Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-28
AROUND THE CITY.
f. B. SresOvitch Held to An
sWer for Seduction.
THE TESTIMONY IN THE CASE.
Chamber of Commerce Movements
The Citrus Fair and Other
Items of Interest.

Ate 80 O'Clock yesterday morning the
examination of F. B. Sreeovitch, charged
with the seduction of Clara Myers,
German servant girl, under promise of
marriage, was resumed before City
Justice H. G. Austin and in the presence
of a large number of spectators.
Mrs. Minnie Myers, the mother of the
complainant, was the first witness called
to the stand. She testified in effect that
q year ago last fall Sresovitch called upon
her and requested her permission to wed
her daughter and that she gave her con-
sent to the marriage. The young couple,
however, had lovers quarrel shortly
afterwards and for several months sub
sequently did not associate together.
Last fall Sresovitch and her daughter
settled their differences and renewed
their former pleasant relations. On one
occasion the witness overheafd a conver-
sation between Sresovitch and her
daughter, carried on in ordinary
tones, in the room adjoining that
which she occupied. The young
couple we're discussing the subject of
getting married, and there was unmis-
taksbly an understanding between them,
that the wedding should take place in
the near future.
The witness created a considerable
sensation by testifying that on the 18th
inst. the defendants brother called at
her house, and asked to see Clara. Her
daughter came forward and in brief
interview with the girl, Sresovitch pro-
posed on behalf of his brother, that she
should disniss the criminal action she
had commenced, on the understanding
that the defendant would marry her.
Clara readily ac1eded to the proposi.
ton, and stated that marriage with the
defendant was all she asked. These pre-
liminaries having been arranged salts
factorily, the visitor left, and a few
minutes later the defendant appeared in
person and asked the girl, Clara, to &C.
company him up town, in order that
they might be married before Justice
of the Peace, she promising to have the
case dismissed Immediately after the
ceremony.
The couple left the house and went up
town, but instead of at once going to the
Justices Court, Sresovitch induced his
companion to accompany him to the
office of his attorney. While there an
affidavit was prepared by one of the
lawyers clerks, to the effect that the de.
fendant and Clara had continuously,
ever since they had known each other,
been intimate with each other. This
was read to Clara by the attorneys wife,
who was present at the time. Sresovitch
then took the girl before II. + Crowell,
q notary public, who administered the
oath to her and affixed his seal to the
affidavit. From the notary's office
Sresovitch went to the District Attor-
ney's Office and attempted to procure a
dismissal of the case by producing the
affidavit; but Deputy Phibbs refused to
do 80 until Clara Myers came to him in
person and produced her certificate OF
marriage to the defendant. Sresovitch
then left the Office and Clara returned
home, considerably crestfallen at the
trick that had been played upon her.
This closed the case for the prosecu.
ton, and the defendant, Frank 3. Sreso.
witch, took the stand to testify in his
own behalf. He said in effect that he
first met Clara Myers on the Sunday fol-
lowing the arrival of the Myers family
at their present residence, about year
and half ago. The girl came over to
his heuse, on the opposite side of the
street, and spoke to him as he was dress
ing in his room, requesting permission to
draw some water from the yard in the
rear, as none had yet beer laid to her
parents house. He sent man with her
to show her where to get it, and as she
left him she accorded him an invitation
to call Oil her at her home. He subse-
quently, did so, and walked with her
from the residence of her parents, on
Myers street, to the residence of Joe
Bayer, where she was employed as a
domestic servant. Next time he met
her che called upon him at his house,
and their intimacy ripened rapidly. He
first became too intimate with her
that evening in the Clement
tract, near her parents residence,
and from that time he had
met her by appointment at frequent in
tervals Tor several weeks. On the occa-
sion of their first intimacy he had offered
her money, but she refused it, but three
or four evenings later she accepted So
from him, and altogether he had paid
her about $50. On cross-examination he
admitted that Clara had given him gold
breastpin as a Christmas present, and
that he in return had given her $40, with
tu0 I6mhfk IHaU u0 ulu uOL KNOW WQal 10
purchase for her.
A recess was taken until 2 O'Clock at
the close of the defendants testimony
but it was fully half an hour later before
the proceedings were resumed, the de.
fendant being recalled for cross .examina.
tion. The next witness was @. A. Gard
ner, who testified that he was employed
at the office of an attorney named Hol-
comb. He made an affidavit on the 18th
inst, and subsequently accom- panied the
defendant and Clara to the Office OF H.
E. Cornwell, notary public, where it
was sworn to by the girl. An effort was
made to introduce the affidavit as evil
dence, but to this the District Attorney
strenuously objected, and the corct sus-
tanned his objection.
The complainant Clara Myers, was
called as witness for the defense, but
she denied Indignantly the statement
that she had ever received any money
from the defendant, with the exception
OF the $40 he once gave her at Christmas
time In lieu of present. She reiterated
her former testimony as to his having
promised to marry her before the seduc-
ton took place.
Mrs. E. Holcomb then took the stand
ano stated that she was present at the
time the affidavit was made by Gardner
in her husbands office, and read the
contents of tha documant to the piri