The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-20
So-Called Confessions Wrung
From Him by a Judas
Iscarlot.
RYAN's ELOQUENT ADDRESS
Demands the Life of the Prisoner for
the Crime Proved by the
Prosecution.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, Nov. 19.-The
fate of Ivan Kovalev, the Russian exile,
charged with the murder of Merchant
Weber and his wife, is nearing a close.
The case will go to the jury tomorrow,
probably, and there seems to be little
dout but that the extreme penalty will be
applied.
District Attorney Ryan commenced the
opening argument for the prosecution this
morning. He said the evidence showed
that the crime of murder in the first degree
had been committed. and that whoever
committed the crime did so for the pur-
pose of robbery.
Such murder was never equaled in tie
Stale. The scene IN the Emmanuel Bap-
fist 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 clothing OF the murderers were SO
stained with blood that they were COM
PEELED to discard the garments and throw
them into barrel, and to clothe them
selves in those of Mr.. Weber.
The District Attorney referred with
much emphasis to the finding of Mrs.
Webers watch in the old City Prison in
San Francisco, in which Kovalev was de-
tanned as a witness against Petelon, charged
with grand larceny.
He also laid much stress upon the testi-
mony of George H. Jost, who positively
identified the defendant as being the man
he saw near Weber's store on the night
of the tragedy. Mr.. Ryan referred
to Kovalev's debauch with Petelon in San
Francisco and the manner IN which the
defendant deported himself He was flush
with his money and spent it freely. 1t
was known that when he left San Fran
cisco with Levin and Tscherbakoff he had
no money.
1t should be demonstrated as an exam
pie, said the prosecutor, that although this
was the land OF the free and the
home of the brave, it was not the
land for the scum of the earth. The
refugees from SaghaIien were lionized and
worshiped in San Francisco, and at the
same time were laughing at the weakness
and incredulity of our people, and were
plotting to commit murder and robbery
Referring to Zakre wski's testimony, MIR.
Ryan said the witness statement that
Kovalev had admitted to him that he took
part in the murder was supported by other
testimony and circumstances IN the case.
He said the defendant was one whose blood
was as cold as the iceberg in Siberia,
whence he came.
E. c. Hart for the defense made an elo-
quent appeal for sympathy. Simply be-
cause the defendant was one of a number
of persons exiled to Siberia, he said, was
no reason why he should not be accorded
full justice.
His attorneys were'compelled to combat
public opinion, and they expected groans
aud Kisses from the audience, instead OF
their plaudits. The defendant had been
pursued by the minions OF the law for the
purpose of obtaining statement from him
to connect him with the commission oil
the crime.
Mr.. Hart declared that Kovalev had not
had fair and impartial trial. If he did
commit the crime, he was insane and not
responsible for his actions. His counsel
was willing to submit the case without ar
gument. If Mr.. Ryan was not afraid, why
did he not accept their proposition?
Mr.. Hart paid his compliments to Ia.
krewski, who testified that Kovalev admit
ted to him that he took part in the murder
by saying that Zakrewski was a habituaI
CRIMINAL perfect Judas Iscariot, willing
to betray his friend for money.
The defendant was the victim of con.
spiracy, he said, conceived by number Of
men for the purpose of obtaining money
Mr.. Hart concluded by saying that in
his opinion there was room for a reason
able doubt as to the guilt of the defendant
and asked the jury to act on that pre-
sumption.
An adjournment was taken until 10
O'Clock tomorrow, when w. A. Anderson
of the defense.