Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-26
ANOTHER BOTCH.
TIE DISTRICT ATTORNEY AGAIN
KNOCKED OUT.
The Damron Prosecution Likely to End
in a Fizzle-Cases Acted on in the
Courts Yesterday-Notes,


The taking of testimony in the case
against James M. Damron, charged with
having committed the crime of forgery.
commenced yesterday in department one
OF the superior court. BY IL O'Clock a
jury had been secured, and the prosecut-
ing witness, ]. S. Chadwick, was placed
on the stand.
Mr.. Chadwick proceeded in detail to
tell the story of the circumstances under
which Mr.. Damron secured from him
$50 by forging the names of DR.. Walter
Lindley and A. H. Dunlap to note for
$3.50, on the Oath day of April last. 1t
took but ten minutes for Mr.. Chadwick
to relate these facts, and then his cross
examination commenced. 1t was placed
in the hands of Stephen M. White, and
by that gentleman he was handled in a
most adroit manner in the interest OF
the honorable" James.
Yesterday morning when court opened
the sheriff made a return showing that
the following jurymen had been sum-
moned
| A. j. Sanor, j. G. Mcdonald, d. Nc
l. III. Il.
| Jevne, James Rawson, B. Breen, j. III.
Burke, E. Britton, I. l.. Grosch and N.
M. Richardson
The names of the above parties were
placed in the jury box along with those
of Harry Richmond and F. Y. Forester.
the last two names being the sole re-
naming names that were in the Jury
box on Friday.
After further examination as to their
qualifications, the jury was completed,
the following parties having been sworn
in as jurors: N. NJ Richardson, E. Brit
ton and A. j. Sanor.
Mr.. Chadwick then took the stand
and told the story of Damron's crime.
At the afternoon session the cross
examination of j. s. Chadwick was re-
sumed. Mr.. White closely questioned
| the witness as to the form of the note
which he had given Damron to fill out.
The cross-examination of Chadwick was
clearly an endeavor to mvstify him as to
where and from whom he got the money
which he gave Damron on the forged
note. No endeavor was made in the
cross-eXamlnation tC combat the theory
of forgery. The mere endeavor was
made to show that Chadwick had given
Damron the money himself, having
drawn the amount from the Southern
California National bank on April "a,
1890, the date of the alleged forged note.
Itwas plainly evident that the defense
was trying to show that the money
which Chadwick had loaned on the note
was not that OF Mrs. Hunter.
After Chadwick left the stand the
prosecution placed DR.. Walter Lindley
on, who swore that his signature to the
| uo k,1 -
| the instrument in question, nor had he
authorized any one to sign his name
to it.
At the conclusion of DR.. Lindley's
testimony the prosecution started in to
show other forgeries. the object being to
show the guilty intent of Damron in the
one instance for which he is on trial.
To the surprise of all, Judge Smith
ruled that this evidence was not admis-
sible. He held that the prosecution
should be confined to the one case con-
tained and charged in the information.
This ruling was something new and
entirely unexpected. The virtual effect
of it will be to acquit Damron, and he
will in the end go scot free in spite of
the many crimes of which he is unques-
tionably guilty.
| COURT NOTES.
Judge Shaw in department six yester-
day set the three cases against Max Har-
ris, charged with selling lottery tickets,
for trial May 7th.
Judge Shaw yesterday sustained the
demurrer in the cases of j. A. Gallup
and E. H. Elliott against the board OF
trustees of the city of Pomona.
Judge Van Dyke yesterday gave B. D.
Hayes judgment in foreclosure of
mortgage against w. E. Rogers and 9TH
ers for $l810.47. A judgment was also
given against the same defendant and
in favor of D. and Thomas Hughes for
$S62.52.
In department four Mrs. Grannis yes.
terday got judgment against her SON
il-law, w. d. Eckstein, for $6O28.
In department four, Yesterday, Judge
Van Dyke heard the application of the
Redondo Beach company, asking for the
appointment of receiver for the Chau-
tauqua assembly. The application was
not decided.
United States Commissioner Van
Dyke, yesterday, held Francis Bradley
to answer on charge of selling liquor
to Indians.
Judge Shaw, in department six, yes
terday, gave Mrs. Francesca de Bravo
a writ of habeas corpus granting unto
her the possession of her fourteen-year-
old daughter, Frances La Febre, whom
the petitioner claimed had been unlaw-
fully detained at Calabasas by the child IS
sister.
Chicago Orange Carnival.
r.