The record-union., 1894-06-01
Special to the REcoxD-USroS.

gave his name as General John Hewston,
and is charged with causing the death OF
George Burton, an itinerant musician,
yesterday, by thrusting the point OF his
umbrella into the left eye of Burton,
was remanded to-day for one week.
General Hewston is about GO years of
age. He describes himself as a chemist.
He was charged with manslaughter in
causing the death of Burton. By direc-
ton of the United States Consul General
he was defended by Solicitor Ricketts,.
BENJAMIN Bowing testified that at 4:45
P. NJ. yesterday he saw three street mu-
sicians carrying a harp. a tin whistle and
a campstooi across Acton street, Gray's
Inn road Hewston was walking on the
opposite side Of the street. AS the mu-
sicans passed, the harp caught on his
arm. Hewston thereupon pushed the
man carrying the harp, who protested.
Hewston replied: ."You hit my arm" :"
and holding up an umbrella, said, "pll
poke your eye out with this" The man
carrying the campstool responded, wv ell,
do it,
The General then thrust the umbrella
into the musicians eye and walked away.
Witness stepped away. Shortly after
ward the police took the General into
custody.
Upon cross-eXamination Ricketts, asked
Bowing whether the man carrying the
stool had not threatened the General with
it, remarking, II will poke your eye out
with this" Witness replied: II did not
hear him make such remark. He held
up the camp-stool in threatening man-
., h. hyn q
very quickly, his arm almost brushing
my face"
David Pelber, one of the musicians who
was in the company of Burton, testified
that he was carrying a harp and Burton a
tin whistle and camp-Stool. General
Hewston knock ed against the harp, and
then turned and deliberately thrust his
umbrella into Burton's face. The witness
heard no previous conversation between
Burton and the General. Burton certainly
did not use any threatening words to-
ward the General. nor did he threaten
him with the camp-stool.
Sebastian George said at the time OF the
collision between General Hewston and
Burton he was little in advance of his
companions. He heard nurmurs. and,
turning around. saw the prisoner strike
Burton in the eye. Burton screamed
with pain, and fell to the pavement, with
DlOOU pOuTluS lIou Ills eye. hoWSeoh
walked off, saying: IF you try to stop
me Will serve you the same.o This re-
mark was made to a man near by.
George said Burton was carrying a camp
stool under his arm when he crossed the
street.
Henry Atkinson, surgeon attached to
the Royal Free Hospital, said the point of
the umbrella penetrated the brain.
Solicitor Ricketts,, in applying for bail
in behalf of Hewston, said nobody re-
gretted the unfortunate occurrence more
than the prisoner, who was well known
in the United States, and who for four
teen years had been in charge of the
National Guard of California.
General p. A. Collins, the United States
Consul in London, and Hon. l.. A. La
throp, the United States Consul at Bris-
tol were both willing to become sureties
for the appearance OF Hewston.
The magistrate renlanded Hewston for
week. and accepted bail to the amount
ofSl,0 900.
General Hewston stated before leaving
the police station that be had an import
ant witness. General Hewston will be
released as the authorities say he acted
clearly in self-defense.
A reporter of the Associated Press
called upon General Hewston this after
noon and found him the guest of Lorin
A. Lathrop, the United States Consul at
Bristol, at the latter's temporary resi-
dence at Kings Cross. Mr.. Lathrop has
hastened to London from Bristol in order
to assist his friend. DR.. Lathrop said the
General had been in London for two
months past for the purpose of carrying
out an extensive financial operation, and
was already preparing to return home.
According to Mr.. Lathrop, the evidence
presented to-day was merely OF a formal
nature, and General Hewston reserves
his defense and can produce several wit
nesses who will fully confirm his own
statement that he acted in Self-defenSe.
Mr.. Lathrop said: General Hewston
tells me the deceased held up camp
stool in his right hand before threatening
to strike. The General lifted up his un-
brella with the view of warding off the
blow. Before he was aware of it the
ferule had entered Burton's eye."
General Hewston depends greatly upon
the result of the autopsy tomorrow or
Saturday, in which they are confident
the testimony of eye witnesses will ex-
onerate the General and lead to his
speedy liberation. General Hewston's
wife, who is in San Francisco. has had
full details of the unfortunate occurrence
cabled to her.
The United States Consul General in
this city, 2. A. Collins, upon being noti-
fed of the arrest of General Hewston, did
all he could for him, going far beyond
any professional duty. Mr.. Lathrop, re-
ferring to General Hewston's probity,
said that the gold bars refined at his
works were the only bars accepted by the
Bank of England without any reassay.
HEwSToN A RESIDENT OF OAKLAND.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 31.-General John
Hewston is California pioneer and re-
sides in Oakland. He has been connected
with various business concerns in San
Francisco, and is we'll and generally
known in the State. He is now con-
nected with the firm of Kellogg IL Hews-
ton, and also has an interest in the Selby
Smelling and Lead Company.
General Hewston came to California in
1S49, engaging in the assaying business.
He took an active part in the days of the
Vigilance Committee, and was one of the
most prominent maintainers of law and
order in the early days. He accumulated
fortune in mining. but lost it subse-
quently, and has since been living on his
ranch just back of Mills Seminary.
A few months ago he made trip into
the Death Valley country to look at some
mining property, and tlien went to Lon
don to engineer the negotiations for the
sale OF the mine.
The unfortunate position in which
General Hewston has been placed has
aroused the sympathies of all who knew
him here, and a vigorous effort is being
made to save him from as much annoy
ance as possible by bringing to the notice
which their prisoner bears in this country
and the position he occupies. To this
end the following teiegrams were for
warded to WASHINGTON to-day: