The record-union., 1895-11-12
WEAVING THE Web ABOUT KOVALEV
Evidence Being Taken in the Weber
Murder Case.
District Attorney Ryan Tells the Jury
What tho Prosecution Ex-
poets to Prove.

Department Two of the Superior
Court was literally packed with hui
mainly yesterday morning when the
trial of Ivan Kovalev, the supposed
murderer of f. H. L. Weber, was called
There were a number of ladies present
The trial had been postponed for sew
eral days pending an inquiry into the
prisoners mental condition, which re-
suited in his being declared sane.
District Attorney Ryan, w. A. An
Gerson the defendants attorney the
Judge, the jury and all the court Off
Gals were promptly on time, but a few
minutes delay was caused by the alb
sence of Z. c. Hart, who is associated
with Mr.. Anderson in KoYaleV's behalf
He was engaged in one of the other
courts. AS soon as Mr.. Hart arrived
Clerk Pfund read to the jury the infor-
nation charging Kovalev with the muir
der OF the dead grocer.
Mr. Hart asked the court to instruct
the official stenographer to take down
in shorthand the District Attorneys
! opening statement and also to tran
scribe each days testimony.
Judge Johnson said he would grant
the first request, and would consider the
latter.
District Attorney Ryan then began his
opening statement. He commenced by
saying that the court and jury and all
interested in the proceedings We're on
the eve of great trial. He character
lied the killing of the Webers as a most
brutal double murder
Mr.. Anderson objected to any state
1 p9.Ea no oh, i
lie objected to anything in reference to
Mrs Weber, as Kovalev was charged
| oEIy with the murder of Mr.. Weber
! MI Ryan said the murder of Mrs.
| Weber was an incident in her hus-
| bands murder. 1t must be, he declared,
part of the evidence in the case.
The. District Attorney then went on to
say that on the 18th of last December
r. II. l.. Weber and wife were slain over
their grocery store, on L street, between
| Twelfth and Thirteenth; how Luther T.
| Weber, the son of the victims, discov-
cred their mutilated bodies on the fol-
! lowing morning, and how the rooms
over the store had been thoroughly
ranSacked and new suit of clothing, a
pair Of trousers and other garments.
| sack OF money, a couple of watches, a
chain, a revolver and other articles
had been taken. They had been muir
dered purely for the purpose of robbery.
! The missing pair of trousers, Mr.. Ryan
said, would cut an important figure in
! the case.
Mr.. Ryan then related how the ak
which had been used in the killing was
found in the WoOdShed entirely covered
with blood, and also the finding of a
large bread-knife in the kitchen which
had also been used in the butchery
There were twenty-siX wounds on Mn
Weber's body. Downstairs was found
! Mrs Weber's ring, which had been
taken from her finger after the bloody
deed had been committed. Mr.. Ryan
was about to refer to Mrs. Webera
body again when Mr. Anderson inter
| posed another objection to the District
! Attorneys reference to Mrs. Weber
Judge Johnson said it was not neces-
sary for Mr.. Ryan to go into details
concerning the murder of Mrs Weber
and the finding of her body.
The news Of the tragedy spread like
SSildfire in the community, continued
the District Attorney, and timid peo>
pie became generally alarmed for
their own safety and that Of
| their families. The following morn
ing W. T. Hamilton found in
a barrel some bloody clothing This in
dicated, said Mr.. Ryan, that the muir
derer had changed his clothing for
suit which belonged to Mr.. Weber and
The District Attorney then called at
tention to a transfer of prisoners from
the old City Hall in San Francisco 10
the new City Hall a few days after the
murder, and the finding of Mrs. Weber's
watch in a closet in the former place
Harry Sandt alias Shy Red" and
two brothers named George and Will
lam Sprout were arrested for the crime
but they could not be connected with it
and were released.
c. II. Jost, father of A. A Jost Web
| er'S partner, on the night before the
homicide, had noticed a man acting in
| a peculiar manner around the grocery
store. Jost formed in his mind COM
plete picture Of the man, said the Dis
trict Attorney, and declared that he
could recognize him if he saw him
again. After Kovalevs arrest Jost did
identify him as the man he saw near the
grocery store.
Information came to Captain Lees of
the San Francisco police department
that there were certain Russians in that
city who knew something about the
tragedy. One of them was Kovalev
While under the influence of liquor Kov-
alev told one Of his associates some
thing about the tragedy. Kovalevs ar
rest followed afterward by direction of
Captain Lees. The latter was furnished
with a list of arrests made on the 31st
of December. On the list appeared the
names of John Dubroff and George
Petelon. The latter admitted having
been arrested on that night with Dub
rolf, who afterward proved to be Kov-
alev.
He and Petelon had been carousing
together that night Kovalev had
called at Petelon's house for him. Kov-
alev was well dressed and had watch
and chain on him. Petelon attempted
to pull the watch out of his pocket but
kovalev prevented him by pressing his
hand against it. Kovalev then left
Petelons house, but returned shortly
afterward When he did return he did
not have the watch and chain with him.
They then started out to take in the
sights. The first place they went into
was restaurant. Kovalev picked up a
| newspaper and asked Petelon to rea d
the news from Sacramento Petelon
came across a dispatch from Sacra-
mento narrating the murder of the
Webers.
Before he had finished Kovalev told
him to stop, that he did not want to
hear anything more about it. He said
he could not eat anything, and they
went out
On the street they met a newsbov
and KovaleV bought three different pa
pers from him. They then went into a
!. saloon, where Kovalev again had Pete
Ion read the news from Sacramento 10
him They then roamed from one sa-
loon to another, when they were finally
arrested for being concerned in a dis
turbance in the last saloon they visited
At the old City Hall Kovalev claimed
that Petelon had robbed him Petelon
admitted having so belonging to 10
valley. which he said he put into his
shoe to keep for him. at the suggestion
I . Of 1,ae .D1.,