The record-union., 1893-11-03
THAT BRIGHTON TRAGEDY.
Taking of Testimony Begun in the
JeReriS Case.
District Attorney Ryan's Opening
Statement-San Mateo Marriage
License-Jefferls' Beard.

1t was after o'clock yesterday after
noon when the jury panel in the Jefferis
murder case was completed by the swear
ing in of l.. II. Todhunter as the twelfth
man.
District Attorney Ryan made the open
ing statement for the prosecution. He
reviewed the connection of Jef1eris with
the railroad company and his domestic
history, going over the prisoners alleged
relations with Miss Ayres, the telegraph
! operator at Brighton. Mr.. Ryan said that
/ Miss AyreS, who was a woman of eco
nomical tastes, had saved up some $4,000,
and that evidence would be introduced to
/ show that he had a motive in cultivating
/ close relations with the woman; that
| Jelferis had had slips printed stating that
he had been divorced from his wife in
/ Oakland, and that these slips -purpOrt-
ing to have been clipped from newspapers
were intended TO lead Miss Ayres to
believe that he was divorced.
Mr.. Ryan then went over the matter of
etteris' alleged marriage to Miss Ayres,
| the points of which were brought out on
Jefferls' late trial for bigamy, and said 1t
would be proven that Jet1eris introduced
| Miss Ayres at the Arcade Hotel, in this
| city, as his wife, and gave the landlord
/ instructions TO allow her to use his room
whenever she went there
The visits of 0'Iiern and Starkey to
Brighton, at Jetferis' request, for the pur-
pose OF securing certain money, papers
and letters from Miss Ayers. were re-
ferred to, and also of Jetteris' and
OHern's subsequent visit to the Brigh-
ton station. Mr.. Ryan claimed that it
would be shown that Jef1erIs had told
O'Hern and Starkey that Miss Ayres had
things which belonged to him and was
making trouble for him with his wife,
and he wanted to get possession of them.
1t would be shown that shortly before
the woman was murdered Jefferis visited
the Brighton station, and that a stormy
scene ensued between Jefferis and the
woman, and many other things going to
connect Jetferis with the tcrime of mur-
dering Miss Ayres and burning the
building in order to destroy the evidences
of his guilt
Counsel said, further, that it would be
proven that Jetferis had told friends that
he had to get rid of Miss Ayres, and if
necessary would set fire to the station
building; that he told his first wife he
must obtain certain property of his in
Miss AyreS' possession, and If she made
too much fuss over it he would kill her
and burn the place; that it would be
shown that when Jetferis was arrested he
told Officers Burke and True that he mad
not seen Miss Ayres for months, and had
not been at Brighton within year.
The first witness called was Deputy
County Clerk Allen of San Francisco,
who identified the marriage license re-
cords of that city for 1892.
Fred. r. Dantorth, who was formerly
deputy in the County Clerks office in
San Francisco, where he had charge of
the marriage license department, was
sworn. He testified that the book con-
tained an entry in July, 1892, of an affi-
davit made on which license was issued
to Jefferis and Miss Ayres]. 1t takes
from eight to ten minutes to fill out and
issue license. The man who made the
affidavit and obtained the license was the
person who signed therefor.
ON cross examination Danforth ex-
planned the method of issuing marriage
licenses, and repeated that it ordinarily
took eight to ten minutes. After leaving
a McAllister-street car it would take
person about fifteen minutes to visit the
office, get a license and return to the cars.
He had no recollection OF the person who
applied for the Jetferis license.
Z. IL. Clausso1, an Oakland photo
grapher, testified that he knew Jefferis,
and identified photograph taken of him
in July, 1892. The picture showed the
subject to have full beard. Some eight
days afterward he returned to have
another photograph taken, at which time
he had shaved and wore only a mustache
w. j. Mccarthy, Deputy County Clerk
and Recorder Of San Mateo County,
identified his own handwriting in an atfi-
davit for a marriage license. The appli-
cant gave his name as Eugene Got JEFF
ferris. He told witness the first name was
spelled Eugene" but when he came to
sign his name he spelled it ''Euguene."
He attempted to write in back-hand
style, but was very awkward about it.
The man wore full dark beard, and the
photograph in evidence very closely re-
sembled him, and in witness opinion
was his picture. A marriage license was
issued on the affidavit. He could not say
that the prisoner was the person who
called for the license.
| +. w. Melvin of San Jose, formerly of
this city, identified large photograph of
Jefferis which he had enlarged for him.
| [The photograph is one that Miss Ayres
gave into the custody of a neighbor short
| ly before her death.
| o. c. Fletcher. an Oakland barber, testi-
| fed he had often shaved q. b. Jefferis
| beard, and had it shaved Oft in witness
shop.
Owing to the fact that Judge Catlin de-
sires to use the courtroom to-day in hear
ing the law calendar, and that the prose-
cution are looking for the return of George
/ c. McMullen, to testify in the Jefferis
case, Judge Prewett has confined the trial
until 10 A. NJ. on Monday.