Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-01
ONE YEAR.
Alexandra Savin's Sentence
for Contempt of Court.
THE PROCEEDINGS IN COURT.
in dge Ross Decides that He Tried to
wfully Influence q Wit
ness in the GOujOn Case.

The announcement that Alexandra
Savin had been cited to show cause be-
fore Judge Ross in the United States
District Court yesterday morning why
he should not be punished for contempt
of court, had the effect Of filling the
courtroom to overfowing with those
who were curious to learn the full par
ticulars Of the affair. Savin was present
with Hon. M. E. G. Munday as his
attorney and United States District At
torney Denis represented the Govern
ment. Upon the opening of court Mr..
Munday demanded that the Government
serve him with the proper interrogato-
ries. He then said that in his opinion
the proceedings must fall to the ground,
for the law did not permit person to be
punished for contempt for an offence
which was indictable under the law. He
did not think from the evidence given
by Flores on the previous day that a
contempt had been committed, as the
trouble complained of had taken place
outside of the court room and not in the
presence of the court.
Judge hOeS Bhlu LIldJ IL u COuk6u1pb udu
been committed at all it had been COM
mitted in the presence of the Court. The
witness or jury room and the hall ways
adjacent to the court room were portions
of the Court, and it followed that if the
contempt, if committed, was in the pres
ence of the Court.
Mr.. Munday thought that the mere
fact that Savin had done something in
the hall way, was not sufficient to make
it contempt case under the statutes
which provided that contempt must be
committed in the face of the Court.
Judge Ross ruled against Mr..
Munday and held that in such
case there was no necessity
for the furnishing OF interroga-
tories, which were only needed when the
offense had been committed out of the
face of the Court.
The first witness called was Bartolo Flor
es, who testified in answer to questions
through an interpreter, that he was sum-
moned as witness in the case of the
United States against Hippolyte Goujon
and had been in attendance upon the
Court during the previous day. During
the forenoon of that day witness was in
the Jury or witness room in the building
when Savin entered and addressed him,
asking him why he had come. Witness
told him that he had been called as a
witness by the Court. Savin then told
him that he was not to say anything to
the prejudice of Goujon. He said that
if witness did testify against Goujon a
charge would be brought against him for
money that had been lost or had strayed
at Tia Juana. Witness told him that the
charge would not be true, and that he
would stand the punishment. At this
point the conversation was interrupted
by the entrance of Mr.. Mansir. Soon
after lunch Savin spoke to him again
and asked him to go to the end of the
hall, where they again conversed on the
same subject. Savin asked him what
the amount of money would be for testi-
know how much, and Savin said that he
would give him guarantee and pay him
more if he did not testify against Gou-
Jon. Witness told him that he did not
want anything more said about it, and
then Deputy United States Marshal Do
minguez came up.
On cross-examination Mr.. Munday
asked the witness if he had not said that
he was a witness in the case because he
had spite against Goujon, the spite be-
ing caused by charge preferred against
him, of taking Goujon's pistol. Witness
denied that he had ever been charged
with taking Goujon's pistol and said that
he did not know he was to be a witness
until he had heen subp9nRd the day be-
fore the trial commenced.
r. o. Snedigar testified that he heard
Savin and Flores talking together in a
low tone of voice in the witness-room.
He had heard "$10" and 1925" spoken in
Spanish, but the rest of the conversation
was SO low that he could not under
stand it.
W. A. Sitterly corroborated the testi-
mony OF the previous witness, and had
noticed that the conversation was stopped
when Mr.. Mansir entered the room.
G. W. Mansir testified that he had
gone into the witness room and found the
two men talking together. When he went
in they stopped. He also said that Sa-
win knew that he understood Spanish.
Deputy United States Marshal Domin-
guez testified that he had seen the two
men in close conversation in the hall
way, and had notified the District Attor-
ney. He then stopped the conversation by
calling the witnesses into court.
Altjandro Savin testified in his own
behalf that he had talked to Flores, and
that Flores said he had come here to get
even with Goujon. He had informed
Flores that he was accused OF taking $50
or $75 at Tia Juana, and he advised
Flores to be careful not 10 commit any
more robberies in the United States, for
he would be arrested and punished. Sa-
win alleged that he advised Flores not to
tell anything on the stand but the truth
He had never told him that he would
pay him for not testifying against Quo
JON.
Mr.. Munday moved that the matter
be dismissed, and argued that the evil
deDce was not sufficient to show that
Savin had committed a contempt. He
thought that the evidence of Flores
should not be believed, and that cf his
client discredited.
Judge Ross said that in his judgment
Flores had told the truth, and the other
man had not. The Court had to take the
evidence as it found it, and it would not
convict this man unless it was thorough
ly convinced, which it was. The
evidence to the mind OF the Court was
perfectly plain.
Judge Ross then ordered the Clerk to
spread the following order on his min
utes:
WHEREAS, During the progross of the trial of
the action of the United States of America VS..
III. GouJon In the court on the 10th day of Feb
ruary, 1889, one BartolO Flores, a witness on
the part of the Government duly subpnnaed