The herald., 1893-09-24
THE GRANT-GILBERT CASE.
Attorney Ben Goodrich and Justice Bar
tholomew Acquainted.


tholomew Acquainted.
Alexander Grant and III. Gilbert were
placed upon examination in Justice Bar
tholomew's court yesterday upon a
charge Of obtaining $1,000 by false pre-
lenses from Charles Picot.
The complaining witness alleges that
the defendants represented to him that
Grant was owner and in possession of
the range, grass and water, north half of
section 20 and lots IL, 13. Is and 49,.
township north, range 20 west, and
sections 13 and IA, township north,
range 81 west, land in Ventura county !;
that the land was known ae the Hurdas
ranch. Believing the representations
true, he paid Grant the $1,000 for lease
of the land Tor a year.
He claims that the represent tations
were false that Grant was not the owner
and in possession of such land, and that
there lie no ranch in Ventura county
known as the Hurdas ranch.
The defendants were represented by
G. w. Murphy and the prosecution by
Deputy District Attorney ConkIing and
Ben Goodrich.
Grant is contractor and has recently
come before the public in connection
with being term tria! juror and juror
on the Billy Young murder trial. His
brother, Donald Grant, was a witness in
that trial, and his testimony was one of
tha strong corroborations of other tes-'
timony which secured the conviction Of
Young.
There was quite lively wrangle be-
tween counsel before the examination
began on the desire of the defense to
have an agreement that they should be
entitled to separate examinations, the
prosecution insiating that there should
be 70 sepaEatlon. ls
Ben Goodrich in his forcible manner
proceeded to expound the law to the
court, and his manner impressed the
court with the idea that the attorney
thought he should be instructed.
"Who are you, anyway" suddenly
asked Justice Bartholomew.
"Wha. do you mean ?" replied the
San Diego attorney, as ii he could
hardly believe the evidence of bis ears
that he should not be known in any
court in any place.
II mean who are your Idon't know
you. Are you crticiaing the court, and
saying that it ia exercising powers it has
no business to? Who are you p
II am Ben Goodrich, sir" replied
that gentleman, rising to his full
height.
Il have never had the pleasure OF an
introduction to you, sir."
II think have been introduced to
your honor"
well, sir, you seemed to be criticiz-
ing the COURT
II assure your honor bad no such
intention"
The attorney sat down and Mr.. MUIR
ply filed an affidavit for a continuance.
There was some discussion on the mo-
ton, Mr.. Murphy contending that this
was simply q case in which Mr.. Picot
was attempting to force the collection OF
this money by q criminal prosecution.
A civil case has already been COM
menced for the money in which Mr..
Goodrich is the attorney for the COM
planning witness.
Mr.. Goodrich held that the continu-
ance would do no good that the defence
relied upon Witnesses to show that DR..
Guiberson leased the land to Mr.. Gilbert
and he assigned it to Grant, who leased
to Picot that the land was not owned
by the defendants and they could not
have leased it.
At this time Mr.. Conkling discovered
that the complaint did not charge Mr..
Gilbert with having received any of the
money or of having acted in conjunc-
ton with Mr.. Grant, and moved to dis
mias the charge against him, which was
done. Mr.. Oonkling eaid that he was
satisfied that 90 against Mr.. Gilbert the
charge should bs dismissed.
Justice Bartholomew granted the con-
tinuance as to Grant and the examina-
tion went over until October 10th.