The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-29
FASCINATED BY A WOMAN
Ebenezer F. Dunton Tells of
Mamie Barnum's Influence
Over Him.
Defies All the Rules of Court, and
Entreaty and Threat Prove
Useless to Stop Him.

-'S'ASNSA oulltOljB luO wax II,
afforded considerable entertainment to the
habltues OF Judge Campbell's court yester-
day afternoon when he appeared on the
witness-stand to relate his adventure last
Wednesday with Mamie Barnum and
Kittie Nelson. He started ,ff by declaring
he wanted square deal, F" and he seemed
determined to have it.
The Judge confessed that Dunton was
the most garrulous witness he had seen in
his court. He was implored again and
again to confine himself to answering the
questions put to him, but it was no USE
Every answer was accompanied by his
thoughts, impressions or sensations, and
after the court stenographer had filled one
book and started to get another the Judge,
almost with tears in his eyes, begged him
to be guided by the rules of the court.
adding: "Your garrulity will cost the
City and County $500, as that man, u! point
ing to the stenographer, gets Is cents a
folio" But the appeal was in vain.
! Attorney Joseph f. Coffey who repre-
sented the Prosecuting Attorney, had to
ask the Judge to protect him from Dun
toms lmpertinent sall1es. Dunton, because
Coffey persistently asked him to say
yes" or mo" to his questions, got mad,
and lnsolently remarked, II should Judge
women" At another time Coffey asked
to see the purse which the Barnum
woman took from Dunton, and Dunton
handed it to him gingerly. After it was
handed back to him Coffey asked, 'How
much money is in the purse now?"
well, said Dunton, looking at him sig
nlticantly, there was $50 when | gave it
to you, but l don't know how much there
is now'
Attorney Mack, who appeared for the
defendant, often crossed swords with
Dunton during his cross-examlnation, and
al one time Mack became so exasperated
that he threatened to ask the Judge to
commit him for contempt unless be kept
civil tongue in his head At another
time Dunton would not stop talking, and
both Mack and Coffey shouted in despair,
WHO'S running this court?'
Dunton testified that until six months
ago he was chief steward of the main din
lng-hall at the Soldiers Home, Xount-
vile. He came to the City on Decem Der
Y, and had been staying at the Mozart
House on Ellis street, near Taylor.
Last Wednesday morning he was look
ing into the show-window of a store on
Market street when the two defendants
came up to him, one on each side of him.
They made suggestions which surprised
and shocked him, and he got away from
them as quickly as possible. He turned
the window of the store next No. 81 when
the two women came up to him again
Ihey talked to him, and he admitted
that Mamie Barnum by her fascinating
manners exercised a powerful influence
over him. She got him into the
recess of the doorway of No. 21, and as she
bent down to take one of her cards out of
her stocking, where she said she kept
them, he put his hand into his pocket and
missed his purse, which contained 500 in
gold and about 81 in silver.
Il grabbed hold of her with both hands,
he continued, land the door of No. 81 flew
open. She wentinside and [ followed. still
holding her, and the door closed behind
US. For fifteen minutes [ used both per-
suaslon and force to get her to give me
back my money. She hit me in the eve
and Jabbed my hands with long steel
instrument, which the police told me was
used by plckpockets, but would not give
me the purse. The people in the house
came downstairs and she told them ! was
crazy, and they went back again without
paying any attention to me. At last the
fell out OF it, and, still holding her, I
picked it up. Then the door opened and
We went out on the sidewalk"
For ten minutes he struggled with her
on the sidewalk, while a large crowd
gathered and spirit of humiliation came
OFcI Iue WoHdn, anu he InOugnL ne naQ
humbled her. She showed him the purse
and begged him to let her go, as he had
got back all his money; but he knew he
was $40 short, and he kept his grip on her.
The Nelson girl told her to give him back
all of his money, and for that he felt CRATE
FIJI to her. Finally two policemen ap-
peared and the Barnum woman was ar
rested.
He created sensation by stating that
young man who said he belonged to the
court called upon him last Thursday and
wanted him to compromise the case, but
as neither of the defendants was present
the matter was stricken out of the record
Then he stated how he had chased and
captured Kittie Nelson in the Baldwin
Hotel.
Policeman Campion testified to arrest
ing Mamie Barnum on Grant avenue on
the complaint OF Dunton who said she
had robbed him of $40. This closed the
case for the prosecution and on motion
the Nelson girl was discharged from Gus
tody.
The defense will be submitted to-day.
Run Over by Buggy.