Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-02
THE HARLAN CASE.
Further Testimony as to Threats by Ee-
ceased-S. j. silI,e Evidence.


In the Harlan case at Woodland yes
to-day W. r. Ponds testimony was contin
ued. He said I reside in Woodland; an
q member of the firm of Pond &c Lawson
dealers in drugs and medicines knew Graf
prior to his death: have known him sine
1877 know S. J. Sill, also \. s. Spaulding
r. H. Beamer, the Sheriff, also defendant
| J. H. Harlan, and his family, &. J. Barne
and F. B. Nelson Craft and Nelson werl
acquaintance Craft was also acquainted
with William Provost and +. c. Wlckoff
At the time Of the homicide | was at th'
store. | am druggist; | received a DIS
patch from Sacramento from Graft to NEE
! him at the Byrns Hotel met him there
| We went into the parlor; the deceased
closed the door and window-sbutters. We
! then conversed about the marriage Of
| Sill and Miss Harlan. Saw him again al
the store about o'clock with Sig Davis
Sill and K. H. Beamer. They went into
| DIR. Kier's Office "a back room in my store)
saw him again Wednesday evening ABOUT
o'clock. He came into the back room oil
my store He took me by the overcoat,
saying he wanted to talk to me. We went
out of the back door of the store. l had
just put on my coat to 90 TO supper. Our
conversation was short. He began the
conversation by saying 3" Do you know
that l would be justified in going out on
the street and shooting Steve Sill down
like dog? My friends advise me to do
it, and are surprised that | don't do
it. have money and friends TO back me,
and no harm can come to me if do do it.
| haven't done it, hut if that --- (refer-
ring to Miss Harlan) don't exonerate me
soon | will and he placed his hand in
his hip pocket menacingly. Witness said,
THAT sounds like lives would be sacri-
feed; | hope nothing of this kind will
CONS of this little matter between you and
Vic Miss Harlan)." To which Graft re-
piled. THAT'S about what it has come to.
| am heeed and don't intend to be killed. y
Witness was subjected TO a long cross
examination, but his testimony was I'M
changed.
I. S. spaulding testified: Am a grocer ;
am q brother of r. s. Spaulding, a son-in-
law of defendant. Saw Graft in Sacramento
on the Tuesday befoEs the homicide. Craft
said, So Steve and Vic are married ?'
said, " Yes" Craft said, Il so to Wood
land by the 11:15 train. Somebody is going
to die when l get there, but | don't know
who it will be. Revenge is sweet, and l
am going to have it. l am going to carry
honor, and if that - Miss Harlanl don t
exonerate me, will making threaten
ing gesture TO his hip pocket. saw him
afterward on that day, on the Ills train to
Woodland and conversed with him most
of the way. at Dayisville l saw that he
had a pistol in his pocket.
In the afternoon the cross examination
was concluded, but nothing had been de-
Veloped beyond what was brought out in
the forenoon.
s. J. Sill was then sworn, and testified
that he was born in Sacramento in 1856 !;
had lived in Yolo county since ne was two
months old was married to Miss Harlan
on February LIST; saw deceased in October,
1885, in Woodland, and drove in buggy
with him; Craft spoke to him about Miss
Harland, and appeared to be rather nery-
Gus; deceased called on witness in the lat
ter's store about the middle of December,
and said that HARLAN had circulated reports
about him, and had told around that he
was living with a woman in Sacramento,
and he would be even with him for that
vet his manner was very violent and
threatening; he said he would see Miss
Harlan dead in her coffin before he would
see her another mans wife; that he had a
bombshell fixed, which he would throw
into her camp before long, which would
make her wish she had never been born /;
said he was too smart for her, and that she
had scared up the wrong man when she
tackled him; he also said ''You may ask
her to marry you, you may get all ready,
she may accept, but the wedding will never
come off; | will prevent it, About two
weeks before that L walked with Craft,
and he talked about Miss Harlan,
and said he would talk with me later
on very unpleasant subject. AT
one of these times he said Miss Har-
Ian was liar, and that she
had lied to him about everything, and that
he would give her a taste of hell before he
got through with her He said that he
wanted witness to tell Miss Harlan what
he had said, and witness afterwards told q
portion of ii. AT that particular time she
was in Butte county. He next saw Craft
on the day after his marriage, in the parlor
Of Byrns Hotel. Deceased invited him
mp there and closed the doors and win
dows During the interview deceased put
his hand behind him, and at one time par
tally drew his pistol from his pocket. His
manner was then threatening, and he had
his hand on his pistol during the greater
portion of the interview. At the
time he partially drew his pistol
out he was talking about defend
ant. Deceased said: If you do not
furnish me that paper, - you, will
make you" referring TO witness and his
wife, and he referred to a paper he wished
Mrs Sill to sign. He demanded that she
sign the paper before the following Sunday.
He said if he did not get definite answer
that night he would take proofs and papers
which he then held IN his hand and go to
old Harlan and force him to make his
daughter sign it. At that time he had his
hand on his pistol. Witness said, Very
WELL you go to Harlan, and see what kind
of reception he will give you" He said,
Z" will force him to do it; and have got
an instrument here to do it with, and he
partially pulled his pistol out. He said
if he did not get the paper he
would blacken the characters of witness
and wife until they could not walk upon
the streets and hold up their heads, and he
would make them so afraid of him that
they would not dare appear on the streets.
Witness was then unarmed. Witness then
got Sheriff Beamer TO go with him to see
Craft, and they went in the back room of
Ponds drug store. Witness said to Craft,
" have come to give you your answer
Craft said, Now | have your answer, l
shall proceed to act. If the paper had
been furnished me which | desired no
trouble would have come from me, but, as
it is not, l intend to see the thing
through to the end" Craft was very
much excited and threatening. Witness
was armed, and there was a collision be-
tween him and Craft. Witness and his
wife saw defendant on Thursday next, and
communicated to him ali that Craft had
said 10 him.
A question was then asked what state
ment he then made TO defendant, and the
prosecution objected, unless it was simply
confined to threats concerning defendant or
member of his family. The defense
claimed the right to prove the entire con-
versation, and pending argument the Court
adjourned. Tomorrow evening an ad-
lournment will be had until Tuesday.
Auction Sales.
Bell & Co. will sell at auction to-day, at
10 A. NJ, at their salesroom, No. 1902 ]
street, without reserve, one gilt-striped bed
room set, spring and top mattresses, feather
pillows, Hoey bed lounge, other lounges,
two walnut easy chairs, walnut center
table and chairs, Brussels and ingram car
pets, kitchen furniture, platform scales,
two large lots of crockery, glass, tin and
terracotta ware. milk cans, Stephenson s
gilt edge refrigerator, etc.
w. III. Sherburn will sell at auction to-
morrow, at 10 A. NJ, at the store, No. 200 K
street, a large invoice of tobacco, cigars,
stationery, books, cutlery, playing cards,
Yankee notions, etc. Also, oyeralls, shirts,
half hose. furnishing goods, etc. The goods