The herald., 1894-01-07
HOLCOMB D|SBARMENT CASE
Mrs. Holcomb Tells How Her
Husband Does Business.
Two Women Prove To Be a Strong
Combination.
A Case which Proves To Be Distinctly
Nasty in Its Detaiis-some
Strange Stories
Told.

rior court yesterday and listened to the
va gar and wearisome details which
distinguished the disbarment proceed
ings brought against Attorney W. w.
Holcomb by hie wife and Mrs. Hyland.
The first charge was made by Mrs.
Holcomb. who declared that her hus-
band employed her to impersonate
Mrs. Ramp, and while at the West
minister hotel under that name served
her, as Mrs. Ramp, with divorce papers.
The irst witness was Milo M. Potter,
proprietor of the Westminster hotel,
who testified to someone registering as
Mre. Ramp upon March 81, 1888.
M. P. Martin. hotel clerk, corrobor-
ated this evidence.
Mrs. w. Holcomb, wife of the de-
fendant attorney, then took the stand.
She testified to registering as Mrs.
Ramp at Attorney Holcomb's request.
Then an objection to her evidence was
raised. and the witness was withdrawn.
Mrs. M. Hyland. former client OF
Holcomb's, then was called.
| She stated that Holcomb came to her
one day and said that people thought
Mrs. Holcomb had some sort of hold
upon him. He said that if the witness
would hold her hand up and swear to
keep the secret, he would tell her what
it was. She did 80, and he said that he
had sent his wife to the Westminster
and had told her to register as Mrs.
Ramp. She said the affair would be
outlawed in the following September,
and also that Ramp had left town with
| another woman.
knew a Mr.. Strong, client of Hol-
| III Hnln h 10 kv,o Ia ct
| September and told her that Strong had
seduced girl named Ida, employed in
the Baldwin millinery store, San Fran
cisco. He asked witness to get j. An
derson, drummer, to find the girl and
inform her that Strong was a married
| man with two children. Witness was
to get Anderson to persuade the girl to
bring an action against Strong, in which
case he, Holcomb, would come in for q
big fee as Strong's counsel.
| Any further statements concerning
this trasanction we're ruled out by the
court.
Witness stated that she employed
Holcomb ae her attorney in certain
divorce proceedings brought by witness.
Holcomb told her that he did not know
what it would cost. He gave her ulti-
mately q statement saying that he
would act ss her counsel free Of charge.
This paper he afterwards destroyed.
In May he came to her and said Mrs.
Holcomb was coming into the case, and
that as it would not look we'll for him to
cinch Mrs. Holcomb. that she had bet
ter employ Attorney W. Williams to
do it,
Holcomb took $50 from witness purse
and gave it to Williams.
Holcomb also drew $3.50 from tn 9
court, and told witness to 90 to hi
when che asked for the money.
Cross-examined, witness denied telling
Mrs. Casey that Holcomb did subse-
quent legal work for witness free oi
charge.
Holcomb asked witness and a Mr..
Hoffman to visit his rooms, and there
showed them the portrsit of the girl, Ida.
Mrs. Holcomb was recalled. and stated
that divorce papers whore served on her
while at the Westminster hotel under
the name of Mrs, Ramp. Witness re-
turned the papers to Holcomb few
minutes afterwards, outside the hotel.
Cross-examinsd, witness declared that
the papers were divorce papers in the
suit of Franklin Ramp VS.. Loretta
Ramp. She only stayed in the hotel Is
paid for her room.
Did not tell Mrs. Casey that she was
bound to bring Holcomb to terms. and
was only using Hyland for that purpose,
after which she would get even with
Mrs. Hyland.
Did not say she would punish any
witnesses who might testify against her.
Holcomb said that if witness testified
to anything concerning the Ramp case
that he would kill her.
Witness never said che would get even
with Holcomb for holding her while
Mrs. Hyland thrashed her.
Never said she would drive nail in
Holcomb's coffin II he impeached her
testimony.
L. Holtz testified to serving the sub.
penas in ths Hyland divorce srit. Wit.
ness only received $3.50. Holcomb said
Mrs. Hyland would give him more.
Mrs. Storme~ and Mrs. E. Osborne
testified to only receiving 81 apiece as
i witness fees. They were in attendance
five or six days.
w. Hoffman, testified to the truth oil
Mrs. Hyland's statements concerning
the girl Ida, and Holcomb's proposition
in regard to her.
Witness heard Mrs. Hyland ask Hol-
comb for the return of the $50 paid to
Attorney Williams out of her purse.
Holcomb replied that he intended to re-
turn it, but as she had acted the - fool,
she could wait for it.
On cross examination, Hoffman, ad'
mitted that he was on very friendly
terms with with Mrs. Hyland. He had
paid her room rent at different times,
He had had trouble with Holcomb
who, on one occasion, called him a
vile name.
j. W. Hyland testified to having paid
$3.50 attorneys fees. and $40 costs into
court, during the progress of his di.
vorce suit. He paid the money at va
rious times, as he could earn it.
The fifth witness called during the
afternoon session was Mrs. Hyland.
She declared that Holcomb never
gave her any money other than that
testified to. Holcomb used to draw hel
alimony. On one occasion she gave
him So to buy bottle of whisky. and
Holcomb bought 50-cent bottle anc
kept the remainder.
Cross examined, witness declared
that the whisky was in 50-cent bottle
Witness was not Judge of whisky, but
her doctor said it was bad.
Witness never told Mrs. Casey that
Holcomb was her only friend, and th,
only friend Phe ever had. Never sait
she would get even with Holcomb, bu
| i. Il IL. L. L 4