The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-24


! the value of the gun
He offered me an old hat, which took
| Barker then left the saloon.'
De Marais says he took the hat some
days afterward 10 his friend, Sam Ralston,
ana toid him to keep 1t as it might be of
value to him thereafter. That is the end
of De Marais' story.
Meantime there was great deal of talk
about the mysterious shooting at Lehman.
Barker was arrested, the case was post
poned from day to day and finally he was
discharged for lack of evidence. Barker
was a ne'er-do-wel given to drinking,
carousing and the use of morphine
Shortly after his discharge lie hired a
buggy, drove out of town and was found
dead from an overdose of morphine, the
doubt remaining still as to whether he
took it Intentionally or through mistake.
Sam Ralston takes up the story here.
He says that he kept the hat in his pos
session for some time; that De Marais
came to him frequently to inquire about
it; tnet this aroused his interest in the bit
of wearing apparel and he began TO make
inquiries; that finally de Marais told him
all that has been told here and that
Fresno Savings and Loan building for
safekeeping.
Now De Marais takes up the story
again. He was friend not only of Rails
ton but of Schwelzer, as appears in the
latter's first approach to him. He at least
kept up the appearance of this friendship.
He told Sckwetzer about his having re-
ceived the hat from Barker and how he
had subsequently turned it over to Rails
ton and that Ralston had it in his posses
sion and was interesting himself IN the
circumstances attaching to it. The hat,
it should be told here, is said to have been
identified by number of persons as one
formerly worn by Mr.. Schweizer
When De Marais explained to Schweizer
all this about Ralston Schweizer, accord
ing 10 De Marais, made direct PROPOSE
ton to him to kill Relsten, saying that he
(Schweizer) would make it an object.
"I was so astonished," says De Marais,
"that 1 did not know just what to do.
How could do such thing? 1 haven't
even pistol, l said"
"'Oh,' said SchweiZer, "if that is all
that stands in the way come here tonight
and I'll give you a pistol He went on to
argue with me. He said You are the
very fellow to do it. You are on terms
with him. you could be drinking in
saloon and get into quarrel and shoot
him in self-defense, or, if you prefer, you
could catch him on dark road
WELL" continues De Marais, "I went
away telling him i would be back in the
evening. l went at once 10 Ralston and
told him the whole thing. Detective Har-
rison, a friend of Ralston's 8, had been told
much of this and had interested himself
in the matter. Ralston and l saw him,
and they arranged to watch me and see if
they could what took place. Schweizer
had told me to come to the back door of
his shop and he would there give the gun
after dark. Instead of doing SO | vert
into the shop. There were several persons
in the hop-customers-and SchweiZer
frowned and motioned with his head, in
dicating that l should go around. | went
out. down little alley at the sile of the
shop, and pretty soon Schweizer came out
the back door of the shop and handed me
revolver and told me to make good use
OF it. Harrison was concealed near by
and saw the transfer. l went away and
soon joined Ralston and Harrison. /
gave the gun to Ralston ard he kept it
until the next day. 1 then decided to go
back and see Schweizer to see what
he might have to say. We de-
cided that had better take the revolver
with me as he might ask for it. When l
went back Schweizer charged me with
having done nothing and demanded the
gun, and gave it back TO him."
This enus De Marais' second installmenr.
Ralston is SAID not to have relished the
idea OF having men hired to shoot him.
He consulted with other friends and upon
their advice he visited the District Attor-
ney and told him all about it. Subse.
quently De Marais and Harrison went be-
lore the same official and told what is re-
related here with even greater circum-
stances and detail
Among other bits of testimony it is re-
ported that Mrs. Lehman said, when in
formed of what was going forward-that
is in the District Attorneys office-that it