The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-09-15
AN ATTORNEY
TN DISGRACE
Lawyer Glidden Pleads
Guilty to a Charge Of
0bscenity.
How a I" Too Moral Man"
Wooed in Vain a Pretty.
Typewriter,
Rejected, Horsewhipped, Indicted
and Now Self Convicted
Criminal.

Lawyer P. B. Glidden appeared in the
and pleaded guilty of having written an
obscene letter to Miss Juanita Ryan. At
the same time several witnesses on his
behalf swore that they had known him
for many years and that he was moral
man, carrying his ideas of morality so far
that he never used tobacco or intoxicating
drinks. In fact, in the language of one OF
the witnesses, he was exceptionally
moral-too much So
Nevertheless the lawyer pleaded guilty
to a charge Of immortality, thus establish
ing the fact that he had deceived them or
that the offense to which he had pleaded
guilty was violent bursting forth OF de-
pravity hitherto unsupported.
Lawyer Gliiden's troubles began about
yeasago 1t was while he was occupy
ing an office in the Daniel Meyer build
ing. In the same building Miss Ryan
was EN- ployed as a typewriter, and Gid
den became enamored of her. But she
did not and could not love Glidden. He
is not fascinating, being about 40, with
sunken eyes, a sallow com pie Xion ard q
fying buttress brow overhanging his face,
the lower part or which is concealed by q
mustache and beard. Miss Ryan is pretty,
even for a typewrit ter, and need not lack
for good-looking suitors equally as moral
as Mr.. Glidden.
Glidden's morality was no proof against
love. Finding himself rejected and de-
spised he began TO prosecute Miss Ryan.
He wrote letters to her of a character 40
halo haf ha MI n ru,-
hided him. Then she placed his letters
in the hands of the PoStoffice Inspec-
tors, and he was arrested and Indicted on
four counts for obscenlty.
Miss RYAN appeared in court yesterday
attired IN deep mourning for the loss of a
relative and wanted to go on the stand
to tell what she knew ABOUT Glidden and
her, but the culprit having pleaded guilty
and the jury having been dismissed Judge
de Haven declined to hear her.
Then A. L. Buckingham was put on the
stand, and came near proving that his
friend GliddeD was eccentric almost TO the
verge of insanity. According to his state
ment Gidden was very studious man.
For several months he did not have more
than seven or eight people call to see him.
He always kept the door of his office
locked and could be heard muttering and
mum bling inside. More than once he
ca me into the witness Office for the loan
of red ink, with which he used to write
letters, interlining them in black ink
Two or three times the witness took let
tiers from him and destroyed them because
they were foolish.
WAS he man who would treat the
reputation of ladies ligh;lv?" asked Law
yer Mahoney.
AS the defendant had already pleaded
guilty of having treated more than lightly
the reputation OF one lady, the court did
not think that the question was relevant,
and the objection of Deputy United
States Attorney Schlesinger was sus-
tanned.
The next witness, d. w. Mcdonald. was
asked: "Have you ever heard him ex-
press his opinion with regard to the fe-
male sex?' This question was also thrown
out.
John G. Hoyt and R. Fl. Swain testified
to Glidden's moral character, and Mr..
swain testified that it was TOO moral.
which caused a smile Of derision to over
spread the features of the fair typewriter.
The too moral man viii be sentenced
next Saturday.