Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-05-13
LANsIHG's MURDER.

Ior the MURDER OF James LdusnS-Aho
Jury Find Raten Guilty Of Murder In
the FIRST Degree.
of James Lansing was resumed yesterday at
10A N. The attendance was large. The de-
yendant was more serious and attentive
than at any previous time in the trial. His
countenance wore an anxious and at times
pitiful look.
JOSEPH FISHER
Sworn. Am shoemaker, and work for
Thomas Harper. Sunday, April 9th, heard
q row in the Helvetia Hotel; stepped ur to
see what was the matter. The fight was over
when l got there The defendant was then
out on the sidewalk bleeding and badly used
up. He couldn't tell what was the matter.
Some one, pointing to man on the side
walk, said, &" That is the maR who hit him. "
Then defendant got up and went toward that
man, who hit him and knocked him down.
Defendant used q vile epithet, and another
man there thought it was meant tor him and
was going to hit him too, but held him.
Can't say for sure if this man brought in
(Ericksop) is the man who hit defendant.
oss-examination-The man who struck
defendant seemed sober enough. l saw but
one blow. Defendant was under the infu
ence Of liquor. l talk to him-that is the
reason / know.
A. wALTHER
Sworn. Monday, April 10th, A. NJ, de-
PENDANT came to my drug store and asked for
an eye-shade. He told me long story, but
| couldn't make out much. He began about
the Police Court. His face was badly bruised
and both eyes blacked. He did not appear
to be excited 1 couldn't understand what
he said because he spoke in peculiar dialect
and very fast.
ERICKSON RECALLED.
was discharged from the railroad shops
April 18th. l staid around the city four or
i've days. The day I was discharged l was
walking around. Can't recall who was in |
company with that day. Can't remember if |
I came to the County Clerks Office that day, |
or not, or if was in the Court House. Didn't |
say to any one Where is the man who is |
prosecuting Raten? L want him to subpoena |
me. can hang him, and no one else can"
Don't remember any such language used to !
7. FL. Berkey or John II. Parnell.
oss.examination-I was taken to jail to |
be detained as witness the day of the shoot
ing. Next day was drinking-and proba-
bly, the next, some; so L can't remember |
about things. / was mad on the 18th at be-
ing discharged, R5 L thought, WituOat CAuses L
didn't blame Raten for my discharge. |
THOMAS H. BERKEY,
County Clerk, sworn. Saw Erickson the |
day he said he had been discharged from the
railroad shops. He came to my Office that |
day in search of some one in charge of the
case. learned that he was looking for the
ascertain what he desired, thinking might |
serve him if it was an important matter, he
said he wanted to be subpenaed, so he could |
remain in the city. He said that without his
testimony the defendant could not be hung.
He had been drinking. There was another
man with him think it was Mr.. Howell, |
but am not positive. Erickson said that he
had been locked up as witness on the day of
the shooting.
Y. J. STRUT
Swern. / know defendant. Have known
him since he worked at the railroad shops.
/ am timer. I never heard him called
Cbinaman.
Question-Do you know the effect on his
mind of his being called Chinaman?
Answer-One day at dinner hour Raten
came out and rolled up his sleeves, and called
out that he could whip them both. l told
him thss it was no place to fight in the shops.
He said the cause of the quarrel was men
calling him out of his name. The other men
did not want to fight. Defendant said, when
quoted down. that the men had called him Q
Chinaman.
DIR. BALDWIN
Sworn. Am physician in regular practice.
| saw defendant after he was taken to the
County Jail. His eyes were blackeDed and
be wanted solution to put on, and witness
told the jailer what to do for him. He ap-
pesred as q man of excitable disposition.
Question-Take man who had been
treated as this one who had met his assail-
ant and fred at him, been pursued by an an.
cry mob, turned and fred on it, etc., what
would be his state of mind?
Answer-Excited.
Q-What with,
A.-AHger.
Q-Would he be crazed,
A.-By anger. perhaps.
OFF, after that, he fell in fit in prison
A.-That would be natural result of his
excitement.
On cross-exsmination witness clearly stated |
that nothing appeared in the statement to |
show him insane His anger would lead him |
to do what he did. He was so crazed with |
anger, SO allowed it to get the best of him,
that he stopped at nothing. He was not in
sane. He allowed his anger to 80 get control
of him, that he did not or would not stop to
consider the result of his acts. Many men
get 80 angry as to do that which in their |
cooler moments they would not. Fear with
defendant may have been secondary emo
ton, and may have had some influence in his
case. 1 saw Raten but twice, and that waa
after he had been brought to the County Jail.
1 do not pretend to be an expert in insanity,
but have examined some patients.
Juror Churchman asked, if with the crowd |
following Raten and crying out for him, and
he fleeing after shooting at Erickson, and |
seeing Lansing come out as if to stop him,
whether witness believed Raten's anger 30 |
had control of him that he shot Lansing in |
that angry state of excitement
Answer-I so think.
Juror-And that if he had reflected he |
would not have done it.
Answer-Exactly.
Juror-How long would one need to reflect |
in such case
Apswer-Abeut three minutes.
Defense here called John McFetrish and |
offered to prove facts as testified to by j. II. |
Miller. McFetrish not appearing, his print
ed account of Rsten's condition in his cell |
the day of the murder was read and admitted. |
It was of the same purport as the testimony
of Miller.
JUDGE ". A. HENRY
Sworn. Am Police Judge, Sacramento city. |
Defendant called on me the week before the |
killing of Lsnsing-Sunday, eight days |
before. be came to my house, to my door,
and as my wife opened the door he brushed |
past her and came and stood over me as lay |
on the sofa, and began to speak excitedly |
of a case that had been in the Police Court |
some time before. He said. " You fine me
S." He then began to talk about some sub.
sequeut trouble with a man about S. piece.
I told him to go, and come to the Office next |
day and see me. He asked for no warrant.
He was under the influence of liquor and |
talked in rambling way. as one will who is
in liquor. 1 opened the door and made him |
walk out. He was abrupt and insulting I
noticed that at the first.
W. A. ANDERSON
Recalled. April 10th defendant applied to
me as City Attorney for warrant. / did |
not give it to him. He came to me in Court |
while l was examining witness in Court 1 |
told him to wait till l got out of Court. Heidi,
and at recess came and tried to state the facts |
of a case of battery. His own statement led |
me to think him in the wrong in the case |