The San Francisco call., 1896-05-10

the 10Th Sunday at IL A. NJ, having no
knowledge of the existence of the letter.
which was delivered at my house on Mon
day, the 20th. and Immediately remaiIed
! to me at San Berhardino, where | received
| 1T when 1t was impossible for me to supply
the proofs named in the letter. This let
ter was put in evidence by me as a wit
ness after l had shown it to DR.. Campbell
as witness and asked him for an explana-
| ton, which was to the effect that he was
away from the asylum for day or two
and he was sorry that it had been delayed.
He made similar explanation as to the
| delay of six days in the mailing of the
| first letter of April l.
On the morning of the 23d, at 10 o'clock
| met Judge Huse at the Courthouse, and
| he at once recognized me in very hearty
manner. We were given an opportunity
to converse together on the steps of the
Courthouse for three-quarters of an hour,
and when called to the witness-stand in
response to question by the court, 1 testi-
fed that had l closed my eyes and made
allowance for the loss of Judge Huse's
teeth, which gave his words a muff1ed
sound, | could not have recognized any
difference in the Huse of 1876 and 1896 so
far as the tenor and substance of his talk
were concerned; that he had greatly
changed in appearance from an erect and
alert man to bent old man, unkempt, i'll
dressed, and his manner wholly changed
by the loss of his glasses, as he is ex-
tremely near-sighted, not being able to
distinguish friends features two or three
yards away.
The trial lasted three DAYS, and 1 was
called to the stand as witness each day,
my testimony mainly relating to Judge
Huse's leading characteristics as lawyer
and as man, and to his property inter-
estS, including his contention with squat
ters and others who sought to dispossess
him OF his property, more particularly OF
| the great rancho known as the Los
| Prietos Y Nujalayegua." In summing up
the case and rendering a decision, which
| occupied an hour, Judge Otis stated that
he had never experienced more difficulty
in reaching decision in any case, and in
remanding Judge Huse to the asylum it
was rather to secure for him the proper
| care which he needed on account of GER
| tain harmless halIucinations and personal
peculiarities and habits which might be
| the result of his continuous confinement
| for so many years and in constant associa-
ton with inmates who are unQuestionably
| insane.
| If it had been shown to the court during
the trial that any competent person stood
ready to care for the petitioner (Huse)
| and render him such attention and SER
vice as 1t was certain, from the testimony
adduced and not contradicted, he at times
would be sure to need, there would be no
valid objection to granting his petition to
be released from further restraint. In
giving the substance in brief of the deci-
sion the local daily newspaper, the Times
Index, closes the report in these words:
"At the same time Judge Otis stated that
he had rarely seen, in court or elsewhere,
| such a remarkable memory and evidences
of strong mentality, and that few attor-
neys at the bar were able to conduct an
examination with more ability or to state
a legal proposition more clearly"
| In consultation with Judge Otis in his
chambers, after the decision and the court
| had adjourned. he urged upon me the pro-
| priety of taking steps at once to secure the
| appointment of a suitable guardian for
Judge Huse and assured me that there
would then be no obstacle to prevent his
release from the asylum. In several con-
versatlons which had with DR.. Campbell,
in charge of the asylum, he gave me un-
| qualified assurance that he would have no
| hesitation in releasing Judge Huse in the
care of guardian who could and would
| take proper care of him. 1t has been my
| privilege for many years to have pleasant
relations with Judges of our State Su-
| preme Court, and | desire to say
here that l know of no one of them
in twenty years who was or is the supe-
rior, in judicial temper, legal attainments,
mental balance, logical acumen, power
of the Superior Court in San Bernardino,
or who is held in higher esteem by the
community in which he resides.
will close by saying that in private
interview with Judge Huse, with no one
in attendance, l became thoroughly salts
fed that he should not be discharged until
he has a proper guardian to care for him:
but do think he should be released as
soon as possible in charge of such guar
dian, and that it would be crime to de-
tain him when such guardian can be Sc
cured. JOSEPH AsBURY JOHNSON.