Evening journal., 1893-05-22
JACOB TOPKISS ON The STAND


HIS POOR HEART Vos PROKEN PY
DE SACRIFICE OF DOSE GOODS.
Mr. Bird Led Him a Merry Dance
Under Cross s-Examination-He Was
Pushed by sIesinger.
Samuel Slesinger was again on the
stand in the Topkis case in the Superior
Court to day. He was subjected 10 an
unmerciful cross examination by Levi c.
Bird
Topkis Under Fire.
Jacob II. Topkis, the cause Of all the
litigation was then put ON the stand.
He was sworn on the Five Books of
Moses. Under direct examipation he
said
Il have lived in Delaware ten or
eleven years was In business in Will
mington before / went TO New Castle.
gave my business here to my son and
went to New Castle with the idea OF
starting larger place. l had dealings
with Samuel Slesinger for several years,
and he loaned me money 1 can't re
member how much goods / bought Of
him. The largest amount Of cash
borrowed was $3.50 When ] con
fessed Judgment owed Slesinger 81 $50
l couldn't pay him and at last con
fessed Judgment in his favor. The sher-
iH closed me up Before that / took an
account of stock. It amounted TO 80 227
do IL every year. owed over s., 900
at that time, outside OF Slesinger.
hoped to be able to pay all / owed They
went for nothing at the sheri1's sale.
They would have brought more money
/ il sold somewhere else. Only poor
people attended the sale,
After the sale / went to Slesinger and
asked him what / was going to do. He
made an agreement to give me $40 a
week and o cents on dollar. Slesinger
rented the store from me for s. a month.
| made weekly returns Of money TO hi m
and he would pay me my wages and
commissions. A sign, bearing Samuel
Slesinger's name, was put mp. Since
then Mr. Slesinger or my wife have
bought goods in Slesinger's name.
II had also been dealing with Abram-
son for about FIVE or six years. | owed
him about 81, 500 when gave judgment.
It was for goods purchased. He came Ia
New Castle every Monday for money
could not pay him because business was
poor and had to pay my Philadelphia
creditors. He refused to give me any
more credit. He wanted security. ! was
unable to give it to him and he said he
would sue me next morning. He re-
fused to give me time. He took me to a
squire's office and / signed a judgment
bond in his favor. / borrowed money
from Slesinger to pay my creditors As
soon as l got sales enough paid ii back.
81 did not send the telegram to Phila
adelphia warning my creditors that they
had better look after me. / don't know
who sent it, but have found out that
one was sent. / never told my creditors
that did not owe money to Mr.. Sles
, niger. Kraus never asked me II hac
given judgment to Mr.. Slesinger.
81 expected TO get enough money from
the sale TO pay all my creditors and have
some money left.
Mr. Bird-"YOu carried on your bust
ness on the coast, didn't your
Witness-'I don't know what yOI
mean by that. My 'stock Of goods tha'
, carried to New Castle was worth from
: s.. 600 to 5000, / would buy as high a
$500 worth of goods a year from
Slesinger, / don't know how much m,
/ five per cent. commissions amounted q
) since 1 began running the store TO
Sleslnger. / never made more than So
week on commission.
3 Topkis' Heart Was Broke"
? my heart was broke at the sale t.
e hear Of the goods going for nothing"
Mr. Bird-"How many pieces was /
o broken ing" daughter Witness-"I
d made me sick and staid in the house "
e WAS your son in therey' mo, sir "
n l. huw
a ingerg' "Yes. Mr.. Slesinger wa
sick"
r "Oh, he was sick, too, was heg Di
o he have a broken heart, too2" II don
n know"
"Did YOU tell Mr.. Slesingers lawye
# that YOU owed these Philadelphia me
It the money!" Yes, ! said so in III
e Office.
y Where are your bOOkss" 81 neve
ie had book "
l. what Yeu carry a 1000 stock an
n don't keep a book OF accounts q"
II don't keep any accounts laughterl
He denied that he had told severs
{. men that he did not owe fmore than SAC
le or $500 yerr.
le Nathan Lieberman testified that /
1t saw the stock in one room and though
a it worth about $4,000 He also saw TIL
s, sign bearing slesinger's name. He wa
it not at the sale.
ID Ex. Sheriff William Simmons gay
NJ testimony regarding the sale of goo,
N and said that he suggested the waiver
time if continuance of business was me-
itated.
David Abramson testified that Topk
~ owed him the 81 500 secured by co
~ fessed Judgment He disolaimed fraI
"a In the transaction.
~ This case was still on when court too
70 recess until 230 o'clock. II W
,rr' probably go to the jury this afternoon.
st Great Spool Mill Closed.
PORTLAND, Ne, May 22-The spC
re. mill of ]. w. Bennett at Gilead, W
he burned Yesterday It was the large
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