The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-04
a SENSATION IN COURT.
Grief of the Victims Daughter
When Details of the Crime
- Are. Given.
THE EXILE ON THE STAND.
Tells. a Rambling and Dlseon-
:: neoted Story Which Does Not
- r.. Strengthen His Case.


SACRAMENTO, CALL. July 8.-Lvan
Kovalev, the. Russian. convict, was to-day
held to- answer before the Superior Court
for the murder Of Mr.. and Mrs. H. L.
Webber; after an examination lasting two
days. The. last witness examined was
Kovalev himself and he did not tell very
plausible~or connected story of his wander
ings about New Years day, though he
claimed to have been in San Francisco on
-thenight the Webers were murdered. 1t
IS generally conceded that a strong chain
Of evidence has been forged about him,
and which he cannot possibly break. Yak
rewskie and Levine have been held as wit
nesses, their bail being fixed at $500 each.
There was an: intensely dramatic scene
in the. courtroom; this morning when VALID
flaw Zakrewsky took the stand and testi-
fed 10 the confession made to him by
:hoyaleT His testimony was given in
clear, convincing way in the Russian
tongue, and for the first time since the be-
ginning Of the examination the prisoner
betrayed an interest in the proceedings.
:. When the interpreter translated tn last
words of the murdered merchant after re-
ceiying the first blow of the ak and before
the cruel blade was buried in. his brain
as he repeated the last-piteous cry of, the
Victim, "Wife, wife, 1 am being mur-
dered l' : evidently uttered with the
intention of giving her warning, so
that she could make her escape
Mrs: Beasley, the daughter Of the muir
dered. couple, who has. braYely borne the
fearful. ordeal she has been compelled to
face, broke down completely. and throw
ing herself into the arms of a sister Of the
murdered Miss Harrington, who sat beside
her, shook with convulsive sobs, while her
companion sobbed in sympathy. The
assembIage that filled the crowded room
was aroused at the sight, and IN their SYM
patty for the daughter. and their abhor-
ence at the perpetrator OF the brutal crime,
it would have taken but little TO have
ended the life of the Siberian exile then
and there. The officers instinctively moved
to the protection of the accused, and as
soon as District Attorney Ryan requested
an adjournment OF court until 1:30 o'clock
they rapidly hustled their prisoner from
the, courtroom and down the back stairs to
the Jail below; while several deputies,
headed by Sheriff Johnson, beat back the
crowd that rushed into the corridor and
endeavored to close on. the prisoner.
- Kovaley was pale and exhausted when
he. entered the courtroom in charge of
Sheriff. Johnson this morning. His blood
shot eyes. .evinced that his rest had been
a troubled one. He took his seat beside
the court interpreter, and with folded
arms land. stoiid expression paid abso-
:Iutely no attention to the proceedings, re-
fusing to, ask or answer any questions,
until 3Yladfaw Zackrewsky was called to
the witness-stand. Then he suddenly be-
:trayed signs of life and interest. leaning
forward and. gazing at the witness with an
intensity that gradually grew murderous
as the testimony proceeded. When the
carpenter told of the alleged confession,
koyalev treinbled in every limb. He
leaned so far forward that he assumed the
attitude. Of one springlng on victim.
Officer Cody, who was the first witness to
occupy the stand this morning, identified
the pants .and .suspenders that have been
identified as belonging to Mr.. Webber as
the ones the defendant wore the night of
the arrest.
p Mrs. BeasIey, the daughter of the muir
dered man, fully identified the clothing as
portions of the dead mans wardrobe.
When~the :suspenders were handed to her.
she said:
sThese were made by me for my father.
/ positively swear that they are the ones I
made, as the sewing on the back, while not
neat, was doubly strong to prevent break
age"
: AIRS. +Beasley enumerated the various ar
ticles which were missing after the murder
and identified the watch recovered in the
closet of the old, City Hall as her mothers
property.
:: Mr.. Joyst the partner of the murdered
merchant, furnished another sensation
He.said on the evening previous to the
murder he noticed a strange man standing
near the store. The strangers peculiar
actions attracted his attention and he took
particular notice of him.
-.'Is that man in the courtroom asked
the District Attorney.
: .''He is,,' was the emphatic reply.
: ."Can you point him out?''
III can; there he sits pointing directly
to the prisoner, 81 have had that face in
my memory ever. since the tragedy and
have been looking for him all the time"
Captain Lees gave.a full summary of the
case and Detective Gibson told of going to
San Jose and exhuming the body of the
man known as Stcherbakov.
:: W1adfaw Sakrewsky, who was next
sworn. through the aid of an interpreter,
said he knew the defendant, Kovalev, hav-
ing first. formed his acquaintance in a
saloon.
: GAS our intimacy increased" said he,
tive drank heavily together, and when not
under the influence of liquor Kovalev
seemed frightened and i'll at ease. One
sight during drinking bout in my quar-
Gers he gave me the following story of the
nurder::
we -Stcherbakov and myself entered
Nhe backyard of the store Just as soon as
the old man closed the doors. There
.eonnd an ak. and leaving stcherbakov in
She yard Iran up the back stairs and hid
behind the door. When the old man,
candle in hand, came out to close the door
I hit him with the ak square in the head,
-.