Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-30
THE INJUSTICE OF JUsTICE-AN IN
STANCE.

THE INJUSTICE OF JUsTICE-AN IN
STANCE.
The case Of the imprisoned witness,
Parker, in San Francisco, is one that will
awaken profound sympathy, although it
Is not more provocative of commiseration
than many others of like character.
Parker is the unfortunate man who claims
that he was swindled out of his money and
farm few weeks ago by three sharpers,
the chief of whom is Hamberg, the S2-lot
speculator. 1t will be remembered that
Parker came from Oregon to San Fran
cisco with considerable money. His story,
in brief, is that he was induced to
put half or more Of his means into
comparatively worthless intelligence
and real estate office business; through
the agency of the same men he fell
into the tolls Of Hamberg, who traded
him San Francisco lot of high
value for the remainder OF his money and
his $4,000 farm in Southern Oregon; that
Hamberg, as it is positively stated, had no
title and had never claimed any to the
lot, except in statements to Parker, but
Immediately, on making the trade went
to Oregon, sold the farm at a ruinous sac
ritice, and with the money left for Mon
tana, where he was apprehended and
brought back to San Francisco under
charges Of swindling and of obtaining
money under false pretenses. His alleged
aecomplices were also arrested, and the
three clapped into jail They have all,
however, bailed themselves out-and. it is
charged, with the identical money wrunp
from Parker. On Saturday, by order of
Court, Parker was taken into custody as a
witness and ordered to give bail in the
sum of $1,000. This was done to secure
his attendance as prosecuting witness.
But the poor man is ruined he now
has neither money nor property, and,
being stranger in San Francisco, he is
unable to furnish bondsmen What makes
his case worse is the fact that his wife,
Frustrated by grief at the loss of the
savings of a lifetime, has been taken very
sick and is unable to leave her bed. In
the meantime the men who wronged him
are at liberty, living high" upon the
old mans money, giving costly suppers at
French restaurants and generally having
what the world calls "a good time"
Were it only lawful, as well it might be
in such case, it would be a Just thing to
require the men who have stripped the
unfortunate man of the savings of life
time to furnish bail for him out of the
proceeds Of their crime Every induce
ment that appeals to self-interest operates
to secure Parker's attendance at the trial.
Unless the defendants buy him of, he will
certainly be present because of the faint
hope of recovering some of his money.
1t is nothing less than disgrace, a
burning shame to our civilization, that
this grievous wrong is done to this unfor-
tunate man. If the prosecuting officers of
San Francisco, whom the press and public
opinion have SO often been compelled to
lash to duty doing were one-half as solic-
itous at all times to secure to justice her
due ends, there would be less crime and
outrage in San Francisco than there is.
The Prosecuting Attorney who moved this
mans Incarceration certainly has some
discretion in these matters 1t was not
absolutely necessary for him to have moved
the Court TO lock up the witness, Parker,
who Just at this time, of all others, needs
TO be free to prepare his case against the
men he charges with defrauding him.
Even if justice should be cheated of its
ends by the old mans compromise with the
rogues, society can console itself with the
reflection that the victim has recovered
something of his losses. Parker declares
however, his undying determination to
prosecute, and the officers, whose unpleas-
ant duty it is to imprison him, are i'm.
pressed with the sincerity of the man.
The injustice done to Parker under the
law may be the very means of defeating
Justice. Shut up in prison in a strange
city his wife sick among strangers; the
possibility before him of lingering in ;sil
for months, while the adroit defendant.
work up continuances )" unable to pre-.
pare the ease for the prosecution anC
search out witnesses, this unfortunate mar
is altogether likely to come into such 3
frame Of mind as to listen to temptation
and in the end do precisely what the pros
ecuting officials wish to prevent-refuse tc
prosecute.
Here is an instance where the law Is