The record-union., 1895-11-20
LAST HOURS OF The KOVALEV Case.
Closing Arguments for the Defense
and Prosecution.
They VIII be Made To-day-The Case
Likely to Go to the Jury Before
This Evening.

Superior Judge JohnsOn's courtroom
was literally packed yesterday morning
by persons anxious to hear the argu-
ments in the KOvalev murder case
When Judge Johnson took his seat the
defendant was not in court neither was
the Bailiff This fact was cOmmuni-
Gated to Under Sheriff Reese, who i'm
mediately went upstairs into the court
room.
Mr.. Sheriff" said Judge Johnson,
you are behind time. Where is the
Bailiff?''
Mr.. Reese replied that he did not
know Deputy Hinters was not in court
The latter had been sent to Marysville
on the proceeding night, however
Under Sheriff Reese then brought the
prisoner in, and District Attorney
Ryan commenced the opening argu-
ment for the prosecution.
The evidence shows, said the District
Attorney, that the crime of murder in
| the first degree had been committed,
and that whoever committed the crime
die so for the purpose of robbery. To
attempt to describe the scene of the
murder when the bodies of Mr.. and
| MRS. w eDef were UlScOHeTeu NOulu DS
beyond the power of language. Such
| a murder was never before committed
in this county, and has never been
| eualed in the State. The scene in the
Emmanuel Baptist Church in San
| Francisco. where the bodies of Blanche
Lamont and Minnie Williams were
found, was as nothing to the finding Of
| the bodies Of the Webers. The people
| of the community feared the assassinS
would commit other and similar crimes,
and a feeling of insecurity overcame
them that was not dispelled for months.
The clothing Of the murderers, said
| Mr.. Ryan, were so stained with blood
that they were compelled to discard the
garments and throw them into barrel
and 10 clothe themselves in those of Mr..
| Weber.
The District Attorney referred with
much emphasis to Mrs Weber's watch
being found in the old City Prison in
/ San Francisco, in which Kovalev was
detained as witness against George
Peteon, whom he had charged with
| grand larceny. He also laid much
stress upon the testimony of George H.
Jost who positively identified the de-
| fcndant as being the man he saw near
| Weber's store the night of the tragedy.
When Kovalev was arrested he was
asked by Captain Lees where he was
on the night of the 29th of December
last He replied that he was working
! for a shoemaker named Davis on Third
street, in San Francisco. KOvalev was
taken before Davis by an officer, and
the shoemaker was asked if the ac-
! c2sed's declaration was true. Davis
replied it was not, and that KovaIev
was not in his employ at the time.
MIR. Ryan then referred to Kovalev's
debauch with George Petelon in San
Francisco and the manner in which the
-. e 4. tod h -a1F
flush with his money and spent it freely
/ 1t was known that when he left San
1 Francisco with Levin and Stcherbakov
he had no money, and his generosity
when he returned was wondered at by
those who knew him.
He went out into the country with
Levin and Stcnerbakov for what pur-
pose2 The murder of F. H. L. Weber
and wife answers that question, said
| Mir Ryan. The accused was anxioux
To know what was published in the
newspapers about the murder and got
George Petelon TO read portions of the
| account to him, and that on every Oc-
casion after Petelon had read some per
tions of the account the accused would
stop him from reading any further and
would then indulge in frequent iiba.
| tons Of whisky and beer
! 1t should be demonstrated as an eX-
ample that although this is the land of
| the free and the home of the brave it
s not the land for the scum of the earth
The refugees from Saghalein were lion
lied and worshiped in San Francisco,
and al the same time were laughing az
| the weakness and incredulity of our
people, and were plotting to go among
| the people in the country and there COM
nit murder and robbery.
| Referring to Zakrewsfki's testimony
| Mr.. Ryan said the witness statement
that KovaleV had admitted to him that
he took part in the murder was sup
| rorted by other testimony and circura-
| stances in the case
| After the noon recess District Attor-
ney Ryan resumed his argument. dur
ins, the course of which he said the de-
rendant was one whose blood was as cold
as the icebergs in Siberia, whence he
came. He finished his opening argu-
nlent shortly before o'clock.
+. c. Hart then commenced the ar
gument for the defense. He made an
eloquent appeal for sympathy on be-
half of his client Kovalev, he said
was an entire stranger to himself and