Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-07
CIPPA'S WHISPERS.
WHO PULLED THEM JERRY COUGELIN
Or A BANKERS CLERK?
A Phenomenal Young Rihe-shOoter-The
Experiences of Sunday Hare
Chasing Party.


thereof being the trial of H. Mccormack,
Jerry Coughlin, Larry Harrigan and Will
lam Dolan on charges of having assaulted
Thomas Cippa on the occasion of the mem
orable hare-chasing episode on the latters
ranch last Sunday. The prosecution was
represented by Deputy District Attorney
Al. Bruner and E. c. Hart, and Hiram
johnson appeared for the defendants.
The first witness called was Cippa him
SELF, who testified that his eldest boy came
to him with blood oozing from his mouth
and said he had been assaulted by a men,
Der of a hare. chasing party numbering
some thirty persons, who were then in wit
ness field, knocked down and his gun
taken from him. Cippa eel padre) mounted
horse, which he SAID was thirty wears old.
and galloped off to where the idarg mini
were assembled. He inquired the name
of the person who assaulted his son, and
was Immediately surrounded by a gang OF
men who, he said, yelled and acted like
gorillas He pointed out Mr.. Coughlin as
one who leaped up and caught him by the
beard with one hand and an arm with the
other, and hung to him for three minutes.
He was not struck any blow however. The
yelling mob kicked his horse, and the ami
NAL (haying arrived at ripe old age, and
believing discretion the better part of
valor,) galloped off and bore him willingly
away from his enemies.
The witness testified that his son told him
somebody had taken his rifle away and put
it in a buggy. Witness had heard two or
three shots fred before his boy came to
him and told him of the trouble. He
identified a number Of those present in the
Courtroom as members of the party that
had invaded his domain.
He admitted, on cross examination, how
ever, that there was never any objection to
people passing over the road that led
through his field, as it was q sort of
necessary highway for residents in the To-
cality.
RIFLE SHOOTING EXTRAORDINARY.
The prosecution then called Charles
Cippa, aged seventeen years. This was the
youth who, single handed and alone, had
faced the invading hosts and met with de-
feat. The young man did not cover him
self with glory on the wituess-stand, as his
mental faculties did not appear to be quite
ripe. It was cleaned from him, however,
that he was out herding geese with his rife
when the party arrived, and ordered them
off the field. They refused to go, saying
with them hare jumped up and one of the
dogs gave chase.
The witness then related little incident
which, if true, shows that Carver, Bogardus
and Frank R1hstaller have been laboring
under a delusion in imagining that they
know how to manipulate rife with any
thing like rapidity. This youth said that
when the hare had got seventy five yards
away he began pumping lead at it from his
INs-rhaafar LEW hot Of Abah or
before it had gone twenty-five yards farther.
He was not dazed particle when the cOun-
sci for the defense asked him,
WAS THE HARE WALKING ?''
He replied that it was running its best
lick, and the dog was twenty-five yards il
its rear. If the dog got shot it was a mys-
terry TO him how it occurred. He went on
to say that a man (Coughlin) came up and
knocked him down, and that another man
Whom it was proven was not out of the
city on that day. took his rifle away from
him and put it in buggy. he pointed out
the latter person in the Courtroom. He
said he was 800 yards off when his father
was with the crowd, but he saw Coughlin
catch hold of his fathers beard and tell
him ne was "a miserable creature.
MORE EXPERT eUNNERY.
The next witness for the prosecution
was Willie Cippa, aged twelve years. Willie
looked to be great deal brighter than his
elder brother, although he admitted that he
did not know of any punishment for people
that did not tell the truth. Willie, how
ever, was quick spoken and frank. He
said at first that his brother fred six shots
at the hare, but later on admitted that he
first had the rife and fired two of the six
shots at the heet-iooLed game, when he
passed the gun over to his brother, who
fred the remaining four shots, and all
while The hare was running those twenty
five yards
Aside from this somewhat startling testi-
mony, Willie was quite lucid in his state
ment of what occurred, generally corrobor-
ating the testimony Of his father and
brother, even to the fact Of nolice being
posted on the gate through which the party
entered, warning hunters to keep off the
grounds.
ALL DISCHARGED But ONE.
Before offering any testimony for the de-
tense Mr.. johnson asked the Court to dis
miss the charges against all the defendant;
excepting Mr.. Coughiin. There had been
no testimony to show that any person
other than Coughlin had offered the slight
est violence to the elder Cippa and he
thought that even Coughlin should De dis
charged,
Mr.. Bruner admitted that the testimony
did not show violence on the part of any
one but Coughlin, unless it was the young
man who took away the boys rifle, but a
the charge was an assault upon the father
the prosecution would consent to the dis
missal Of the charges against all ba
Coughlin.
The Court then directed their discharge
but said that testimony would be heard q
to the charge against Coughlin.
WHAT THE Doe-MEE SAID.
The defense proceeded with its side Q
the case by calling Fred. Neary, who tesu
fed that he was near by Cippa and Cough
lin during the trouble, and that be did nc
see the latter lay a hand upon Cippa. II b
had done so, witness thought he woul
have seen it. Somebody kicked Cippa
horse on the flank, and he rode away
Neary said, however, that somebody di
place his hand on Cippas arm, bat he wa
not a resident of Sacramento and was nc
then in the city.
Patrick Ford testified to about the sam
effect.
Patrick Nash said the party was passin
through the Cippa place to grounds furthe
on, when young Cipps stopped them. II
saw nobody pull the old mans beard. u
had frequently chased hares on the sam
land in years past, and never saw any nj
tice posted warning people away.
Reporters NARROW ESCAPE.
William Dolan proved TO be somewhi
loouacious on the witness stand. He sal
he was right close to Cippas horse durin
the controversy, and did not see Coughh
touch Cippa. The defendant could NJ
have got close TO Cipps without witne
seeing him. He did however, see ms
pull Cippa's beard. Witness did not kno
his name, but would recognize him if
saw him. i,
Mr.. Bruner asked him to describe Il
man. 10 which Mr.. johnson objected, b
the Court held that the witness mu
answer.