The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-05-22
FIFTH EDITION.


- un "a LOlItOlu0
The sicasinser Case san on Tri.i,
Superior Court reconvened at 10.
O'Clock this morning with Chief JUS
tice Lore and Associate Judges Cullen
and Marvel on tho bench.
immediately after the opening, the
case OF .Slessinger We. Topkis was
again taken up. and Solomon Slessin-
ger. who was on the stand when court
adjourned en- Saturday was recalled.
lie was subjected 70 o long and search.
ing crOss.examinRtion, and finally al
lowed to leave the stand,
Jacob II. TopKis was sworn on tho
five books OF Moses. and testified that
he now keeps store In New Castle for
Samuel Slesinger but had previously
conducted business In this city. He
had been buying goods and borrowing
money from SamuelSlesslnger for five
or elk years. He had frequently bor-
rowed money from Slessinger.to use
In his business; sometimes he had bor-
rowed $3.50 at one time. In the fall OF
1871 he owed him altogether sl050,
when Alr. Sleselnger came and told him
no must have his money or O note
that he could use. otherwise he would
cue him.
The witness told him not to do that.
as he had never been sued In his life.
Mr.. Siessinger took him to lawyer
who said the best thing he could do
would he to give a judgment. The
Witness did not know what q judy
ment was, but he signed q paper, and
sometime afterwards the sheriff came
and closed him. just before being shut
up. he with his son took an account
OF stock. and found that at cost prlces
1t amounted to 1927. At that time
he owed about 90, 200 outside OF Sles-
singer, and he thought he was worth
about 81 900, being the amount be-
tween What he had paid for the goods
and what he expected to receive for
them. The sale was well attended, but
the goods sold for less than half their
value.
The witness thought tho goods
would have brought more money IL
they had been sold In Wilmington. 1t
was his impression before the sale that
the goods would bring sufficient to
more than pay all his debts. Since
January 0, 1899, he has conducted the
store for Slessipger at $40 week and
3 per cent. commission. He settles
with Slessinger every week, and when
he turns In the money taken In Sizes.
singer pays him $40 and 5 cents out OF
every dollar he had sold. Tie reason
why he did not pay Siessinger was be.
cause business was very dull and he
also had to pay some money to his
Philadelphia creditors to keep them
from pushing him. Some OF the
money that he borrowed from Sizes.
singer was used to pay PHILADELPHIA
people. He denied ever having told
any one that he did not owe Slessinger
any money. Whenever he was asked
II he owed any money he always said
he did.
He never gave Mr.. Kraus a judg.
ment, as he did not know what judg.
ment was until utter no gave the note
to Slessinger. Before the sale took
place he was confident that the goods
would bring enough to pay all his
debts and leave him something over.
The witness said that he had never
offered him Thousand dollars to set.
tie with his creditors at 26 per cent.
On cross-examination by Mr.. Bird,
the witness said that he was not re.
lated to Slessinger in any way, but he
always loaned him money IL he had 1t.
The greatest amount OF money he had
ever made In one week from commits.
sions was SIG. SIr. Slessinger did not
take his goods away after the sale, but
MIR. Abramson got an express wagon
and removed his goods. The Witness
was not In the store when the goods
were taken away, MS 1t made him sick
and broke his heart to see his goods
sold for nothing.
" How many pieces was your heart
broken into" inquired Mr. Bird, but
the witness could not answer.
Mr. Bird had Messrs. freeman. Katz,
friedman and Kraus stand up, and at
ter asking the witness II he knew
them, and receiving an Affirmative
answer, inquired:
did you tell him that you did not
owe five hundred dollars In tho worldr'
The witness squirmed under this
roasting but Mr.. Bird insisted on an
answer, and he finally said he did not.
THAT'S all, your Honors," said Mr..
Bird sarcastlcally. Il only wanted to
lind out IL all these men are liars"
After a brief redirect examination
by MIR. Elliott, the witness was to his
evident satisfaction, allowed to leave
the stand.
Nathan Lieberman testified that he
saw the goods before the sale aud
that there was large stock. Since
the sale he has visited the store sand
seen sign bearing the words: Sam.
uel Slessnger's Branch Store"
David Abramson, after being sworn.
on tho books OF Moses, testified that
nb llft6 ub No. OH blfttt. ll6
now has store at No. $50 and 833
Market street. but formerly carried
OH business at his residence. TopkIs
had transacted business with him for
several years. and in 1891 owed him
1880, for which he gave the witness q
Judgment.
The witness produced book show.
Ing his account with Topkls, but Mr.
Cooper objected TO IL being allowed as
q book of original enteries, on tho
ground that the accounts were not
itemized. Mr.. Conrad explained that
the items were marked In pass book
in Topkis' possession, which was be-
yond his control. The matter was
argued. but the court decided that 1t
was not book of original entry, but
tho witness had the right to refer to it
for the purpose of refreshing his
memory.
The witness then resu med, and said
that from July 1889, to September.
1891 he had sold Topkis about s2500
worth of goods, on which he had paid
about 5000 or $1,000, leaving about
$1,000 still duo. In September, 1891.
tho witness called on Topkis and urged
him to give him some money. He told
him he thought that us he had drawn
him on for such large amount he
ought to make an effort to pay him,
and get into somebody else. He said
he had no money, but after talking
awhile Topkls gave him a judgment
note.
The witness was still on the stand
when court took tho noon recess.
NJ. L. Preachers Meeting.
President Hubbard and Secretary