The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-22
MRS. JOHN SCORED
Second Day of Delmas'
Address.
COMMENTS UPON HER LIFE.
The Story of Martins CIandestine
Visits RidiCuled.
ITS IMPROBABILiTIES SHOWN.
Gems of Oratory Cast to the Audi
ence-Mrs. John Creates Few
Scenes in Court.
ITS IMPROBABILITIES SHOWN.

In making his closing speech on the side
of Henry Martins widow MI Delmas is,
as he says. endeavoring to lead the jury
by the hand through the maze of testi-
mony introduced in the case in order 10
set the machinery of their intellects in
the proper groove 10 pursuing this
course, therefore, it Is only natural that
Mr.. Delmas calls upon the jury to utterly
ignore the sensational interests and de-
velOpments connected with the life's his
tory of Mrs. John Martin, save so far as
these shall act to her prejudice in the case
at bar
Hundreds of excited spectators focked
10 the Board of Supervisors room yeSter-
day. The heat was the greatest evi-
denced this year, and yet The atmosphere
was rendered even more sitting than be-
fore, especially when Mr.. Delmas, having
successfully caused every door and window
in The building TO be Dramatically sealed,
save one aperture of ventila ti0n-the
learned counsel being a trIfie under the
weather from a terrible cold-suddenly
stopped short and said: There must be a
window open somewhere; | am suffering
excruciatiug torrents" Tableau.l So
even the unfortunate grating had TO be
cl sed up.
No one knows why Mr.. Delmas felt thus
den presence of ex-Mayor Z. B. Pond in
the courtroom may be accountable for il,
especially If the vehement defamation of
Grove l.. johnson with respect to the ex-
Mayors icy nature is to be believed
One or two funny incidents occurred
yesterday. In one, young Henry Hoff-
man, son of Mrs. John Martin, was dis
matched in search of genial Billy Barnes,
District Attorney. Having found that
person, Hoffman demanded the recall Of
the policemen detailed to keep eyes upon
his mother. Mamma amt going 10 hurt
Delmas." he said. Mr.. Barnes politely
but firmly declined to interfere with the
orders gwen by Chief Crowley, where
upon young Hoffman was fam TO confess
that his mothers chief objection to the
presence Of these minloCs Of the law lay
in the fact that they exuded not the Odors
of Araby. 1t reminded one of Mark
Twain's story of the Egyptian mummy,
where the doctor said: IF you've got "A
nice. fresh corpse, trOt 1t out. or by George
well brain you" Anyhow, Mr.. Barnes
promised to see what he could do.
Then, again, at the noon recess Mrs.
John Martin appealed to Judge Coffey to
resclnd the order made on Thursday re-
garding the custody of the little Child in
court. She said it wasn't fair to prevent
the little fellow from playing about In the
courtroom. Then, after congratularirg
his Honor upon his denomination, Mrs
care Of the child.
'My goodness, now cried the Judge.
alarmed. I'm too busy-Pve got work to
do. Take the child anywhere. Put him
on the desk, put him on the roof, but don't
bring him 20 me-"
So Baby John remained under the strict
surveillance of his nurse.
The chief feature Of Mr.. Delmas' ad-
dress yesterday was quiet but incisiys
criticism upon the conduct and life of
Mis-. j Ohm Martin. Not at all speaking at
her, as 1t were, nor indicating in any man
ner the object of his remarks. Mr.. Delmas
nevertheless indicated only too plainly the
person he meant when he referred con-
stantly 10 ''the con coctsr of this damnable
scheme of fraud" HIS structures made
Mrs. John feel exceedingly uncomfortable.
and at several periods Of the learned coun-
q se's address she was seen TO hide her face
behind her fan.
1t was noticed from the outset that MIR.
Delmas was RAPIDLY recovering from his
severe cold. His voice sounded onite
clear and distinct. On the call of Tine he
Iecapltulated the various points which he
claimed to have proved, and then he spoke
oil The number OF witnesses, including eX-
perts, who had cOntradicted the casual
evidence of Clay w. Taylor by pronounc-
ing against the disputed letters, as well as
the second will.
The concurrent opinion of these gentle
men was that It was a clumsy forgery and
ought not to deceive a child with surh
vehement language did these reputabIe
experts give expression to their opininn4
regarding this so-caled second will. Nor
was there any testimony introduced by the
other side worthy of regard.
Take the experts that were called nv
the other side. What are fhev worth :?
AS to Mr.. Young, you saw him, and it is
unnecessary for me now to say ANYTHING
regarding his testimony AS TO Flspn-
schimel. l have shown you that his testi-
mnnv was Of similar character and
Pqually unreliable. He assumed the Dear
Belle letters to he genuine when he so pro-
nOuDced this VIII. Superadded to these is
The silence of Kytka and the absence of
Clement"
With these words Mr.. Dslmas closed
what he described as the first branch of
his case.
Next was the great improbabiIity of thu
story told being rue. There was frs the
imnrobability of Henry Hartin having
stolen away from the Palace Hotel in the
manner described by the story of Mis-.
Ilbbets; then the great imDroba bility Of
Henry Martin, circumstanced as he was,
having made will such as this, when, by
an arrangement with his beloved wife, he
had already made a will beuueathng all
he had to his wife, just as She had done
for him; then the improba bility that
Henry Martin, knowing the solemn prom
Use ne naO maze with respect TO his vile 8
relatives, should make such an uniust
will, totally ignoring those relatives and
bequeathng the property lie intended for
lis wife only upon mis- promise to do the
right thing by her relatives, to a s>ter-in-
law and child whom he had always re-
pudiated.
Il call your attention to the fact that in
that second will Henry Martin appoints
his aged brother, William Martin, his ex-
ecutOr. Is that probable. considering the
circum stances? His brother was then II
years of age; he was living in Maine, 5000
miles away; he had never been in our
State; he was stranger to our people. a
stranger to our laws. Why. then. should
be be appointed executor Of this estate 90
Mr.. DelmaS claimed that the forger of
this will had motive for making William
Martin the executor. He proposed to
show exactly what this motive was ere
long. This was only one part of the
forger's clever scheme.
Then again the Will left one-third of the
property to his wife, May. Was it posi-
bic. surrounded as he was Oh February 90,
$685. with his wife unconscious and APP
parently dying, that he would do this
thing?
"Why, at taat time, gentlemen, Henry
Martin considered his wife dead. He did
not give up hoping aud called upon God to
save her to him. But in his camer mo-
ments. when he scanned the faces of the
physicians standing around his wife's
bedside, he believed and they believed
that she was no longer OF this world. You