The record-union., 1895-11-16
STILL PILING UP THE TESTIMONY.
Zakrewsfkei on the Stand All of
Yesterday.
a Rigid Cross-Examination-K
Again Interviewed by Olga
Gordenko.

been endeavoring for some days to OBJ
tain from the prisoner-who is charged
with the murder of f. H. l.. Weber-a
statement that they hoped might
be used to his advantage dur
ing the trial. 1t has been gen
orally understood that Kovalev was
willing to admit, as he had done TO his
Russian associates in San Francisco,
and which has been testified to over
and over again, that he had something
TO do with the Weber murders, but
that Stcherbakov was the one who
struck down and butchered the de-
fenseless old man and wife.
If the jury could be impressed with
this view of the case, and with the be-
lief that Kovalev is really the half-wit-
ted person that his appearance might
under some circumstances justify one
in believing, then his attorneys might
have some chance of saving his neck.
1t was with this end in view that
they had tried to induce him to make
a statement, and to which reference
was made in the Record Unions re-
port of Wednesdays proceedings in
court.
The fact that Kovalevs attorneys
were working on him" became well
known, and the story was abroad on
Thursday morning that the prisoner
was expected to make a confession.
The opening of the court was delayed
on that morning because of a confer
once that was held between the attOr-
neyS in the case and the prisoner, and
that a possible statement, or COMES
sion" was expected was generally
known about the Courthouse, yet the
fact escaped the alleged keen scent of
FOR
brought to its notice by the Record
Unions report yesterday morning.
The conference on Thursday morn
ing was not satisfactory to the attOr-
Eeys, and the trial was proceeded with
as if nothing had happened. Still the
talk of probable confession by the
prisoner was kept up, and that night
Mrs. Olga Gordenko, Russian lady,
came to the city from SonOma, for the
purpose of interviewing the prisoner
and endeavOring TO prevail on him TO
make a clean breast of the affair, II
guilty.
The lady had an interview with Kov-
alev soon after her arrival, in the pres
ence of the District Attorney, but the
prisoner would not unbosom himself.
He rather intimated that he was not
altogether innocent OF completely in
the crime, but referred his visitor to
his attorneys, who, he said, knew all
InaI he 0aQ say ABOUT H.
He made no confession to Mrs. Cor
denko that night, and the Record
Unions statement yesterday morning
to that effect was given on her author
ity and that of District Attorney Ryan.
Again yesterday forenoon there was
another conference between the pris-
oner, his counsel and Mrs Gordenko,
and again the opening of the
court was delayed nearly two
hours in consequence. Then it was
that our astute contemporary on the
west side of the thorOughfare on which
the RecOrd-U Union office is located dis
covered the fact that there was some
thing in the wind.
It was rumored that the prisoner was
making a confession, and straightway
the announcement was made on
our neighbor's bulletin board that
he had done SO. The court
proceedings, reported below. show
that Judge Johnson, District At
torney Ryan and both of the lawyers
for the defense denied in open court
that Kovalev had confessed to having
committed the crime with which he is
charged.
To a Record-U Union reporter the law
yers in the case each separately denied
any knowledge of a confession of guilt
having been made by the prisoner.
It's an Internal lie" declared Major
Kovalev has confessed doesn't know
what he is talking about
"Kovalev this forenoon made a state
ment for use by his counsel" continued
Mr.. Anderson. "It was in the Russian
tongue, and is now being translated
for US. No person has seen it, and no
one viii be permitted to see it until Sen
ator Hart and myself determine just
what use we shall make of it. It is u
statement to guide us in examining wit
nesses-not a confession Of guilt
When District Attorney Ryan was
asked if he had any knowledge of a
confession having been made by KovG--
lev, he replied promptly that he had
not
Il have no doubt" added Mr.. Ryan,
from things I have heard, that Kova-
lev has made some admissions. but that
Is only my opinion. l have no personal
nor official knowledge of his having
made a confession"
a rumor got about, however, to the
effect that Kovalev had finally admitted
to Mrs. GOrdenko that he was with
Stcherbakov in this city on the 29rh of
December last. and that he went with
the latter to Weber's store; that they
went UP the rear stairs. and that
StcherbakoV committed the double
murder.
This is in line with what was said
last Wednesday to be what the defense
was liable at any moment to admit aud
this belief was what caused the air OF
expectancy that perVaded the court
room on Thursday morning, as referred
to in the Record Union. There was
nothing new in it, and only the Zee
was startled when it learned yesterday
e what was going on.
The truth is any confession that Kov-
alev might make at this time would not
surprise anyone who has heard or read
the testimony adduced in court The
witness Zakrewsfki has over and over
gain related the story told him in San
Francisco by KoValeV. who not only
admitted having participated in the
commission Of the awful crime but
that he himself welded the ak that
gave old Mr.. Weber his death blow.
Nor is it likely there are many who
have followed the case at all closely but
who believe that Kovalev has made
admissions to several persons both be-
fore and since his arrest that he had q
hand in the crime as has been sworn to
IN court But that he has made an
open confession Of guilt 10 officers of
the court, in the face of their positive
denial in court, is not conceivable.
Mrs Gordenko said to a Record
Union reporter last night that the re-
ported confession to her by Kovalev was
an Imaginative yarn entirely, and that
anything published in the shape of an
interview or a portion of one between
herself and Kovalev is unauthorized
and therefore untrue.
She further said that if Kovalev had
confessed to her she would not affirm il
She said Superior Judge Johnson told
Ter that If she stated to anyone what
was said in her interview with Kova-
lev she would be in contempt of court
Mrs Gordenko, who was herself sent
pure :