Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-05-13


warning to the jury not to allow any one
talk with them about the case.
Jacob did not sleep that night. He wa
at the American Hotel, q quarter of mil
down State street, in front of the Capitol
He and his wife were on the third floor, q
the end of the hall, in room No. 24l. a
Jacob was going to his room, large man
with dark, piercing eyes, standing IN tn
door of room No. 239, said - Your cas-
is on. hey?"
"Yes," said Jacob, as he was passing.
You'd better look sharp, said the larg
man.
why" inquired Jacob, wonderingly
as he paused. -,
Rough business burning down build
ings," said the large man, harshly a.; and h
closed the door of his room with bang.
Jacob passed on to his own apartment
There he talked over the events OF the da,
with his wife. When he tried to sleep tina
night, the Assembly Chamber and the fac
of the large man in room No. 239 haunted
him.
In the morning, after breakfast, dowr
in the front hall, Jacob met the large mar
again. =.
TRY twist at it to day, s'pese, sale
the large man, sharply. to Jacob.
Eyes, the trial" answered Jacob, nery
ously.
Somebody has been committing an aw
full crime, observed the large man. Have
you seen the sky"
Yes, it is strange" said Jacob, not per
ceiving the connection.
They say it is the end of the world
Sodom and Gomorrah, said the large man
and he turned and walked away.
At 10 o'clock the Court convened. As
Jacob approached the Capitol step, he saw
a chubby person on the brick pavement at
the foot of the steps explaining to group
of people his views of the weather. -
do not think myself" said the chubby per.
son, glancing at the yellow canopy, "that
it Is anything supernatural, but have seen
fifty people this morning who think 1t is
the end of the world"
Jacob found it oppressive In the Court.
The Judge said it was gloomy room and
a gloomy day, and directed the officers to
light the gas. The artificial light did not
relieve the atmospheric pallor very much,
although it enabled the Judge and the law
yers to read their papers.
Jacob, and Mary his wife, and Willie,
and the woman who saw the fire first and
came to Jacobs house, screaming, testified
to the facts. This, with the documentary
evidence, made the plaintiffs case. The
shorthand writer of the Court took down
the evidence very rapidly, and at about IL
o'clock noon the plaintiffs side of the case
was before the jury.
Then the opposing counsel proceeded to
open the defense. After a few general
statements he began to hint that there was
a painful revelation to be made bearing
upon the character Of tine plaintiff The
intimation was that Jacob had burned his
own buildings to get the insurance.
"That is a mean and contemplate insin-
uation," exclaimed Jacobs lawyer spring.
ing to his feet, land you have no right to
suggest such thing when you know you
can't prove it y
"Sir," rejoined the opposing lawyer,
uttering the words with pause after each,
and scathing hiss that made Jacobs flesh
creep, 1--WE will prove it ~
Jacob felt rs if the very ground was
opening beneath him, as the lawyer went
on with diabolical GOODNESS to state that
they had, although with some difficulty,
secured the very witness who saw "the
miscreant Indicating Jacob fire his own
buildings. Happening to turn his head
Just then, Jacob saw the large man sitting
within six feet of him and watching him
closely. This completed his confusion.
The subsequent proceedings upon the trial
were not very clearly apprehended by
Jacob.
The Court took recess for dinner. As
Jacob went to mis- room the large man
stood in the door of the room No. 239
again. lizard at it, hey ?" he said, as
Jacob passed.
"Yes, but they can't prove it," said
Jacob, with determined accent.
"Sir," said the large man severely,
" they can prove anything if they have che
evidence" and the large man went into
his room and banged the door again.
In the afternoon the evidence on the
part of the defense was given. The first
witness called upon that side did not seem
very important to the case. They were,
however, some Of Jacobs neighbors, and
the evidence was very painful to him on
that account. One testified that there
could not have been as much hay in the
barn when it was burned as Jacob in
sisted there was. Another thought that
Jacob had exaggerated the size of the barn
where the hay was stored, and he thought,
for that reason, there could not have been
as much as was represented. Still another
had walked over Jacobs farm when the
hay and grain were growing, and was con-
fdent that there was only "middlin'
CROP" and by no means as much as the
plaintiff claimed.
The opposing counsel explained, with a
glance at the jury, that this evidence was
presented not only as bearing upon the
question of the amount of the loss, but as
showing more clearly the nature of the at
tempt on the part of this wretched man
to defraud his neighbors.
There was a significant pause. The op-
posing counsel held whispered conversa-
tion with his assistant attorney and with
some men whom Jacob recognized as men,
bers of the board he then rose and said
impressively "We call Gotlieb Jansen.
A short, elderly man, rather thin than
full.faoed, but evidently German, was
sent forward from the back seats. Jacob
recognized him he was hired man, u
who worked about the neighborhood of the
Cove.
Jansen gave his testimony through an
officer of the Court, who acted as inter.
prefer. His statement was, that standing
lover beyond" hollow, quarter of q
mile away, in the field back of Jacobs
large barn, he had seen Jacob deliberately
strike match, and set the straw and hay
and barn on fire.
The cross-examination Of this witness by
Jacobs counsel was the interesting feature
of the trial.
"Ask him." said the counsel, off h.
could see how Jacob was dressed"
"He says, yes, he could" responded
the interpreter. after putting the question
to the witness.
"Ask him what color his clothes were
"He says he wore brown or kind o.
red, ironcloth overalls. p"
"Ask him whether Jacob had on boots
or shoes"
"Dey vos poots-dey vos poots, " sale
the witness, making cross-lot answer il
broken English to save time.
,,,lar,kond v,ou puaotiop S'' oo;c