The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-02
" LITTLE PETE" AGAIN.
Accused of Bribing a Witness
Against How Jung.

A mild sensation leaked out in Judge
Murphy's department yesterday afternoon
during the trial of the How Jung murder
case, again bringing to the surface the no.
torious Little Pete"
Bow Jung is accused of having killed
Chu Wy on March %, 1890. He has been
tried once and the jury disagreed. At the
Coroner's inquest, the preliminary examina-
ton IN the Polica Court and at the first trial
one Thomas D. Bashford was the chief wit
ness for the people, and gave much dam
aging testimony against the accused.
Yesterday he was again called. as the first
witness, and surprised both the Court and
prosecution by taking an entirely negative
position. He virtually repudiated his former
testimony by explaining that he had been
for years a slave to morphine and cocaine,
and was under its influence when he testi-
fed on all three former occasions, as well as
at the time oi the shooting
What he said then might have been true,
ana at the time OF saying 1t he d0uOtleSSly
believed it to be true, but he could not swear
to it now. He declared that he has been
cured OF tie habit, and once away from its
influence all distinct recollection of the
event or of what he said on the witness
stand had escaped his memory. DE said he
remembered hearing the shot that killed
Chu Wy, saw him fall, and was not lar from
the man who fired it, but he was unable to
identify dow Jung as that man.
The unexpected turn which this witness
testimony gave affairs excited the suspicion
of Robert Ferral. who is conducting the
prosecution. and he began to feel around IN
no gUod-llumuTed way for the cause. The
witness stated that he had not taken
shot" OF morphine sine August, and that
his mind is entirely free from the influence.
The counsel further learned that Mr.. Short
ridge, attorney for tie defendant, had been
supplying him (witness) with small sums Of
money from time TO time since then to i've
on. But the confession that nearly took the
Courts breath was that Fong Ching (famiI-
iarly known as Little Pete" the notorious
jury-briber0 had not only given MIN money
to live on, but had made him the uut-and-
out proposition, that if he (wtness) would
secure How lungs conviction of murder in
the first degree he was to have part of 5000,
and If convicted OF murder in the second
degree he was to have part of 500.
Judge Murphy Strengthened u o in an in
slant when he heard the name oil " Little
Pete" mentioned, ami when the witness had
finished lie asked;
did Little Pete know you we're wit
ness in this cdse?'
"Oh. yes" was the reply.
"Mr. Clerk" continued the Judge Sternly,
''enter an order for Fong Ching to show
cause in this court on Saturday next why he
should not be punished for contempt for
unlawlully attempting to influence wit
ness"
Tie remainder of the afternoon was con-
sumed by Mr.. Ferral IN questioning Bash
ford, but about all that he elected was the
witness strange forsetfuness. All distinct
recollection of his former testimony was
gone, and he lodged every question aimed
to pin him down t. something positive.
While the examination resulted In really
nothing positive against the defendant, it
was laughably successful in showing so
very plainly that Bashford had been tam
pered with by somebody, and tnat his sud-
den change OF heart was not by any means
due to his alleged recovery from the cocaine
habit.
Judge Murphy took occasion to remark
when court adjourned that the witness had
placed himself in very peculiar position
that might prove interesting, possibly Seri-
Gus, before lie was through. He intended
to slft the case to the bottom and woe to the
uQiltV man.