The San Francisco call., 1897-07-02
EXPECT LEES OPPOSITION.
Prosecuting Attorneys VIII Ask
the Police Commissioners
for Assistance.

for Assistance.
The many attorneys interested in the
prosecution of Theodore Figel, convinced
that they must batter down the opposition
to conviction of Figel, and that they
must counteract the effort hey allege is
now being made by the head of the Police
Department 10 acquit the defendant, will
make an application. either to-day or to-
morrow, TO the Police ommissioners for
assistance.
The attorneys will ask that two or three
of the best detectives in the department
be appointed to assist them in gathering
evidence in the now famous case. They
say that there is no doubt that the pris-
oner is guilty of the charges against him
and believe that the preponderance OF the
evidence will fall on the head of Isaac
Hoftman's contid ential clerk ana when
the cases against him are concluded he
will have been branded felon of the
most heinous type by the jury yet to be
impaneled to hear the testimony that will
be brought to bear against him.
1--WE are aware" said one of the attor-
neys yesterday, 'that to secure the con-
viction of Theodore Figel we must OYER
come most strenuous opposition on The
part of the head, as he is called, of the
Police Department, but we are also aware
that there Is commission that ranks
above the head of the Police Department
that will lay aside all feeling of sympathy
and personal obligation in the interest OF
justice and appoint detectives to assist us
IN the gathering OF evidence that justice
may be done.
"We have 10 personal feeling in the
prosecution OF the.young bookkeeper, but
as lawyers having access 10 all The facts
connecting him with the crimes with
which he is charged we believe that he is
guilty. And in justice to the common
wealth, In justice to the relatives of the
man who was so foul.y murdered, we are
of the opinion that a conviction should be
had and we are confident that it will be.
Young Figel was the soul of honor in
the eyes of his dead Employer, but now
that the merchants lips are sealed in
death the young man forgets the favors
and friendship of the man who, in life, so
willingly assisted him, and he attempts to
blacken the reputation and good name of
his generous employer by charging him
with arson. as though to make it seem that
the dead merchant willingly stained his
character, that he might leave that foul
heritage to the babies he loved and left
behind him, that they might never forget
his doings in this world.
"Such an action on the part of Figel was
more a moral wrong than even murder il
self, if tnat were possible, and in making
those charges he signally failed, if he so
intended. to assist his cause. We are pre-
pared TO prove that Mr.. Hoffman never
committed the crime of arson, and that
the charge that he did is miserably false.
"Mr. Figel will have to remain in prison
pending the hearing of the charges
against him. No application for bail was
made at the hearing this morning, and we
expect that no such application will be
made next Thursday. If it is we will op-
pose such application, and it is safe to say
that the application will be denied. 1t is
a well-worn maxim of the Supreme Court
of this State that in cases of malicious
homicide it is safe rule to refuse bail,
and undoubtedly precedent will not be
established in the case of Theodore
Figel."