Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-02-09

either
Wallace R. Pond testified: Was mo-
present at The shooting; was at my drue
store; know nothing but from hearsay.
Mr.. Ball desired to ask the witness cues.
uons tending to show the cause of the
homicide, and stated that he would prove
Justification, and claimed that he had the
right to do So
In answer to questions by Ball, witness
SAID L had two conversations with Mr.
0rait the first was on Tuesday, soon after
| the arrival OF the Sacramento train. at the
parlor OF the Byrn's Hotel Mr.. Craft asked
me If | was surprised at the marriage of S.
j. Sill and Miss Harlan; said | was. as
only heard of it on the day of the marriage,
about IL He told me that at the
time OF The opera of the Bells of Corne-
yllle, Miss Harlan was enceiilte about two
months; that she charged him Craft With
being the father of the child and asked him
TO help her out of the difficulty He tried
several physicians in Sacramento, but
could get no one to help him. That finally
Miss Harlan went to Santa Cruz and re-
| manned some time: on her return he met
her IN San Francisco, and went with her 10
a physician and stood over her and helped
the doctor perform an operation. He said
now that she had married Sill, he believed
that Sill was the father of the child.
ana he was going to Sill and his wife
and get written exoneration that he Craft
was not the father Of the child. l tried to
| persuade him not to do anything of the
Kind, advising him that only harm could
come from it. | left and went to the
store. Shortly afterward he came in
and said Mr.. Sill was in Spaulding's
| store, and asked me to tell him to meet
| him at the parlor of the Bryns Hotel.
l said | did not want to tell him.,
| Craft insisted and said he must see Sill
{ anyway | started out to tell SILL but
before found him learned that Sill had met
Craft. Craft told me at the Byrns Hotel
that he had letters to prove all that he
| stated. The next interview was Wednes-
day evening, as | was starting to supper,
about o'clock. He said he was justified
IN going out in the street and shooting Sill
down like dog: that his friends advised
hlm TO do it, and were surprised that he
did not do it; that he had money and in
fluence back of him, so that no harm would
come to him if he did do it. He said 8
haven't done it; but if that -
| referring to Mrs Sill don't make an ex-
oneratlon of me soon | willard here he
made motion as if to draw pistol Here
ended the conversation, except that | adj
vised him to return to Sacramento and try
to forget everything. l had no converse
ton with Harlan. Isupposed his remarks
had reference to Mrs. Sill. Craft was ap-
parently sutton for Miss Harlan. Craft
told me he had proposed marriage 10 Miss
Harlan and had been rejected At the
| Byrns Hotel interview be told me that he
had written to her that she must marry
him by certain day or take the conse-
quences. He did not say that he would
shoot Mr.. or Mrs. Sill | wanted to get
some clue by which he could be bound
10 7
alarmed about the safety of Mr.. and Mrs
Sill.
Noon recess.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
T. S. Spaulding, the next witness is a
Woodland merchant, and relative of the
Harlans. He said: ] was not present at
the shooting
Judge Ball here asked question of the
witness, when the District Attorney inter
posed an objection, saying. I" | thought we
had agreed to contine all the interrogations
of the witnesses TO the Coroner and Jury
men ?"
The Coroner, addressing the jury, said !:
Gentlemen, this man knows nothing of
the shooting, except hearsay. All he knows
is certain facts leading up to the homicide.
Do you wish to hear him detail those
facts Pr
Judge Ball said he wished the investiga-
ton to inquire into all the circumstances
attending the death of Mr.. Craft The cir
| cumstances leading to the homicide should
be shown the jury. If they wish to hear
what this witness knows of those facts,
let them decide by vote.
The District Attorney said only the cir
cumstances attending the death, and not as
to the justification ofthe homici lie, was ad-
missible.
After lengthy arguments by counsel as
to the admissibility of the evidence. the
jury said they would like to hear it all. and
| the witness was instructed by the Coroner
to proceed.
Mr.. Spaulding then said: had con-
versation with Mr.. Craft on the Tuesday
after the marriage. | was in Sacramento.
Mr.. Craft approached me and said Steve
and Vic. are married. said, " Yes" He
said: = am going to Woodland on the
Ills train. Don't you know that Vic
Harlan had a child, and that was the
father of that child?" / said, No" He
said " Don't you never give it away or
will kill you" l said, - What do you
mean 2" He replied "Oh, don't mean
| that but upon your honor as gentle
man, don't you never give me away"
Then he slandered Miss Harlan's character.
District Attorney-Well, tell me what he
said.
Witness-Well, he told me she was
a -, and called her many vile names
everything. in fact that he could say detri-
| mental to a lady's chastity and character.
| He said revenge was very sweet and he
would have 1t. Said he wanted to talk to
me, for he thought some one would get
killed when he got over there Somebody,
| he said, must die, and he did not know
who it would be. There will be lives
lrct Il. H., Wy
| land. | AM going to carry my points if
| have to sacrifice lives and honor" He
| told me he had the document which he
wished Mrs. Sill to sign, and would give
her till Sunday to do So and " if she don't
| sign it y he then put both hands
back of him and exhibited pistols. He
| left that subject then and threatened the life
| of Louis Hollingsworth 81 carry letters
| here" he said, hitting his pocket. "They are
documentaryevidence worth $50, 900 to me"
| l never heard man talk about lady in
| such vile manner as he did, in my life
| He was not drunk. 1t was early in the
| day. A portion of the conversation was
| on the train while we were en- route to
Woodland. He was very mad. l told him
| | should never speak about the child I'M
| less | was compelled to. The first of the
| conversation took place in front of Sullivan
| & Ravekes' store in Sacramento, where he
was employed.
| DIR. G. H. Jackson said that Just before
Miss Harlan left for trip to Santa Cruz
| treated her as physician. Miss Harlan
came to see me suffering from very bad
cold. Prescribed for her. 1t was during
the time they were rehearsing for an opera
| She called at my office several time. WHfle
| taking medicine she had monthly sick
ness. This l understood from herself, and
| also from her mother. She went to Santa
Cruz soon after that.
S. J. SILL the son-in-law of J. II. Harlan,
1 was the next witness. He said: | married
Miss Victoria Harlan February LIST. / met
Mr.. Craft on the street the next day. He
asked me to go to the Byrn's Hotel.
! told him / wanted nothing to do with him.
| He insisted and 4 consented, providing he
let Lou Hollingsworth go along with us,
and be witness. When we reached the
parlor of the hotel he insisted that Mr.
| Hollingsworth should not enter, that there
should be no witnesses. Mr.. Hollingsworth
then withdrew from the room. We sat
down, l on the piano stool, he in chair
near by. He had OH Prince Albert coat,
unbuttoned it, and put his hand back of
him when he sat down. He said: DO
! Won know that your wife gave birth to a