The morning call., 1893-09-20
OVER IN OAKLAND.
Southern Pacific Say No
= More Free Rides.
: :.
THE GRAY-BENNETT TRIAL.
:.-:-:
Al Brickhandler Smothered in the
.,"Mud-No Reduction = The City
II. Councils Quiet Meeting.
:E GRAY-BENNETT TRIAL.

Board of Trade made futile tip TO this
CITY Yesterday. Their mission was to see
the Southern Pacific officials and try to
prevail upon them to restore the old order
of>Tunning trains, together with the free
: ride privilege.
=. To lie first proposition the Southern Pa
c51C. people readily consented. but as TO
continuing the free rides they firmly and
emphatically refused.
The railroad officials. through Vice
President Crocker and General Manager
Towne, informed the Oakland people that
they had determined TO discontinue the
present system of free travel it such
thing were possible, and whatever changes
were made in tie future would be made
with this purpose in view. it was bur-
den. they said. which the railroad had
found il was no longer able TO carry, ana
such being the case the only relief 20 be
procured was through the abolition OF the
present system.
The various phases of the matter were
thoroughly discussed by both sides. The
Southern Pacific people claim that so far
as the right of way given them along Sew
snth street is concerned they have
given over to the public more land than
they have received, il being claimed by
them thai when the road was first bullt
through West Oakland the TiEht-of-way
Quent worth of this teTriiOry-ln fact more
than the company has received from the
city-had been returned to the city Tor
public purposes.
Mr.. Towne. speaking for the company,
asserted that there is nc such provision IN
the concession TO the railroad as requires
it to give free rides TO passengers, and
promised the Oakland gentlemen that he
would furnish them with documentary evil
dence of the fact in a letter which he
would mail them to-day.
Gray's Trial.
The trial of George ". Gray for shoot
ing at c. R. Bennett was resumed before
Judge Greene yesterday morning.
Attendance in the courtroom was as
large as usual, though the proceedings
were not as sensational as at previous
stages of this trial.
EX-Judge Robert FeTral Of San Fran
cisco by con sent was present TO assist the
prosecution as associate counsel
The first witness called was Mrs. Gray.
the wife Of the defendant, and her direct
testimony was largely corT0bOTativs OF the
statements Nt Miss Ella Gray
She detailed the circumstances of the
meeting between herself, her daughter
and Bennett at the Christian Church. and
enlarged upon the intimacy that had
sprung up be ween Bennett and her family.
The witness said that Mrs. Benn tt.
vile OF The prosecuting witness, had come
to her and warned her against allowing
. her daughter to associate so much with
Bennett, saving. "Cbar.ie Is not what be
ought to be. because be has ruined girl
in New York"
At this Information the witness said she
turned cold. 20 frighe ened was she a the
danger ber daughter WAS exposed o.
After that" said Mrs. Gray, Bennett
never came 10 the house again 10 sing
hymns with Ella. he had done before"
From the testimony IL appears that Ben
nett got wind OF what his VIE haQ told
MT. Gray. and during the fracas that
arose when he charged Mrs. Bennett with
peaching he struck her violently in the
mouth. telling her 10 BE floor and gashing
her lip.
Mrs Gray identified the D'Anthan letters
as the ones which ner daughter had given
her, saying that they had been given by
Bennett and had been written by him.
She then TeheaTSed the meeting a. the
City Attorneys Office. and declared that
Bennett had drawn his revolver first.
On cross-examinatiOn Mrs. Gray's evil
dence was not shaken.
At the conclusion OF Mrs. Gray's evil
dence. her husband, the defendant, was
placed on the stand.
He gave his age at 81 years. He said he
had first learned Of the improper intimacy
between Bennett ard his daughter in
April, 1892. lie had known Bennett ABOUT
:. two years. He was Informed by telegraph
that his daughter was sick, ana came down
" from the mines 10 see her.
Mir Gray stated thai the object of the
" meeting a the City Attorneys Office was
: 10 have Bennett retract certaing disparag-
ing statements that he had made about
Miss Gray.
When he spoke Of the meeting in front
of the City Hall, at which time the shoot
.. ing occurred. the witness said lie had not
known that there was 10 be public meet
. ing of anv kind at that place until be
reached there.
H. He had not expected to meet Bennett al
: all ana did not know he was there until
-. within few feet Of him. Then he thought
he recognized familiar figure and said
"Bennett, is tnat yOu?'
with that" continued the witness,
- "Bennett put his hand TO his hip-DOcket as
IF 10 draw a pistol and [ pulled my revulv-
.er out Bennett rushed at me and nearly
: knocked me over / snapped my weapon.
but itdid OF explode.
Then Bennett ran away and stood
:abeut ten feet from me, and l felt sure he
was going to shoot as ne was turned half
- around toward me as If 10 get aim. So /
fred again"
The cross-examination drew nothing
contradictory from the old man and he
= was excused. This ended the morning
" session and closed the defense.
= When court reconVcned at 2 o'clock City
=. Attorney johnson was put on the stand
in rebuttal by the prosecution. He went
. over the meeting at the City Hall in his
= office, but threw no new light upon the
:: case.
=: Mrs. Bennett was called and testified TO
=. the meeting with Mrs. Gray. She denied
?. ever having told Mrs. GRAY that her hus-
! band had ruined a girl in New York. She
r also said that Bennett had meyer struck
her. as had been stated By Mrs GRAY
G. B. HOlbr0nk, secretary of the Society
for the Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals,
took the stand and testified to the location
of the rooms of the Society for the Sup
preston of Vice. lie said the TWO socie-
ties were in the same building in San
Francisco.
:: Al the conclusion of this testimony Mr..
.Nusbaumer said he had no other witnesses
present and asked for a continuance until
:10o'clock this morning.
The motion was granted and the case
went over.
From present indications this trial will
not be finished soon. 1t is expected that
:: Bennett Will take the stand this morning.
:: The following witnesses have been sub
penaed: Giles II. Gray, Dr. c. S. Lane,
Dr. John Fearn. L. w. Snow, James A.
johnson, John c. Gohrman, Charles d.