The morning call., 1894-06-07
How Two Families Came
to Disagree.
CARRIED INTO THE COURTS.
Herr Mas and Signor Parente
Became Bitter Foes.
ALL THROUGH THEIR OFFSPRING.
Damage Suit for Malicious Prosecu-
tion That Interested Judge
Hunt and a Jury.
ALL THROUGH THEIR OFFSPRING.

A legal battle was summarily brought TO
q conclusion in Judge Hunts court yes
terday that has for some time past excited
the greatest curiosity and excitement
among those directly interested.
After the first signs Of disagreement be-
came manifest sides were taken in the
contest. and when at last due preparations
had been made, a squadron of lawyers en-
gagged and the two principals, Herr Bern
hard Mas and Signor Nicholas Parente,
were ready to march to the field of battle,
they we're accompanied by select delega-
tion from their associates and friends on
either side.
How the great war came to be declared
was in this wise: Herr Bernhard Mas
earns modest but honest competence by
plying the busy needle at his residence on
Francisco street. while Signor Nicholas
Parente is a peanut merchant of I'M
doubted respecta bility and standing in the
community. The Mas and Parente fam
lilies mingled from time to time in social
intercourse, and all for a time went mer-
rily.
But alasl dissension arose. mainly
through the turbulent disposition of
Master Tony Parente. scion of his
house. Master Tony was one day smit-
up" Master Jack Mas, the honest tailor s
robust and well-developed offspring
Like the knights Grant Of old, Master
Tony Parente conceived the idea of call
ing at the Mas castle, and there publicly
challenging the son and heir to mortal
combat on the spot. 1t is even said that
Master Tony unceremoniously invaded
the sartorial premises, and detied not
only Master Jack. but his august parent.
to ''come out in de street and have it out"
Now comes the trouble. The youthful
Parente, finding his challenge either ig-
nored or evaded. became so exasperated
that, Selling a large lump of coke, he
hurled the same with unerring precision
through the half-Open door behind which
Mas father and son stood expOstulating
This was more than could be borne, and
the worthy tailor and his SOD, making q
sudden sortie, succeeded in capturing the
valiant Tony, and, dragging him into the
house, administered unto him there and
then a most uumerciful thrashing.
Master Tony got away eventually. but
no sooner had he got outside the house
than the spirit of strife once more rose up
within his manly little bosom, and he
again hurled defiance at the foe, even 90
ing so far as to characterize Mas peTe as
"a - old Dutchman." Again was q
sOrtie made, and again did poor Tony
''catch it, This time, it is said, the
thrashiDg was administered in the street
outside, the unfortunate offender being
seized by available portions of his anatomy
and bumped several times upon the pave
ment.
Poor Tony made for home as soon as re-
leased, and there he lay 10 hiding until re-
covered from his wounds. But not so his
indignant father. Peanuts were scattered
tn the winds in the whirlwind of Nicholas
Parente's wrath. Without thought or de-
Law he took surer and more fitting ven-
geance upon the objects of bis ire than a
second invasion of the Mass premises
seemed likely to achieve. He swOre out a
warrant for the arrest of Herr Bernhard
Mas and charged him with a grievous
assault
The case was duly heard in the Police
Court, and somehow or other Mas was
acquitted of the charge.
1t was then the turn of Mas to take the
aggressive. Enjoying to the full the dis
appointment of his adversary, the Fran
cisco-street tailor stTove to make matters
still more pleasant by suing Signor Pa
rente to recover damages for malicious
prosecution. Five thousand dollars was
the sum demanded, a sum which, if recOv-
cred by the verdict of a jury, would
effectuaIly obliteTate the peanut-sIand and
plunge the defendant into bottomless
abvss Of ruin.
The curious part of tie whole case Law
in the array of legal talent employed on
either side in a case that was in itself
nothing more or less than a family broil
that need never have found its way into
the courts. True, Parente had but one
lawyer to defend him, j. a. Devote, but
on the other side appeared Attorneys
Craig and Taylor and a gentleman of color
of the name of Scott, who from time to
time aided his venerable associates with
words OF counsel.
All interested parties and friends as
sembled in Judge Hunts court, jury was
drawn and the case tried. Witnesses were
profuse on either side, but the most i'm
portant testimony OF all, perhaps, was
proffered for the defense by Miss Pinkie
Mullin, a fashionably attired young LADY.
who was an eyewitness of the barbarons
cruelties inflicted upon Master Tony,
father and son.
This witness was most emphatic in her
declaration Of cruelty. Asked by sage
counsel as to what sort of beating was
administered to Tony she replied: "Well
they kicked him good" She likewise tes-
tilted that ''hey bumped him all over the
sidewalk" The young lady had been per-
emptorily called from the pursuance of her
avocation at silk factory to be present at
the trial under a somewhat summary pro-
cess called a bench warrant.
On the other side a gOnd-siZed rock was
produced In court, introduced in evidence
and marked as plaintiffs exhibit A." as
being the article hurled by the boy Tony
at his assailants. Tony said that this was
not so and that il was only a piece of coke
that he threw. He said he could not
WELD rock of such magnitude as that in
PRODUCED in court.
The consequence was that a hard
hearted jury, on the case being finally sub-
mitted yesterday morning, refused 10 ac-
knowledge that Herr Bernhard Mas had
been sorely injured in his business, peace
of mind and reputation by the hasty action
of Signor PaTente. After a elaboration
lasting one minute only verdict was re-
turned for the defendant.
So ends, for the present at least. the
social squabble. Rumor hath it that VET
another damage suit lies at the back of
that decided yesterday, but perhaps in
the meantime influence may be brought to
bear upon the parties and reconciliation
enforced, with the altern alive of everlast-
ing expulsion from the Barbary Coast four
hundred.