Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-01
THE HARLAN CASE.
Frank j. Barnes Version of the Homi-
eide.

one OF the nflncipal Witnesses for the de-
Tense in the Harlan case at Woodland is
Frank ]. Barnes, brother-in-law of the de
PENDANT, and charged with completely in
the homicide. He was on the stand Tues
day, and gave the following account of the
shooting, after first narrating where he
had been for a short time previously Then
went 10 the 3yrns. Went to the saloon and
called Tor cigar. l came out then at the
front door. | saw Craft when | went into
the hotel standing in front of the bootblack
stand. | saw him sitting in the north chair
when | went out. then walked down TO
the bank. Harlan and Stephens were there.
saw Audett pass the bank, maybe stop,
but don't remember the time. told Hair
Ian that had been to the hotel and seen
Craft there. | had no object in going there
but to get cigar. When l told Harlan,
he said he would go up and see him. and
started. said, Joseph, will go, too
He said. " If you go. want to do all the
talking" l SAID | would not open my
head. We went to the front door. Harlan
went in first, couple of steps ahead. The
door was open. My hands were not in nv
pockets. Think Harlan had hands in his
oyercoat pockets. Hewent in about five feet
and stopped, looking SOUTH | stepped ND.
He turned. saw Craft jump up turn and
make movement to draw pistol. [De-
scribes Crafts position Harlan then raised
ais pistol and fired. Craft jumped after the
first shot about six feet, still trying to get
his pistol; Harlan fired again when he
struck the floor Craft was running south a
little sideways; he halted when eight or ten
feet beyond the desk, and turned and fired :;
Harlan followed a short distance, and fired
the third time; at the same time Craft fired !:
after this Craft fell Immediately; fell back
wards on his left shoulder, his hand on his
hip, grasping the pistol, where it remained
till Harlan fired the last shot l was stand
ing near where | was at first, until Harlan
moved south then went up to the counter.
When Craft turned and fired, l pulled my
pistol and held it in my hand | did not
move, stood still. When Harlan went out.
Middlemiss or somebody asked me what all
this meant. / then went out and came up
with Harlan at Greene's store. | put my
pistol back while / stood by the counter, L
think. Craft jumped up before Harlan fired.
Craft was dressed with an overcoat and coat
buttoned to the last button; when Craft fell
he lay on one shoulder with the right hand
and pistol above the leg about a foot, and
remained there until the last shot. l drew
my pistol because l. thought if he shot
Harlan that then he would shoot me; did
not expect q shooting when | went to the
hotel. | expected they would have talk
and nothing more.
At Yesterdays session the witness was
cross-examined at length by General Hart,
and during the examination stated: |
went to the Byrns to get cigar. Did not
tell Craft that Harlan wanted to see him:
| did not want TO take too much on my
SELF so | thought | would tell Harlan and
LII l. D.oC e. l. 7
within six or eight feet of Craft while he
that he saw me enter; must have seen me
go out; did not speak TO Pendegast. l
told Harlan that Craft was on the boot
black stand at the hotel
Q.-Why did you describe the location
of Graft?
A.-Don't know that l had any purpose
in so stating. No object in view Nobody
was present when l told Harlan. Stephens
may have been near. l beckoned my head
to him, he came to me and l told him.
Q.-Why did you notice where Harlan
had his hands?
A.-Because he was in front of me and
in direct view. / kept up near Harlan
when he halted inside the hotel door; saw
him turn round slowly; saw his pistol be-
fore he fired Craft got his hand in between
MS COdlS Nueil leSllHS IOI his IllSlolf tlI0
not know that Harlan had pistol Har-
Ian fred only one shot while Craft was on
the stand, the next when he jumped TO the
floor; Craft was still trying TO get his pistol;
Harlan fired the third time as Craft fired,
then Graft fell did not see Craft shoot
himself; only saw Harlan fire four shots
Craft was facing Harlan when he fired
think the third shot killed Graft; they
were about eighteen feet apart.
Q.-Is ii not fact that Craft was falling
when he fired?
A.-Think he fell Immediately after
firing.
Odd Craft drop his pistol when he
A-No he grasped it in his hand and
held it above his right leg the arm and
pistol fell after the shot in the head Har-
Ian's pistol was two and a half feet from
the head when he fired.
Odd you not say publicly on the street
of Woodland, after the shooting, that Har-
Ian killed Craft to protect the honor of his
daughter?
Al did not.
Odd you so understand t?
Al did not; think l talked with Mr..
Soule on February Sth; did not say to
Soule that l did not believe in protecting
the ladies of my household; l think Mr..
Soule said it was cold blooded murder
Soule did not believe in man taking the
law in his own hands; | said this was a
case where it was unavoidable | know
Elijah Williams; be worked at my place
| may have mentioned the killing at the
Odd not your daughter ask you at
that time if there was anybody there to
prevent the killing
A-Not to nv knowledge.
Odd you not say, no; if they had,
they would have had me to contend with
A.-No
Odd you not say at the postof1ice the
same day, after the homicide, in the pres
enee of number of persons that Harlan
had killed the s. OF b, and if he
had not you would?
Objection. Sustained.
Odd you, while there, hear Mr.. Har-
Ian say that man had right to protect
the honor of his own family?
Objection. Sustained.
Did not go to the old Masonic building
that day with Ben. Harlan; saw Graft get
out of the chair after | went in the hotel;
did not draw my pistol until saw Craft
draw his.
Q.-What was your reason for carrying
pistol?
A.-Because my lite had been threatened
about eighteen months ago.
Q.-By whom?
Objection. Sustained.
After Barnes left the stand, f. N. Brown
testified in confederation of Ben. Harlan,
as to his movements on the morning of the
homicide. w. r. Ponds testimony was
relative to threats made by deceased against
members of defendants family He was
still on the stand when the Court adjourned
for the day.
An Undoubted Blessing.
About thirty years ago prominent
physician, by the name of DR.. William
Hall, discovered, or produced after long
experimental research, remedy for dis
eases of the throat, chest and lungs, which
was of such wonderful efficacy that it soon
gained wide reputation in this country.
The name of the medicine is DR.. VIM.
Halls Balsam for the Lungs, and may be
safely relied on as a speedy and positive