The San Francisco call., 1897-06-09
VALET CLARKE AND
HIS MAGIC MEMORY
Relates Minute Details of
an Uneventful Day
Three Years Ago.
Frequent Doses of Innumerable
Medicines for the Late
Senator Fair.
A Probability That Counsel for the
Estate Will To-Day c oSe Their
Side of the Great Csc.

BCAllcludu gentleman -OldIhes tue
man OF marvellous memory-returned to
the witness-stan in the Fair Craven trial
yesterday for few brief moments. Dur
ing his career there, nevertheless, he in
iected about all there was having a SEM
bIance of life and ginger that developed
during the entire days proceedings. 1t
was the first real awakening since Experts
Ames and Gumpel went through the tor
lures of their cross-examination.
The foundation having been laid 5y the
attorneys for the Fairestate executors for
the Introduction of evidence intended to
show that Senator Fair did not go to No
tary Cooney's office and acknowledge the
disputed Craven deeds on Septem ber q,
1894, Clarke was recalled for the purpose
OF relating how it was that the Sen ator
could not have eluded his watchful eye on
that momentous day, and did not.
Clarke, with his wonderful memory was
hAnd!ly equal to the occasion. Why, he
could recollect even the slightest move
made by the millionaire on that Septem-
Der day and could without difficulty fol-
low his meanderings into the night.
While giving his direct testimony, guided
by the dulcet queries of Attorney Garret
McEnerney he gave the exact time that
Fair awoke at the Lick House that morn
ing, the moment he ate his breakfast,
when he ambled down 10 his private office
| with his gentleman" in his wake the in
| cidents of the two hours spent at the Of
hce, lunch, meeting of the bank di-
| rectors In the afternoon attended by the
Senator, the trip back to the hotel, and the
| hours spent in reading to the man of
money; then about supper; after that
stroll up Market street and back and then
to bed. All this in most exact detail. The
TACT that the occurrences related, dole
fnlly common place as they were, took
place three years ago, did in no manner
leave them impressed in confusion on his
phenomenal memory. At least he said
such was the case.
But when Clarke was taken in hand by
Attorney Delmas for cross-examination
he was forced to admit that he had some-
what exaggerated the tale of his own
ubiQuity. Those two hours that the Sem
tor devoted to his private office and
affairs in the morning constituted q
STUN bling block. Clarge wanted to be
sure that the millionaire was within con-
slant view, because the witness was in and
out OF the sacred chant Der in order to give
him his medicine. Of course-and this
was told in an easy and confidential way
he was not dosing the Senator every
fraction OF q second making up the two
| hours, but he was at it pretty often. There
were several kinds of medicines to be adj
ministered, bromo seltzer being the first
on the list.
"How many times did you give him
medicine during the two hours P' asked
Nh Delmas.
Don't remember" replied Clarke. 1t
was disastrous confession for the man of
memory to make and he blushed when be
did it.
Mr.. Delmas wanted to know something
| about the methods by which the medi-
cine was given. Clarke said he didn't
| understand.
Il mean" said the attorney. ''to inquire
as to whether you gave it to him in a
bucket, dipper or a spoon2"
ooh, - spoon"
1t developed little later on that the
first dose of medicine was given the Sena-
tor that morning about half an hour after
he reached his office, and Clarke had to
| admit that during that half hour Fair
might have gone over TO Notary Cooney's
office. He had time enough to do it any,
how. Then there was another lapse in
the afternoon, when Clarke left the Lick
House to purchase more medicine, during
which the Senator could have quite easily
attended to his business with Cooney, so
Clarke confessed.
The ''gentleman's gentleman" will have
to undergo some more cross-examination
when court convenes again this morning
| Tbs will not be the only interesting feat.
| ure promised for the session, for it is un-
| derstood that the plaintiffs will close their
case before the day is over, and that the
defense will be given a chance. Every
BODY has been on the tlptoe of expectancy
| Tor this, Tor there seems to be a feelin.
that the defense's opening will be inter-
esting to say the least.
Judge Slack opened yesterday morn
ing's proceedings by announcing that he
was pre- pared to give his delayed ruling on
the admissibility into evidence of that all
important "proofsheeP' of the acknowl-
NJ no
Company in January, 1896. He said he
had gone carefully over the evidence of
the printers and proofreaders who handled
this paper, and was satisfied that they
had sufficiently identified it to warrant Its
admission.
| misunderstood the import of the evidence
referred to. He said that all of the wit
nesses had said that they thought the
paper brought into court looked like the
| original proof, but could not swear that it
was it.
long argument followed, during which
transcripts of the testimony were referred
to repeatedly. The conclusion of it was
decision on the part of the court to ad-
here to the original ruling. The proof,
therefore, became one of the many per-
manent exhibits in the case.
This matter being DISPOSED of Mr.. Nc
Enerney, on behalf of the plaintiffs, re-
called Attorney Hu Jones to the witness
stand and resumed the slow and uninter-
esting process of having that gentleman
identity innumerable notarial acknowl-
edgments executed by j. }. Cooney in
1894.
Charles Crocker, general manager of the
ID. S. Crocker Company, was placed on
the witness-stand when court met for the
afternoon session and was asked by Mr.. Nc
Enerney if he had kept his promise to pro-
duce In court the bound volumes contain
ing samples of legal blanks printed by his
house. 1t was scarcely necessary to ask
this question, because Mr.. Crocker had
bundIs of volumes under mis- arm when ne
took the stand; but then Mr.. McEnerney
had to begin somewhere with his queries
and chose this as q convenient point. Mr..
Crocker's temperance on the stand was
anything but sensational. He was willing
TO testify as to how those volumes came
into existence, but when Mr.. Delmas
asked him if he could speak from his own
knowledge and he ad mitted that he could
not he was sent back to his place of busi-
ness.
Edmund Marks, who on Monday testi-
ned that the deed he produced in court
with q Cooney acknowledg affixed
had been taken from him by Detective
Seymour, was now called-aiso to fulfil
promise. He had agreed to bring into
court the receipt Seymour gave him and
did so. 1t was Mr.. Delmas' object in ask
Ing Tor the production of the receipt to