The San Francisco call., 1897-05-19
ATTORNEY CANE PbELL
NOW HAS HIS SAY
Will Present Carl w. Won
Tiedemann's Defense
To- Day.
Testimony Will Be offered to
Show That the Prisoner
Was Victimized.
Presented TO the Court and Jury as
a Guileless Young Man Who Suf.
fered From a Cons piracy.

Carl W. Won Tiedemann felt considera-
Bile relief yesterday afternoon when DIP
uty District Attorney Black announced to
Judge Wallace that the prosecution had
no further testimony to offer touching
Won Tiedemann's guilt on a charge of
perjury for swearing that Mrs. Sarah
Owen Spencer i'm personated Mrs. Harriet
P. Christy.
After a brief consultation with his client
Attorney Alexander Campbell made pre-
liminary statement of what he expected
to prove in the case for Won edemann's 8
defense. Mr.. Campbell said he would
show to the satisfaction of the jury that
Won Tiedemann was an inexperienced
young man who had little money and
wanted to go in business for himself; that
he looked about him and was attracted by
the real estate outlook, so he opened an
Office for the selling and renting OF land /;
that while thus engaged he fell a victim
to the schemes of that chief of swindlers,
Guy S. Whitcomb, who was assisted in his
vie schemes by John FL. Fidler, Lincoln
Carr and others who are unknown to the
police.
Mr.. Campbell said he would further
prove that the unscrupulous persons he
| had named conspired to defraud not only
| the clients of Won Tiedemann but Won
| Tiedemann himself and that this prosecu-
| tion is being pressed by some who had
| not been as successful as they had hoped
| in obtaining Doodle.
Won Tiedemann through the trial has
| maintained his dignified department. He
Is constantly attended by two faithful
| friends who are present at every session
| of the court.
| In the first part of the day John H. Fid-
| ler, alias Pratt alias Christy, a convict
| now dong time in the State Prison at Fol-
som, testified that he was associated with
! Won TIedemann in the fraudulent transac.
ton which led to the M mortgaging of prop
| erty belonging to Mrs. Harriet p. Christy,
| and that Won Tiedemann knew all about
the false personation of Mrs. Christy
| when he swore that the person looked like
| picture of Sarah Owen Spencer; that, in
! fact, Won Tiedemann knew it was not Mrs.
| Spencer who personated Mrs Christy.
Lincoln Carr, former partner of Won
| Tiedemann, who is now serving term in
| the State Prison at Folsom, for a transac-
! ton in which Fioler and Won Tiedemann
were said to be interested, was called as
witness for the prosecution. He proved
| voluble talker and gave detailed history
| of his connection with Won Tiedemann.
He said he was present when Guy s.
| Whitcomb and John S. Fldler had a talk
| with Thompson, one OF the victims of the
half-iaterest swinders. He did not hear
all that was said. but heard them demand
$3.50 OF Thompson. Learning that Thorn p
son had only 800 they agreed to take that
anu he went to the bank to get the money.
Thompson subsequently came in and gave
the money to Fidler. He saw some $40
gold pieces. Whitcomb and a man named
Egbert were also present and Won Tiede-
mann was concerned In the affair.
Carr swore that he advised Thorn pson to
have nothing to do with the job that was
being offered to him by Whitcomb and the
others.
No definite information could be OBJ.
tanned from Carr in regard to the forgery
of Mrs. Christy's signature and the pro-
duction of bogus mortgage on her prop
erty, but the witness was permitted to
recount a significant conversation be-
tween Won Tied eman and Whitcomb.
s'One day in 1894 Whitcomb came into
our Office" said Carr, "and began to talk
with Won Tiedeman. He was telling how
he intended to do up San Francisco before
he left. He said he knew OF several good
modes of doing business; that if he only
h ad possession OF a good piece of property
or the title to it he could raise the money
easily. To this Won Tiedeman replied: &
will get the property if you will get the