The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-03-30
HELD WITHOUT BAIL.
H. J. Palmer Offers No Defense ia
the Police Court.
More Particulars of the Killing OF
Charles w. PhIeger-Leyity
in Court.


Police Judge Cravens yesterday fore
noon.
The courtroom was damned again and
great interest was taken in the testimony.
rainier was cheerful as usual. lie kept
memorandum book in his hand CON
stantiy and took notes of the testimony.
lie listened attentively and acted as if
much Of the evidence was news to him.
Inc defendant was attended by his
brother and his attorneys, General y. l..
mart, a. j. Bruner and Jay Brown,
while District Attorney Ryan, Charles 7.
Jones and City Attorney Z. C. Hart were
on hand again for the prosecution.
wIssEMANN's STORY.
George Wissemann, who keeps the
saloon where the tragedy took place, was
called to the witness-stand. He described
ms saloon, gave its dimensions and told
how the tables were placed in the rear
room the day of the shooting. The wit
ness said he knew both Palmer and
Fhleger. On the day of the shooting the
witness had been to Gait and returned at
1880 O'Clock. He went Immediately to
ms saloon and relieved his barkeeper. a
few moments afterward Phleger came in
and drank glass of beer. He told the
witness that he was looking for Charley
Strobel. Later on Leeman, Wagner,
dole and Palmer came in and drank
The witness did not know that Phleger
was IN the rear room until Nick Dole
came and told him that they had better
get Phleger out, as there was liable to be
trouble. Witness went to the partition
door and looked into the back room. He
saw Palmer standing beside Phleger
pointing a pistol at him. Wissemann
turned to Dole, and Immediately shot
was fired He waited for no more, and
fr4sL hn hn
witness remembered seeing J. Z. Camp
IN the saloon that morning, but did not
know where he stood.
OBJECTED TO LEvITY.
General Hart proceeded to ask Wisse-
mann a number of questions, in cross
examination, which developed the fact
that the moment Wissemann saw the
pistol IN Palmer's hand he was so badly
scared that he saw little else. Wisse-
Inann's affirmative answers caused fire.
quent ripples of laughter in the court
room, and Attorney Jones of the prosecu-
ton finally lost patience. This is an
awful funny case" he remarked, sar-
Casucly.
Mr.. Hart took this as direct thrust at
him, and wanted to know what was the
matter.
District Attorney Ryan Clipped in with
q remark that some people evidently
thought circus was in operation. Judge
hluch righteousness going on, and he
wanted it stopped.
Who is guilty of facetiousness q" de-
manded Mr.. Hart.
The court did not want to say that the
attorney was, but rather blamed the
spectators for snickering
AN EYE WITNESS.
c. a. Wagner, the hop-blyer. who was
IN WlsSemann's saloon when the shooting
TOOK place, was the next witness. He was
talking with William Leelnan and A.
Menke IN front of the saloon when Pal
lner came up to them and shook hands.
Leeman said to Palmer, Ibid you see
your iriend?'' meaning Phleger. Palmer
replied that he had, and denounced Pile
ger IN strong terms. At Palmer's invita-
ton they all went into Davis saloon and
had drink. Palmer drank whisky. and
an unusually large dose of it. In the sa-
loon Palmer again denounced Phleger,
saying be was no man. Afterward they
went INTO NlSsemann'S and Palmer was
telling the witness of his troubles. Wit
ness advised him to take it easy as it was
easy TO get into trouble but hard TO pet
out of it, Palmer said that Phleger had
threatened to do him up" but it did not
look as II be was man enough to do it.
tapping his pocket, Palmer added that
he had the thing TO fix him with" Then
the witness went into the rear room with
Ieeman and some others, and engaged in
conversation. Presently Palmer passed
through the room. He spoke pleasantly
70 Leeman as ne went by. He went into
the backyard. Witness did not see him
V hen he returned, but heard shot after
the door slammed. Wagner turned around
ard saw Palmer fire the second shot.
Ihieger was then on his feet, but had MOI
Strengthened up yet. He had a newspaper
IN his hand. The witness saw no weanon
IN Phleger's hand. Palmer continued to
ire until he had emptied his revolver.
phleGer died about a minute after the last
shot was fired
The noon whistles were now blowing.
ana recess was taken.
PALMER WAS JOvIAL.
When court reconvened in the
afternoon Mr.. Wagner took the stand for
croSS-eNaminatiOn. He said he only
knew Phleger by sight, but had known
Palmer about two years. When he and
Ieeman met Palmer on the sidewalk, and
q proposition was made TO take q drink.
the witness started for Wissemann's. but
leeman beckoned with his head to 90 10
Davis saloon, next door. 1t appeared to
be a matter of indifference with Palmer
which saloon they went into When
Palmer was referring to Phleger in
abusive terms, his face did rot denote
anger. lie was smiling and laughing a
good deal and appeared 10 be rs ioyial
as usual. Palmer always laughed and
joked-joked roughly at times-when in
LIQUOR. The witness knew that Palmer
and Phieger were not friends-he knew
that Phleger had been one OF the princi-
pal Witnesses against Palmer in the pros
cutions instituted against the latter by
ex-senator Fair.
THE DEFENDANTS TROUBLES.
Wagner was asked if Palmer had not
told him that Phleger had stolen wit
ness from him, and bribed that witness
To testify against Palmer before the San
Francisco Grand Jury. Wagner said
Palmer had told him that but he could
not remember if it was on the day of the
shooting. Witness did remember though,
that while they were in Davis saloon that
day, Palmer told him that Phleger had
assisted Senator Fair to ruin him finan-
cially and socially, and that they had
even broken up his domestic life, and he
could stand it no longer. lie told the
witness that through the operations OF
Fair and Phleger his (Palmer's) child
would not speak to him on the street.
The witness did not notice whether or
not tears were in Palmer's ewes when he
spoke of his troubles. Palmer's mind
seemed TO have run riot on his troubles.
Did you know that Phleger was in
Nissemanu'S when that talk was going
on ?'' asked General Hart.
Il did, replied the witness.
'Why did you not take Palmer away
from there then?"
Wagner replied that he was not a peace
officer. He thought he had done his
duty as 4 citizen when he advised Palmer
TO Keep cool. Beside, he said, he did not
think that there would be any trouble.
Jacob Lowenstein, harnessmaker,
vas the next witness. He was in Wisse-
rnann's saloon when the shooting took
place He was reading a paper in the
fack-room. AT table opposite him We're
s,a--a,.al men, and at another table sat the