, 1889-08-15
From Sundays Daily
CROwSERS QUEST
The Jury Find Alexander James Re
sPOnsible for the Death Of W.
+. plaisted.

ilaisItd
a coroner's jury sat on the remains OF
". F. Plaisted in the city morgUc yes
tsrday.
DR.. Glennan was the first witness
sworn. He testified as to the result OF
the autopsy, and gave it as his opinion
that the mans death was the result of a
stab wound in the abdomen.
At the conclusion OF the doctors testi-
monv, the witnesses TO the tregedy were
sworn.
John Edwards testified: The deceased
wss in the Cosmopolitan Hotel between
and o'cock in the evening OF August
lst. Plaisted was arguing with Alex.
James while standing at the bar. They
were arguing about something which
took place in New Orleans. Larry Ryan
said something to Plaisted, and the latter
Knocked him down. John O'Leary then
struck at Plaisted and Piaisted knocked
him down. While Plaisted was standing
over O'Leary | saw James strike him in
theright hip; Plaisted - slowed around
and James struck him in the right side.
Plaisted staggered back and said he was
cut. James walked over and threw
knife behind the bar. | left it there
until the proprietor came in. l showed
it to Mr.. Hunt and he picked it up and
showed me the blood on the point. l
gave the knife to John Sheehan. | saw
James strike Plaisted two blows. Don't
know whether James had a knife III his
hand at the time. There was fresh blood
on the blade when We examined it.
(Knife shown and identified).
Frank Reusch corroborated testimony
Of the other witness.
Marshal Delaney testified TO arresting
James, and to telling him he had gotten
in nice scrape. James replied that it
would not be much loss if Plaisted died,
a. he was bad man. James said he
Was from Port Discovery. John Sheehan
handed me the knife at the county jail,
after had taken James there.
J. J. Hunt testified to being present,
and separating Plaisted and another
man who were going to fight; told them
they must go outside. Plaisted had
offered to bet So on some proposition and
then withdrew. Plaisted started toward
the door when Ryan stopped him. and
Piaisted knocked him down. Then
O'Leary struck Plaisted and he was
knocked down. 1 saw James strike
PlAisted twice, l though it was with his
fist; they were directed towards the
lower part of his body. Plaisted turned
and walked towards the door, saying he
was cut. He pulled up his shirt and
showed the bleeding wound. l sent for
. policeman and James was arrested.
The knife found was white handled
pocket knife, (knife shown and identi-
fed, l handed it to John Sheehan with
the request that he give it to the mar
shal.
THE VERDICT.
We, the jury empanelled to inquire
into the cause of the death of w. F.
Plaisted, find that deceased came to his
death by wounds caused by knife in
the hands of Alexander James.
James w. Stockand, Charles H. Jones,
L. r. Fraser, w. 7. Thompson, Max
Gerson. J. S. Wyckoff, coroner.
AN INTERVIEW WITH JAMES.
To reporter for the ARGUS James
said, when told of the death of Plaisted,
that he, (PlaistedD, had slapped HIM in
the face before he had spoken to de-
ceased. 1 had my kuife cutting a pipe
full of tobacco after washing my face.
When saw Plaisted knocking down sew
eral men, OF which one was a friend of
mine, and then he started toward me,
placing his left hand on my right
shoulder, drew back his right hand as
though to slap me, when l stabbed him
twice. The whole thing was done SO
quickly was hardly aware of what trans
pired. have wife and family in Liy-
erPool who 1 left twenty months ago for
New York in Nova Scotia vessel. L
shipped from there before the mast for
San Francisco on the American ship st.
John.
came up to the sound and sailed for
San Diego on the "Dashing Wave" 1
then shipped on the schooner Halcyon
for Port Discovery, where I was dis
charged. came over to Port Townsend
on tho morning of August 1st with fel-
low scamen. intending to go to Burrards
Iniet on the next steamer, and ship for
Australia.
James is member of the Coast Sea-
meas Union, who will, it is understood,
raiso&unds and employ James Hamilton
Lewis, of Seattle, to conduct the defense.
The Boat Race.
4 crowd OF about two hundred people
zahhAhad nn unian srharf Iasi auaninn To