Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-11
NOW FOR THE ARGUMENT.
beth Sides Rest I'm the Gres
GarreNl Qaaa.


Beth Sides Rest I'm the Great
Garrett Case.
The first witness called in the Garrett
incest case yesterday morning was Dis
trict Attorney Kelly, who told about the
visits Malta Edgcomb paid his office prior
to her marriage. when she swore out
several complaints against James Edg-
comb, who on these was arrested and
put in Jail. Subsequently she married
Edgcomb, and then all the cases against
him fell through. Mr.. Kelly's state
ments did not greatly differ from those
made by Mr.. Hardesty, the Deputy Dis.
trict Attorney. Mr.. Kelly stated that
Captain Garrett came with Malta and
took prominent part in the converse
tion that in fact he talked more than
the girl herself. es
General John M. Baldwin, who was
Superintendent of Streets when Garrett
was chief clerk in the Office, was called.
He said he had heard complaints about
Garrett's sending Malta to the Girls
Home, but did not otherwise know OF
his character being called in question.
Captain Glidden was recalled on
some point of less Importance,
and then the defendant was
put on the stand in his own
behalf. On direct examination, Garrett
told pretty much the same stories on
heretofore. He was not questioned at
very great length, and perhaps the
atrangest part of his testimony was the
omission in it of apy reference to Malia's
paternity. When Garrett was charged
with incest, he contented himself with q
denial that she was his child. When he
was examined by the committing magis-
trate he swore that he was not her father.
This time he was not asked by his attor-
neys one word as to Malia's paternity.
Her mother sat in the courtroom she
had sworn that she was her mother, and
that Garrett was her father. He did rot
have the courage to get on the stand
before her and deny that story. When
she swore to it, CARROTS attorneys did
not cross-examine her to the extent o;
one syllable.
Major Bell took Garrett in hand
yesterday and asked him the ques'
tioAs. Garrett told of his arrival in this
city and Of his movements from place tc
place in detail. Then he proceeded tc
tell of Edgcomb's entrance into the
family circle. After Edgcomb had been
visiting the house for while, he took
Malta ont riding one day. They did moi
stay out long and on their return Gar.
rett went out of doors to meet Malta
She jumped out of the buggy and ran
towards the house without speaking tc
Edgcnmb. Garrett asked her what was
the matter, and she eaid Edgcomb had
ruined her. and ruined Ella. Garrett
wanted to get Edgcomb to marry her
bat she refused to do this, and said she
would rather kill him. She said she
would go past his shop some day, and
bring him home with her and shoot him
Garrett then read some letters he stated
he had received from Malta while he wat
in Jail. At this point Williamf
discovered that Edgcomb was in
the courtroom and asked to have him
excluded, as he intended to call him ae
q witness. Garrett told his version ol
other parts of the mess, and was then
turned over to McComas for cross. exam.
ination.
As to his nephew, Walter Mitchell,
Garrett said he gave him 500 in the Jail
some of which he was to send to his
mother, Garrett's sister, at Aspen, Col.
orado. The rest he was to use as Garrett
might subsequently direct. He had a
good deal of telegraphing to do, and he
had to send some money to New Orleans
He denied that he told Mitchell to give
any of it to the Edgcombs, or that he
tried in any way to get the Edgcombs
out of the city. Later Mitchell came
back to the jail and returned $40 to Gar.
rett. He did not know what Mitchell
did with the rect of the money.
After the cross.examinstion was over.
Major Bell and w. T. Williams with
drew for private conference. On their
return they asked Garrett if when be
went with Malta to the District Attorneys
office he used any means of coercion or
even persuasion to make Malta tell the
story about Edgcomb. He said that on
the contrary he wanted her to tell only
the truth, and told her unless she was a
chaste girl when she met Edgeomb not
to 60 into the case, as she could not win.
He stated that he never heard the name
of Mrs. Arnold until one day Malta said
if he would 90 with her che would show
him where Edgcomb had been in the
habit of taking her. They went to Mrs.
Arnold's, and he asked this person
about the visits Of Malta and Edgcomb
to the house. Major Bell then got the
witness to tell Of a conversation he had
with Malta at his law cffice. At that
time Garrett told her if there was any
thing behind the case she had better not
60 into it. Then Bell asked the defend.
ant il any conversation had ever taken
place between him and Malta, such ae
she had testified 10, to the effect
that he had carnal intercourse with
her in order to obviate the necessity OF
her doing 80 with other men. Garrett
became quite melodramatic and said
such thing was quite ridiculous,
whereupon Major Bell apologized fol
asking it, and quit.
Garrett, at a previous point in his di.
rect testimony, denied point blank ever
Malta at all.
After Garrett was excused, Williams
put in a couple of pages from Malia's
testimony in the lower court as evidence.
1t is that part relating to Edgcomb's
visit to the house when he found Ella at
home alone, and when it was alleged be
coerced the child into compliance with
his desires.
The attorney then offered seme dozen
or more pages Of Josie Corbett's testi-
mony before the committing magistrate
to impeach her testimony in this court.
1t related to the papers which she
swore Garrett prepared for her and
which she said she had examined
he wanted to show the papers and the