The San Francisco call., 1895-11-14
INDIGNANT MOTHERS CALL A MASS meet TING

Foote and Mr.. Foote performed a like
Office on behalf of O'Connor
The fainting fit was sudden, and caused
quite commotion in the courtroom. Mrs.
Tobin was on the stand, and Mr.. Foote
was cross-examining her when her head
bobbed forwatd and she remained silent
even to Mr.. Foote's questions. 1r mo-
ment the space behind the bar seemed full
of bailiffs and counsel and witnesses for
the plaintiff, each bounding toward the
witness. Mr.. Sullivan, in his efforts to
carry her glass of water, turned over the
pitcher on the judicial desk, and his
Honor received the icy contents in the
waistband his book of notes had to be
placed on line to dry, and his bIotting
pad was soaked through The fainting
lady was finally borne out of the court
room 10 a chair in the corridor, and there
she revived. while Thomas Williams was
called to the stand. This is the second
fainting fit the trial has cost the plaintiff; !;
in the former trial similar circumstances
brought a similar result.
Williams was but short time on the
stand when matters began to assume
serious proportions. Mrs. Tobin had tes-
titled that the first time she saw Williams
in the betting ring he asked her to take
drink with him. She refused and threat
ened to slap his face. Williams says he
first saw her when she slapped him on the
back and asked him which horse was
going to win. He took further occasion to
say that what Mrs. Tobin had testified TO
was not true and that she had periured
herself
Never mind,' said Sullivan, "the jury
will determine whether she is committing
perjury or you are
do you mean to say 1 am committing G
perjury? ?" " illiams asked, excitedlv, and
jumping from the witness chair he shook
his list in Sulllyan's face and demanded
that he make his charge in plain Ian
guage and then come out into the corridor
and settle the matter without judicial in
reference. The judicial interference was
there, however, and the belligerent Mr..
Williams was obliged TO sit down quietly.
Recess brought with it surcease of
wrangling, and Judge Dougherty got down
from the bench and sat in the sun through
the noon hours. When court convened
again his Honor was still the coolest of
the lot, although the signs of contention
had disappeared to a great extent from
counsel. They returned to Mr.. Foote, for
the defense, and Mr.. O'Connor, plaintiffs
witness, once more, however, before court
closed.
Mr.. O'Connor, better known as "Fat
Jack" O'Connor, had been called to tell
how he had threatened to break the face
OF any one who would hit the lady; how
the crowd at the track cheered him and
jeered defendant and his hirelings, and
how it was he who insisted that the lady
be driven to the police station in a hack
instead of the more homely vehicle usu-
ally assigned to that duty. Mr.. Foote
asked if the hack had not stopped at
Dlckey's, and the rotund Mr.. O'Connor
admitted that it had stopped in order
that glass of something" might be
secured for the fainting lady-apd Incl
dentally that something more might be
secured by Mr.. O'Connor for his own
nerves.
Mr.. Foote asked if he was a drinking
man. The witness said he had always
been willing to assist the liquor trade. and
that he took drink now and then, "just j
as you do yourself Mr.. Foote." This was
stricken out and Mr.. Foote declined to
admit that he wasin any way devotee of
red liquor. Mr.. OConnor courteously in
sisted upon his comparison, and tnen Mr..
Foote announced that he declined to con-
slider himself in the O'Connor class at all.
Mr.. OConnor said he, too, was discrim-
mating in the choice of his friends.
Matt Sullivan insisted the whole matter
was irrelevant and should be stricken out,
and his Honor sat in his chair unable to
get word in edgeways until he had seized
a ruler and had Joined the bailiff in duet
on table and desk. Then most of the mat
ter WAS stricken from the record for the
shorthand man had taken it all down, and
the trial assumed a quieter course toward
the O'Clock adjournment.