The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-07
HOW MANY DRINKS?
BoIlemians Ask Delicate
Questions.
DAN O'C0NNELL's MEMORY.
Mr.. Graham Was Not in a Singing
Mood-The Case Goes on Be-
fore Justice WiIiett.

/
| most com Portable chairs in the room.
And the Payne faction, which numbers
some of the most thoroughbred exquisites
in the club, disposed thems elves about in
| aItistieally defensive attitudes.
For they are grinding their teeth these
days and swearing genteel Bohemian oaths
that they won't pay for that champagne if
thew have 10 90 to Jail for it.
The war ha waxed warm, and all after
noon long he air was tull of accusations
and counter accusations.
| Nearly everybody insinuated that every
one else had been drunk except himself on
that fateful night last June, and not wit
| ness escorted to the witneSs-chair gloves
| and cane in hand, but was questioned and
| cross-queStioned aboutth number OF drinks
lie had taken i'll the tent or out OF il. wheth-
er he treated his friends or was treated,
| whether he git full and if so how full; if
he had seereted whisky bottles behind
trees or been guilty of peeulating cigars
when the clerks Of Mr.. Graham were not
| watching.
How many drinks" was the cry all af-
ternoon and the gentlemen stood he nqui-
siti0n like the nice, patient Bohemians that
| they are.
.Mr: OConnell. please take the stand"
said Mr. Van Reyneg0m. and the gentleman
named responded with alacrity.
Dan OF Daniel?' asked the court.
Dan. SIR, Dan" responded the witness,
| who then went on to tell substantially the
same story as that told by the defendant
| Payne, the alleged reckless guarantOr.
| I'VE knew Donald was anxious to make
| money and introduce his brands, and Payne
| ana | went down and told him it would be a
| good idea for him to supply the crowd when
we all got together at San Carlos to lay the
| cornerstone. And as a matter of fact he
| dld send down whole carload OF stuff.
| don't know whether everything was his, or
| haf har rfiu = ot,r,
was used to mix the mortar with. He had
| small sized DarroOm there in the little
tent"
When his direct examination was a thing
OF the past Mr. ReddiDg, with evident pain,
| undertook the task OF proving that bis friend
| Dan could not be relied upon to give a cor
| rect account of what happened during the
| latter part of the evening because his friend
| had become slightly confused in mind owing
| to sundry ami frequent visits 20 the tent.
Mr.. OConnell admitted few drinks, but
when Mr.. Redding suggested the multiple
cation table Mr.. 0'COnnell said he would
fam deny the soft impeachment.
| on had three?"
Yes; 1 may have had a fourth aft er
supper"
| "LoStyOur memory soon after the fourth ?"
| Mr.. y CoDneil crossed his legs violently
and said that he hadn't lost his memory,
but had no recollection of any more drinks.
| lie begged counsel to observe that there
was marked distinction between the two.
And | suppose you don't remember when
| you began to forget?"
The court begged leave 10 suggest that
| the cOllGquy WAS beginning to be trifie
| metaphysical, so Mr.. Rsddng took another
| tack.
''Mr. O'ConnelI, were you in a condition
| enabling you TO observe what was Mr..
| Brlttan's condition with reference to So
0rlety at the hour OF 1880 on that memoir
able EVENING""
Yes. sir" responded the witness with
promptitude; "he was .. K. in every re-
speet."
Mr.. Van Reynegom moved to strike ont
the answer on the ground that the witness
was not an expert on the subject OF Just
/ what particular stages of hiarily may be
| denOmlnated as condition OF intoXeation,
| and the weird realms of jagdom we're pretty
| assembled.
After some learned disquisi,ions on the
| subject by counsel. which showed a re-
| mafkabie acquaintance with The subject,
the court ruled that Mr.. 0'Conneli could
| not give the other boys away.
| Did you see Mr. Graham ?'' said Mr..
Redding, returning to the attack.
Yes, sir; he. appeared in the cleaning
with Mr. Sloss."
And took a seat in the gloaming?'
| No; think he stood in it,"
How deep was the glOamingp How far
| could you see them? 2"
Il didn't measure the gloaming," an
| sWeFeu the witness, with some asperity. Il
amt an expert on gloamings."
| "Oh, l thought perhaps the cleaning
that surrounded you during the latter part
| OF the evening may have been a very dense
and dark one. However. did you have any
whisky coming home on the tramp"
| 'Ob, yes; friend of mine produeed n
! flask from his pocket; said he had brought
| 1t down with him from the cfty-wasnIt
mine. We mixed it with little water, you
! know"
On. yes; l know" said Mr.. Redding,
sympatbetically, and as the quality of MT.
Readings mercy is not strained, he let the
| witness go at this point
| Then James E. Daily, a faultlessly at
tired Bohemian, was asked to tell what he
| knew about the evenings proceedings
| Mr.. DAILY was very observant Young
man. He took in everything, in a slang
| sense He collared several walters who
! were busy packing off whisky bottles and
boxes Of cigars. He said he had noticed
| some OF the supers behind trees pouring Mr.
Graham's best Kuinart champagne down
| their vulgar Threats.
But he said he distinctly did not remem-
Der that Mr.. Payne ever told Mr. Graham
that he would be responsible for all the
wines and liquors that might be drunk or
| smoked.
''oh, I tell you, though. There was a
sound OF reyelry by night The way those
| walters ana assistants and onlookers gen.
orally did get away with those costly
| nomical iiquor-dealer shake In his shoes.
unless he had unlimited confidence in some
| one.
ION the train l saw one waiter who had
| basket-lead OF whisky and cigars, He
opened the basket on the way up and took
U5It one bottle, which he uncorked and tooir
several drinks from
How did you happen to be looking at
| this waiter?"
Well, his gall kind of amused me. There
was whole car full OF guests. MANY of
| them without anything to smoke or drink.
| and there was that fellow quietly carving
off whole basketful of pepper whisky"
Ihen Mr.. Daily had TO submit to The
ordeal OF being catechised as to the precise
| number OF drinks that he took, and how
near he got to the great boundary line that
| separates the two states OF sober observa-
ton and mere maudin sensation. he
stood it well. however
The sly Mr.. Redding had preuared n set
| of tests.~which he put to the witness and
! the other Witnesses for that matter. in the
| form OF Inquiries concerning the number of
| people. me names of guests sitting at parti-
| cular tables, the arrangement Of the tables.
the form OF the curve INTO which the cor
nerstone layers arranged themselves and
| other similar questions. designed to throw
| light on the Witnesses mental condition
| during the festivities.
| But Mr.. DAILY was accuracy ITSELF and
finally stepped down TO his seat with this
triumph OF man who had emerged I'M
scathed from legal sausage machine.
Guy F. Beresford was the carefully IL
not proudly spelled-out name given by the
next incumbent of the witness chair. Mr..
! BeresfoTd Kept an eyeglasS constantly be-
tween his dainty white fingers while he cor
rob0rated the testimony of his brother
members of TIE Payne faction. He assured
Mr. Redding that he had several times paid
for drinks himself. and had seen other gents
| do the same. lie stated positively that he
| saw the money go over the bar.
Mr.. Graham here shot wicked glance at
| his clerk sitting a little distance off-the
| same clerk who stated on the stand that no
cash WAS taken in, because Mr. Payne had
offered to be responsible for everything
When the witness repeated the remark,
later on. Mr.. Graham gave his clerk the
benefit OF that same eye-that soft, brown
eye that takes sentimental heavenward