The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-29
SOMERS ON THE STAND,
The Defendant Is Severe Upon
Plaintiff LoomiS and
Lawyer Watt.
GUARDED IN HIS REPLIES.
Life Is Particularly
Probed.

1t has been alleged that during the
tedious reading of testimony in the Loo
mis- against Somers> case before Judge
Daingerfeld certain jurors have in the
past grown somnolent. It has been as
serted that in the course of the long trial
two of them entered into contract, each
to keep the other awake by turns or to re-
lieve each other in slumber.
Be that as it may all the jurors were
wideawake yesterday when Private Detec-
tive McClintock finished his testimony and
Defendant Calvin Somers was called to the
stand. This is Somers' second trial on the
charge of malicious prosecution, and he
and Plaintiff LOOMS suffer greatly by be-
ing constrained to associate in the same
case and courtroom, even on opposite sides.
Somers is slight young man Of I'M
certain age, but of considerable expert
encei n the law. He declares he is with
out means, but the other side hint that he
has money slowed away, and they prose-
cute their suit for 5000, 900 with vigor.
Somers claims that their object is to affect
some future litigation against the Tread
well estate.
He admitted that he used the names of
both "Somers" and Summers indis-
criminately without reason. AS he did
not have to sign checks he saw no need for
a uniform signature.
Attorney Watt asked him as to his birth
and his fathers name, but when ques-
toned as to who was the father of his
sister, Mrs. Treadwell, he refused to
quiry very insolent Finally, he said that
to the best of his belief his father was his
sisters father. The object of the inquiry
was to discover whether he was Mrs.
TreadwelFs full brother.
He said he was born in this City and
went to Oregon, where he worked in the
Willamette Wooden mills. After that he
months at Sherman IL Clay's, Bancroft's,
and Filmer's-at the latter place learning
the drug business-and finally located in
Sidney Smiths law office, where he re-
manned until 1881. Since then he had not
engaged in business.
He recited the circumstance of the shoot
ing of McClintock and denied any con-
spiracy with Mrs. Treadwell to prosecute
Loomis therefor. He explained the state
ment he had made of LOOMS innocence in
that matter by stating that he had only in
tended to show it to LOOMS to reassure
him, but that LOOMS had decamped with
it. He had telegraphed from the East to
have the cases continued, when he heard
they might be dropped, and had attended
the previous trials under subpoena.
In regard to the stories of Loomis about
his alleged murderous schemes for getting
rid of Mrs. Steiger, his mother, he charac-
terized them as the Authorizations of dis
eased mind. He thought Loomis must be
insane in his anxiety to prosecute. and
that Attorney Watt was at the bottom of
the whole scheme, which was nothing
more nor less than to speculate in a suit
for damages.
He admitted that there had been a civil
suit instituted against his mother by the
United States Pension Bureau to recover
some back pensions, but denied that he
had been anxious to prosecute his mother.
Throughout the close cross-examination
the witness maintained cool, amused
generally pausing before opening his lips.
He will be on the stand again today.