Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-19
THE WOLFF CASE.
The Stery of the Husband Told In
GyAuurt.

The stery of the Husband Told I'm
Court.
The Wolff. Peterson murder trial will
probably continue through the week in
Department No. /. Yesterday morning
was taken up with the cross examination
of the tailor, Peterson, one of the defend
ants, who is charged with having been
accessory to the shooting. Peterson is
wild appearing man, the weakness
of his character showing in his way
of speaking and in his confusion
on the witness stand. On the cross
examination he got badly wound
mp at various times, and materially
weakened the evidence which he had
offered during his examinatien-in-chief.
The afternoon session opened with a
long discussion of point in the law of
evidence which had an important bearing
ON the case as outlined for the defense.
The defense does not deny the act of the
shooting, but claims sufficient provoca-
tion in a movement made by Wilson to-
ward knife which was supposed
to be concealed in his trousers. The
question was yesterday asked of Peter
son during his direct examination
whether he was afraid that Wilson was
going to kill Wolff when the former
reached toward the supposed knife. The
question was objected to by the State as
calling for conclusion on the part of the
witness which, as he was not the princi-
pal who did the shooting, should not be
offered in evidence. The discussion was
deferred until yesterday, when the Court
1a1 fhn dp,i soil fhA
ground that the witness was on
on the action of Wilson might have
affected his own subsequent conduct.
In answer to the question Peterson
said: "I thought he was going to kill
Wolff with the knife"
He was then cross examined by the
District Attorney and some important
facts brought out viz. that there had
been nothing in Wilson's conduct to in
dictate that he was going to injure Wolff
up to the very instant that he made that
motion and that the shooting and the
motive were Simultaneous; also that the
witness was frightened so badly that he
hardly knew what was happening.
Mrs. Wolff recalled for the defense on
the same point, said that she thought
when she saw Wilson's motion that he
was about to kill her husband, and that
she saw him have something in his hand
which she took to be the handle of the
knife which he had often shown her. She
admitted that she was not alarmed until
Wilson advanced on her husband. evil
son once said to me-" she declared, ,"that
q knife is much better than a pistol, for
you can bury it in a mans heart while he
is trying to get his pistol ready to shoot"
She had also heard Wilson say to her
husband 81 am great deal stronger than
you are, and can kill you whenever 1
want to-"
Alfred H. Wolff. the principal OF the
affair, was then put upon the stand, and
his direct examination occupied all the
afternoon and will continue for some
time in this mornings session. His story
OF the meeting in the steamer, the life all
together in the cabin, the quarrel and
the moving to Santa Ana does not differ
sufficiently from the same facts as mar
rated by Mrs. Wolff and Peterson to
make its repetition necessary.
"He met me at Pollir's saloon once"
said he, "and told me that he loved my
wife. There were others around, but he
was big bully, and thought that he
could whip me. He said | was no man,
and not fit to live with Mrs. Wolff, and
tried every way, many times to get me
into fight"
son the day of the affair We all drove
to San Juan; went, as / wanted to have
i money settlement with Wilson. I had
carried loaded pistol ever since the
time that he choked me. When we came
to Sharp's hotel to get dinner, he came
came up to us and followed us around to
the corral. saw Theiso on the porch as
We went back, but no one else appeared
to be in sight. could have shot
Wilson then if 1 had wished to
do SO. He had some liquor in him, but
WAS not very drunk. was not much
excited. When we came to the front of
the house again and he started toward
me l expected to get the knife thrust
into me at any instant. l knew l had to
kill him or be killed myself. All the
shots were fred in quick succession.
After started shooting kept on until l
saw him fall. / can't remember how
many shots there were. I did not wish
to kill him, but when l saw him reach
Tor his knife l felt that had to shoot
him, and I did so."
The Court then adjourned until 10
O'Clock this morning.