The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-01
FINE QUESTIONS IN RENT,
Bitter Lawsuit Brought About
by Crates Left in a
House.
CHALLENGE OF THE LAWYERS.
The Court Barely Succeeds In Main
taining Peace by:Threats OF
Heavy Fines.

"Keep your mouth shut!" shouted At
torney Schell, jumping up from his chair.
you're interfering too much"
whats that ?" shouted Attorney H. II.
Lowenthal, jumping up in his turn.
"You deserve to be hit" added ScheIl.
"Come outside and do it." challenged
Lowenthal.
Justice of the Peace Groezinger had been
sharply rapping the desk in a vain en-
deavor to compel the angry attorneys to
come TO order.
''Sit down." the court suddenly inter-
iected, ''or I'll fine each of you $25."
The attorneys glared at each other a
moment, then grumblingly resumed their
seats and attacked the case once more. In
less than ten minutes they were at each
other again with challenges to go outside
and "settle the matter like gentlemen
As before. however, the threat of $25 fine
quieted them in measure.
The point in dispute was an odd one in
the rent-collecting line. H. s. Manning
had rented one of Lowenthals houses, at
1905 Washington street, from month to
month, at rental of $40. Mrs. Manning
went East, and during her absence it was
agreed that Manning should have the
place for $50 monthly. At the end of May
Manning moved to premises on Devisadero
street, and of course gave up the Lowen-
thai house. All his furniture, so he
claimed, was out of the house on May 81.
1t happened, however, that he left several
CRATES in the fireplaces. LowenthaI found
them there on June 5. He figured it out,
according to law, that Manning's CRATES in
his house meant Manning in possession of
his premises on June 5, so he sued Man
ming for the June rent.
l. i
the two men went to law to se5ele the dis
pute. Hence the bitter feeling that
cropped out during the hearing of the
case before Justice of the Peace Groezinger.
Manning and his friends did not deny
that the CRATES were IN the house on June
5, but he stoutly claimed that he had given
up the house on May 81, and had not the
slightest idea of occupying it a fraction of
a second in the month of June. He pro-
duced number of visitors at his house to
verify his statement. Among them were
Miss Susie King and Mrs. McCurry, a
daughter of Judge Schell. They enjoyed
immensely the lively splutter between the
lawyers.
Both ladies testified that Manning was
moved out on May 81. So did Plumber
George Floy, who remembered distinctly
getting the money for working on the
house. j. Donan also stated that Man
ming had told him to notify Lowenthal
that he was going to leave his house.
But all that kind of testimony labori-
ously piled up through the morning hours
did not satisfy Lowenthal and he insisted
time and again that the presence of the
CRATES meant possession in every legal
sense of the term.
1t was MS rigid and persistent effort to
enforce this point through Jealous cross
examination that caused the savage
wrangles between the lawyers and the
| laughter among the spectators.
The court gave judgment for Manning,
and Schell and his witnesses escaped be-
fore the explosion of Lowenthal reached
the dangerous stage.