The record-union., 1894-01-19
CROF7ON'O STORY.
Mr.. Croton Tells Of the Things That
Happened
That Led Up to the Judgment in the
Superior Court the Other
Day.

John Crofton, who had the trouble
with j. W. Thompson and was sued Tor
false Imprisonment by Thompson and
suffered in the sum of a $500 judgment
against him, wants the RECORD L MON
to give his side of the story publicity, so
as to include matters that he says were
ruled out on the trial under the issues
there, but which he says are material
facts out of court.
The RECORD UNION gave both sides as
their claims were made in court, but it is
disposed to give Mir. Crofton reasonable
space for explanation. His statement in
detail would make four or five columns.
In brief, then, Mr.. Crofton says he has
lived on the river thirty-three years;
never had a lawsuit and never was ar
rested, has the respect of his neighbors
and does not believe in slavery: he in
sists that he is not brutal or cruel, and
thinks he is as merciful and kindly as
most of humanity. He says he is an
old man of 66, and was not well at the
time in question, while Thompson is
young, stalwart and giant in strength.
Crotton denies that he used any vio-
lence in his dealings with Thompson,
and insists that the latter treated him
shabbily and shamefully, and failed not
only to do work he had been paid for in
advance, but by bad workmanship en-
dangered his house and damaged him,
for which he (Crofton) has already re-
covered judgment against Thompson 1or
S299 in Justices Court
Greatly compresSing Mr.. Crofton's re-
cital it is this, in substance: That last
July Mr. Thompson of this city con-
n
the hot-air hues and registers in Crofton'S
new house at Trask's Landing. When
Thompson came to look at the house to
bid Crofton treated him and his wife well.
The contract was for 500; before three
hours work was done Thompson, on
starting for the city, begged for and got
S25 advance. he promised to cons right
back and finish the job, but delayed two
weeks. He did most OF his work on Sun
days. The second Sunday that he came
he put in the hot-air flues, but LETT one III
an open wall incomplete. Thompson then
got $45 more by an order drawn on him
by A. NJ. Smith-thus $40 had been paid
on the 800 contract.
At that time change in the contract
made it Sl5 more for work on leading
pipes from cutters, and CrOftOn knocked
Oft one specification for one register.
About week after Thompson sent down
a timer to work on the porch roof and fix
the hot-air flue. The man confessed to
the latter that he didn't know anything
about hot-air flues, but that Thompson
had told him 10 do it anyhow. SO he
wrapped some brown fruit paper around
the Joint of one and tied it with string,
and persuaded lather to lathe over the
place to hide it.
The lather got ashamed of the trick and
confessed it, and Crofton and his fore
man opened the wall, and found the
paper and string and the joint open, so
one could shove his hand through tiat
thus endangering the house if fire ever
got into the 1ue.
CrOfton says he then spent fall two
weeks trying to get Thompson to come
and finish the job. He telephoned over
and over again to him, through the Office
Of 4. NJ. Smith, and Thompson promised
over and over again to come, but did not.
The plasterers were omplaining ofdelays
and threatening extra cost for loss of
time. SO Crofton came to Sacramento one
Monday, saw Thompson, upbraided him,
and made him promise to leave ) A. NJ. the
next morning. Smith was present.
But, to make sure, Crofton got up at
4:3O A. NJ. and went to Thompson's house.
He was still in bed, and said he had
broken his wagon and would have to
come down on the steamer at 10 A. NJ.
But Thompson did not come, and
Wednesday Crofton and his foreman had
to fix one of the f1ues the best they could,
so that the plasterers could work in two
of the rooms.
Wednesday evening at 5:27 Thompson
arrived. Crofton was i'll and didn't see
him, but by dark Thompson had gathered
up his tools. some tin the carpenters
needed in joints, black japaned regis
ter and went to the boat landing to go
home.
Originally nine registers were to be put
in. Thompson brought one japaned
down. Crofton said be wanted bronze
registers. Thompson said he couldn't
get them in Sacramento. Crofton told
him there were plenty of them in San
Francisco, and it was agreed that he
should supply the bronze article. But he
has never done SO, and there are no reg
listers yet in the house, save the black
one. Thompson wanted to take that one
away when the change was agreed to, but
CroftCn said No, it is mine; I've paid
you more than you have done work for;
that register must remain until the new
ones come" and it was SO settled at that
time.
So, on the Wednesday evening referred
to, when the final trouble came and
Crofton learned of Thompson's prepara-
ton to leave after an hour or SOS stay, he
went to the landing anu saw the register
and tin there, ready to be put on the
steamer that night.
He asked Thompson if he meant that
he had finished all his work in so short a
time as an hour or so; told him he could
not have jointed and fixed the hues or
repaired the holes in the tin roof of the
porch, that leaked under hose test. He
made no reply. Crofton was angry, and
thinks any other man would have been
also. He upbraided Thompson and asked
him if he thought it was fair, after he had
advanced him money and waited so long
on him. He then told him he would stay
and finish his work.
Crofton then left and Thompson told
the wharfinger he would stay over.
Crofton saw him pick up the register and
tin and 60 towards the house, and fol-
lowed-it was quite dark then-to tell
him where TO find a bed TO sleep in.
When he got to the house Thompson was
not there, and search and calling failed to
develop him.
Believing then that he had made for
CORTLAND to get away, Crofton hitched
up horse to a cart, and drove to Court
land, but found no Thompson there On
his return he had himself called when
the boat should whistle, and though sick,
he got up at I:40 o'clock in the morning,
and went to the landing. That was on