The San Francisco call., 1896-06-05
THE EVIL-SPIR|T
DOCTOR LOSES,
ACquittal of the Man Who
Called Him a Hypo-
critic.
MRS. DUTRA CONVERTED
Does Not Believe Her Sickness
Was Due to HorSehair
and Pins.
JURORS ARE INQUIsITIvE.
They Ask Many Questions About the
Influence of Mesmerism and
Playing.Cards.
JURORS ARE INQUIsITIvE

HAYWARDS, CAL, June 4.-The trial
Of Manuel Rose of Haywards for battery
on DR.. Fontes, the mesmerist and evil
spirit necromancer of San Leandro, was
concluded in the Justices Court to-day
and the defendant was found not guilty.
The story of the peculiar powers alleged
to have been exercised over Mrs. Dutra and
her evil spirit by Manuel Fontes, as pub
lished In full in The CALL this morning,
drew an enormous lobby to the courtroom
and they heard enough of the romantic
features of the battery case TO repay them
for their trouble in fighting for admission
and for their discomfort after they were in.
Manuel Rose made a very ingenious
defense and the case really developed into
the trial of the merits of Fontes rather than
the battery of Rose. Mrs Dutra is now
convinced that the horsehalr pad stuffed
with pins was not the cause of her sick
ness, but she is convinced that while she
was under the influence of he: mesmeric
act or the potion he gave her, or
both, DR." Fontes produced the affair
from his pocket that he told her was the
evil spirit" that had been at the cause of
all her troubles.
The attorney for Rose seemed to think
that the fact of Rose having told Mrs. Du-
ira that DR.. Fontes was a hypocrite and a
necromancer, which fact was the cause OF
the battery, was justlhabie under the cir
Cumstances, and that the battery was
therefore justihable. He asked Fontes
many questions about the power of spirits
and from ridlcue went into sarcasm and,
although the San Leandro witch-doctor
TT ed his utmost to mesmerize the lawyer,
as he did Mrs. Dutra and Miss Rose yes
terday, the man of law did not vince a
muscle.
The jury also took a hand In asking
questions and showed great curiosity re-
2arding the 'evil spirit" of horsehair and
pins.
They all were desirous to see the cause
of the lady's troubles, but the doctor said
he had thrown 1t away, as ii was unlucky
to keep the spirits after they had been
mesmerlZed away from the victims. The
doctor was asked if he kept a stock of
them, and he seemed highly indignant
that any one should doubt his power, and
should assume that his pretensions to the
black art should be doubted.
Another interesting feature was the pack
of cards, by means Of which the doctor
had told Mrs. Dutra that she had two en-
emies, "a king and two queens, " who were
the defendant Rose and his wife and
daughter. The doctor produced the cards
but was unwilling to tell by what laws he
arrived at his decision and the court held
that such was professional secret which
he need not divulge.
Mrs. Dutra and Miss Rose did not seem
at all comfortable under the eye of the
wizard, and many of the audience were of
the opinion that the scene of yesterday
when both tainted under his power, was
to be repeated. This, however. was not
the case, and the ladies stood the ordeal
well.
Manuel Rose could not see that be was
not justified in calling Fontes hypocrite.
and, further, could not comprehend why
Fontes should have resented 1t. 1t was
not at all clear from the testimony that
Fontes had not been as aggressive as the
defendant, and when the verdict of not
guilty was returned it was received with
cheers.
The trial has been the most sensational
and interesting that has taken place in
this town for years.