The San Francisco call., 1897-06-20
THE CORONtR'S INQUEST.


| The Assistant Bookkeeper Contra
diets FIeel-Mrs. Alex nder
Testifles-Coroner Hawkins
and Chief Lees Cross
Swords.
Theodore Figel was n not put on the stand
| yesterday rs it was expected he would be.
| In fact he did not make his appearance on
the Gene at all, and if he Coroner had
called on him, his person would have been
found 10 be a negative quantity. But the
reason of his not teing Obliged 10 go on
the stand was due to a very simple fact,
and yet one which has a deal of signif-
canoe.
81 regard Figel under the circumstances
as the most important witness in the
case." saiu Coroner Hawkins yesterday
shortly before the inquest was continued,
''and therefore l do not intend 10 put him
| on the stand until day arrives when he
| can give me the whole OF the session to
himself. We are going 10 hold short
| session to-day on request of Juror
Geimann, and l deem it Inexpedient TO
place Figel in the witness chair"
When the inquest began all the attor-
neys were in their accustomed seats. Ex-
| Judge Murphy came in and took seat
| beside Attorney Naphialy, but he was
suffering from severe attack of asthma
and lett the room soon, with the wbis-
| pered statement that he would come i'm
| med lately upon telephone request AT
| fairs then settled down to business and
! Chief Lees once more took the stand. His
! first act was 10 produce TWO documents
the chief has abounded in documents
ever since the inception of the inquest
and read them. The first had the caption
| of Memorandum of Chief Lees" and read
ss 70 lows:
! Figel cashed Hoffman & Rothchid's check
! for $500. Hoffman endorsed H. Flgel PAID
| it TO Jo-eph FlCel owed joseph $1,000 Joseph
/ gave Figol his check for $500.
figel gave Hoffman three $1,000 bills and
| one $500 bill. FIgel paid IL out OF the money
| he had in safe deposit in currency There
were two other checks that Figel
| casned ior Hoffman in the same way.
The other and more important paper
read by the Chief was a statement made
! by Figpl, and was headed "Figeis State
/ ment June II, 1897" 1t read as follows:
In regard to that $14s2 in your draft.
| About II month before mis- death he told me to
! get rim $500 from Mr.. 4. Joseph, and not TO
! tel Josep wnom II was TOR The note came
! due on June /, and l asked Mr. Hoffman for
/ the m Jney. He at that lime Ope ming the
mai, and he got 10 the Sl4S2 check, and said,
| Give him this asked hIm to indOise II, and
| he said. You can do that,' winch did, think
J ing nothing would ever come from IL. l tnen
! GOT Mr. Joseph's handbook and deposited the
| amount 10 mis- credit. The reason ! did not
give the check to Joseph was because Mr..
Hoffman aid not want Joseph TO know IL was
! from him. / notice that Mr.. X, the receiving
! teller, says in this mornings papers that WAS
/ very nervous. / admit that was very excited
/ that day. Mr.. Hoffman was busy upstairs that
! day, and desired to draw some money from
| the bank 70 pay the bands, and also desired 10
send some money 10 New Gork, and also de-
/ sired to look over the deposit slip, but he did
! not come down from upstairs Till or q little
| after, and wss rushed 10 get there before the
closing hours OF Ihe bank.
The following remarkable word parry
| ing on the part of the Chief then ensued
when he was interrogsted by the Coroner:
"Chief, has he made any verbal state
ments to you since then2"
''Ae has, but wish to see him before =
MAKE any statements concerning thsm.T
did he ever make any statements re-
| gardinG that $500 note?"
He did,"
ibid you ever ask him the direct ques-
tion if he was short in his accountsP"
II did,
What did he say 10 your"
| II prefer not to say anything until
confer with Mr.. Figel"
But we want you to answer that ques-
| tion."
"Well, ne said no."
"Did he ever MAKE any statement to
you about that $500 deposit2''
'Yes, SIR"
| Did lie ever make any additional state
| ments yer bslIy?"
Il prefer li-tening to Mr.. Figers testi-
mony before l say what my interviews
wers."
But Chief, you are on the stand and I
want you to answer. II you refuse say
| so."
II do not refuse He simply made
statements TO the same import as those
written. | cannot make 1t any palmer
! than that"
Chief Lees was then dismissed and At.
torney Henry Eickhoff of San Rafael was
called to the chair. His testimony was 10
the effect that he was waiting at the ferry
| TO take the boat 10 Tiburon on evening OF
June l, and that FiGel arrived on the same
rrand while he was waiting. He fixed
| the time of Flyers arrival at somewhere
| between 6:2S and $3.50 p. NJ In reply 10 a
! question, he said he jud .ed that Figel
hought he was late from the appearance
| OF The latter when he arrived at the ferry
he noticed that fige carr ed a small
satchel and parcel. He asserted that ne
noticed nothing out of the ordinary in
! Figels appearance. Ever since he had
an exceedingly nervous temperament, but
| he thought there was nothing excep-
| iional in his demeanor on the evening in
! question. Witness Thompson corrobo-
rated Eickhoff's testimony IN regard TO
meeting Figel at the ferry and his appear
ance at that time.
| Harry Lowden of 1402K Geary street
was then called. His testimony developed
the fact that Hoffman must have been
! perfectly aware OF his bookkeeper's pen
chant for nor eracng. In a reply to a
question as 10 whether he had ever had
! conveIaalion on the subject of horseracing
in the presence of Hoffman with Figel he
replied:
II did, on the day of the Merchants
picnic. Figel had sent for me. He asked
me about such questions in horseracing
as the declarations 70 be issued"
Where did this conversation take
| placer
Down at the store. Mr.. Hoffman was
| there"
Did he say anything to your
Not a word.
Harry Hoffman, brother of Isaac Hoff-
/ man, was the next witness 10 testify On
| being asked If he ever had any conversa-
tion with his brother regarding the ousi-
ness affairs of Rothchild g. Ach. be re-