The record-union., 1893-12-04
he DENIES ALMOST EVERYTHING,
G. B. Jefferis Puts in Day on the
Witness-Stand.
He Says He Never Visited Brighton
But Once-How He Was Pur-
sued by Miss Ayres.

Nearly all the testimony in the Jefferls
murder case has been heard, and 1t looks
as if the jury will sometime tomorrow
retire to determine therefrom the gulII OF
innocence of the prisoner.
At the opening OF court on Saturday h.
D. Gamble. who had testified for the de-
Tense as a handwriting expert, was cross
examined by Mr.. Jones. The witness
had stated that Jefferis' signature was
easily initiated, and that with very little
practice he had written it so successfully
that he could scarcely distinguish 1t from
the genuine. Mr.. Gamble had also stated
that, in his opinion, the signature to the
San Mateo affidavit was not like Jeferls'
signature.
Mr.. Jones tried to get him to explain
why it was that, if Jefferis' signature was
so easy to initiate the effort had 50 Sig
nally failed, but the witness could only
say that he had found no difficulty IN
initiating it.
Mr.. Gamble said that Jefferis had called
on him on the preceding evening ana
showed him a key to the list OF signatures
concerning which he had testified, ana
which contained genuine ones and others
written by the witness. but he did not re-
member the key.
d. c. Dudley, a Sutter County farmer,
testified that he was well acquainted with
Miss Ayres, and that he had often heard
the latter threaten to kill herself. lie un-
derstood her dependency TO have been
the result of the breaking OF an engage
ment between herself and young man
named Steele, whom she had expected TO
marry.
J. M. Cecil testified to having heard Al
Starkey declare that efferis was innocent
of Miss Ayres' death.
Patrick Burns, locomotive fireman,
testified that on the afternoon preceding
the Brighton fire he took a note from
Miss Ayres to Miss Stoeckel, requesting
the latter to come and remain with her
that night, as she had a bad attack OF
neuralgia.
Dan UHern was recalled and swore
that he did not tell Mrs. Sweeney Jet-
ferris sister that he would put Jetferis'
neck in a moose.
That portion of Mrs. Sweeney's testi-
mony relating to this alleged statement
which had been ruled out-was then adj
mitted in evidence by the court, so that
the jury might choose between the two
statements.
At this point District Attorney Ryan
asked to be allowed to call George G. Nc
Mullen before Jetferis should testify in
his own behalf.
General Hart strenuously objected
thereto, and as Judge Prewett desired to
know what sort of testimony was eX-
pected of McMullen he excused the jurors
temporarily.
District Attorney Ryan explained that
he would prove that McMullen was
neighbor and friend Of Miss Ayres, and
that on the morning of the fire he lnves-
tigated the premises and discovered the
remains, and knew their position IN the
ruins; that he would relate the discovery
tl,rf fof.y hot hal lral- nf
open, when it was her practice to keep it
closed at night.
The court asked General Hart if he in
tended to put in any testimony OH other
points. and the latter replied that he did
not. Judge Prewett then decided that
the defense should not be Interrupted and
must go on with its testimony.
Later in the day he made an order to
the effect that at the conclusion of the de-
fense McMullen might be placed on the
stand, but he (the COURT would restrict
his testimony so that the defense should
not be taken at disadvantage. McMul-
len, he said, had been in the city for
week and the prosecution might have
called him earlier, so that the defense
would have had time to meet his testi-
mony.
General Hart then called George B.
Jefferis 70 the stand, and he was still
there when the court adjourned for the
which the witnesses for the prosecution
had testified. He said he knew Miss
Ayres, and that he had never visited the
Brighton station but once, and that was
TO receive his orders as engineer while
running a train over the Western divis-
ion.
Briefly told, his story was that one day
Miss Ayres met him at the depot and
asked where he was rooming, and he told
her at the Arcade lodging-house on Sec
ond street. She remarked that she would
call there to see him, and he asked her
not to do so. He found her there one
evening and demonstrated with her. She
said she had come to see him about his
wife and to see if she could not get him
to separate from her.
She then told him he must take his
wife and children out fishing, upset the
boat and drown them, and then she Miss
Ayres) would get him. She exhibited
checks for large sums of money and said
they could go to Montana and live. Being
asked how she got into his room, she re-
piled that she told the landlord she was
his wife. Witness made her leave the
place, but she took the key of the room
with her.
The witness said Miss Ayres told him
last December that Ben True had advised
her that the most effective method for
getting the upper hand of him (Jefferis)
was 70 have him become criminally init
mate with her. and that would estrange
his wife from him.
Referring to the pistol and the linen
duster, Jefferis said he was out hunting
for room. He did not find one to
satisfy him, and, with the linen duster
on his arm, he called at Starkey's room
in the fremont Hotel and unburdened
himself of the duster, in one pocket of
which was the pistol. He forgot to call
for it after securing a room in the Ar
cade. AS to the mask and hat shown in
court and testified to by Starkey, Jefferis
denied that he had ever seen them be-
fore.
Jefferis swore that on the 9th of June,
1892, when it was claimed he visited San
Mateo to procure a marriage license, he
was in Oakland from 7:45 A. NJ. till 7:30 p.
NJ, and that he was never in San Mateo.
On July 7th, the date of the alleged is
suance of marriage license in San Fran
cisco, he testified that he arrived at the
Oakland roundhouse from Sacramento at
1l:40 A. NJ, spent some time at his house,
and at 1:25 was on the locomotive which
was to run on trial trip to Port Costa.
He got away at 2:25, and returned from
the trial trip that evening. He declared
he did not see O'Hern on that day; that
he was not in San Francisco; that he did
not sign for any marriage license, and
did not call upon nor see Rev. Mr.. Fer
guson.
He also denied having gone to San
Francisco on the following day, when the
marriage is alleged TO have taken place.
He said ne arose late and went to the
roundhouse at $50 o'clock, where he re-
mained, working on his engine, until
noon. when he went home. He stayed
at home until 4:32 P. NJ, when he went
out on his engine for his regular run.