The herald., 1896-12-08
BOWEN CLAIMS BIG DAMAGES
For Negligence From the Pacific Ste am.
ship Co.
The Supreme Court Defines the Terms Of a
Contract
S---
Receiver In the Studebaker Case Makes
His Report-A Mexican Horsethief
Captured at kersfield-Claim
Against an Association.

1t is not in every case that comes to
trial that Justice is dealt out and amuse-
ment afforded to all concerned at the
happened in department one, when even
Judge Smith unbent his dignity and
smiled broadly at the vagaries of the
prosecuting witness.
The case was that of Lalo Armento.
charged by James D. Todd with robbery
in having stolen from him a gold scarf
pin, gold ring and Sc in cash. Todd is
called yesterday he was in court in a
state of semi-intoxication. He was not
too far gone. however to be incapacitat-
ed from telling his story of the robbery
on the witness stand With varied ges-
ture and a gravity that was strongly
moulded by the alcoholic liquid he had
imbibed, the witness related the tale of
the robbery that was enlivened by words
not found in Webster's dictionary.
1t appeared that on the evening of July
18th Todd, in company with three COM
rades of the G. A. r., got to drinking in
a saloon on Main street, and when he
quit he had only about Sc remaining out
of a $40 bill he had changed. He had. in
deed, load of bad whisky. or, as he de-
scribed it, he was badly Jagged He
had sense enough reSlaining to know he
had best go home, and reached the Macy
street bridge before he became aware
that the Main street lodging house
where he roomed was far from where he
had wandered Retracing his footsteps
he met two men near Alameda street.
and desiring to be polite, bade them good
evening. One of these men, Todd claim
ed, was the defendant, who replied to his
greeting by hitting him across the face
with a slungshot. Todd fell insensible
to the ground. and when he recovered,
in a second or two. he found some one
stepping on him. He seized the persons
leg and held on like grim death, and
While the defendant took to his heels
Todd regained his feet, drew his knife
and threatened to cut the throat of the
man he held if he did not tell him who he
and his companion were. Todd was TAX
en- to the shanty of Francisco Bales
teros, since sent for term to San Quen-
tin, where under the plea of stopping the
flow of blood from his nose and ears he
was doped. While IN that condition the
defendant. who had reappeared upon the
scene. and his companions committed
the robbery complained of.
While testifying it was with difficulty
that Todd could twist his tongue around
some words, and when he alluded to the
arrest of the defendant having been
made by Officer Talamantes the name of
the officer was too much for him. Char
ley Tamales was the nearest he could
get to it. and he let ii go at that.
Later in the morning while witness
was testifying for the defense he stated
tbot Todd had Had That aronse6 the
temper of the ex-policeman. and he
challenged the witness to come from off
the stand and have it out. During the
noon recess Todd went and curled up in
A shady corner of one of the yards on
New High street and became oblivlous
to the world. Later in the afternoon he
showed up in court again, refreshed and
in his right mind.
The case was given to the jury at five
minutes after o'clock and at $50 they
returned into court with verdict of
mot guilty"