Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-11
AMONG THE COURTS.
A MAN PLEADS GUILTY AND CON-
FEsSES BUT is ACQUITTED.
Parklns, Who Received Stolen Goods,
Goes Scot Free-A Batch of Court
Notes.

The case in which III. +. Parkins, the
proprietor OF the Three Mile House
saloon, at Tropico, was charged with
having, in January last, received goods
from two boys, named Ralph Murphy
and John Wilson, knowing. the same to
have been stolen from Southern Pa
cific freight car, was concluded in de-
partment one of the superior court, yes
terday, the jury, after less than two
hours OF deiiberation, returning into
court at noon with verdict Of acquittal
in favor of the defendant, who was
thereupon discharged by Judge Smith.
There were several peculiar develop
ments in this case. When Parkins first
appeared before Judge Smith for ar
raignment upon the charge of receiving
stolen property, he was not represented
by counsel and he entered his plea Of
guilty, but when the court asked the
usual question as to whether he had
anything to say why sentence should
not be pronounced upon him, the de-
fendant remarked that he did not re-
ceive the stolen property in the expecta-
tion of proiting thereby, but for another
purpose. What this purpose was the
court did not then inquire, but allowed
Parkins to withdraw his plea and sub
stitute therefor that of not guilty. j..
Marion Brooks was then employed to
defend Parkins, and it was developed
that he had notified the police detec-
tives Of the fact that he had stolen pro-
perty in his possession, and was endeav-
Oring to aid them in capturing the
thieves from whom he obtained the
goods, and upon their testimony he was
undoubtedly acquitted. Yet, strange to
say, Parkins, while in the county Jail,
after his arrest, made a voluntary con-
fession of his guilt to Len Harris, the
Southern Pacific detective, emitting to
mention this fact. This, however, the
court refused to allow the prosecution to
introduce in evidence.
COURT NOTES.
In department two Of the superior
court yesterday, the matter of the peti.
tion of the heirs of the estate OF Irenio
Avila, deceased, for the removal of B.
F. Bragg, the administrator of the es-
tate, came up for hearing before Judge
Clark, and was continued until this
morning at 10 O'Clock. It is alleged by
Juan Perez, Felipe Perez and Dan Ke-
vane, who are interested tothe extent ol
a one-half interest in the property oi
Francisco Abila, a brdthero the deced-
ent, that when Irenio died at San Joa-
quin county, he left $15, 900 in cash and
securities, exclusive of real property es-
timated at SAC, 900, in the hands of B.
f. Bragg, his guardian, and subsequently
administrator of his estate, but that
Bragg only accounted for $9615, and filed
a false and fraudulent inventory of this
amount on May 8, 1859. 1t is also
claimed that since his appointment al
administrator, Bragg procured a deed
executed by Esperanza B. de Avila
Qrenio's widow, to his wife, Alice
Bragg, for the purpose OF defrauding the
petition re- and the estate.
The case Of F. Weidwald vs.. the board
of trustees OF the city of an Pedro for a
writ of mandate compelling defendants
to call special election submitting the
question as to whether or not the
boundaries OF the city should be altered
so as to exclude certain territory, tc
the people, in accordance with petit
tion signed by one-fifth of the qualified
voters of that city and presented on
March 10th last, came up before Judge
Clark yesterday in department. two and
was submitted after argument. The de.
PENDANTS claim that another case involv-
ing the same point was still pending
against them at the time OF the presen.
tation OF the petition Of March 10th, and
further that if said territory was ex.
cluded, there would not be sufficient
population left to maintain the muni
cipal corporation.
At 10 O'Clock yesterday morning, the
hour set for the commencement Of the
trial of the Lockwood embezzlemeni
case, in department one, Judge Smiths
court room was crowded with spectators
of all grades of society, and it was evi
dent that public interest in the matter
had increased, rather than abated, il
spite OF the number of times it had beer
continued. The case was continued un
til 10 O'Clock this morning.
Judge B. N. Smith, in department
one yesterday, set another Of the Henry
Edelman cases for trial on May 18tl
next.
The trial Of the Rose bunco case wa
again passed by Judge Smith in depart
ment one yesterday, It being agreed b.