.
GEO. w. CHEsLEY, No. 81 Front street.
Dr.. LroN's TOOTH TABLETS whiten the
teeth, if used daily.