The San Francisco call., 1897-08-18
MRS. HOFF MAN
ON THE STAND
She Says Her Husband Was
Kind and a Strictly
Moral Man.
Mr.. Justin Sold the Defendant
a Pistol the Night of
the Shooting.
The Deceased Told John Lauer He
Was Waiting for Pigel That
Evening.

o'clock yesterday morning.
The principal testimony was given by
the widow of Mr.. Hoffman and John
Lauer, who saw Mr.. Hoffman short
time before he was killed.
Louis Friedman was the first witness
called for cross-examinaton. which was
conducted by General Barnes. He went
over the witness testimony on direct ex-
animation as to meeting Hoffman on the
night he was killed. Mr.. Barnes asked:
What did you say TO him2"
81 said in a joking way, Hoffman, are
you happy? He replied, Iaug ughingly-"
Never mind how he said it. What did
he say?"
He said. How can be happy with a
M other-in-lawP -
Did he use any profane or vulgar Ian
guage?"
II don't remember"
The court asked: DO you know what
'profane' or vulgar language means?"
II know what vulgar means, but not
profane."
The court then explained what profane
language was and gave some examples.
The witness said he did not recollect Mr..
Hoffma an using any such language.
The witness further stated that he fre-
quently walked AS far as Market street
with Hoffman in the evening; that he
knew f. gel, and that when he said good
night to Mr.. Hoffman it was about 6:l5
Did ycu have any previous converse
tion with Hoffman about his domestic
relationsP' This was objected to and the
court sustained the objection.
DR.. E. E. Hill testified that he was al
the Receiving Hospital the night Hoff-
mans baby was brought in. He exam
ined the wounds and noticed a ring of
smut around the wound on the cneeK.
The inside of the mouth was not examined
in his presence.
On Gro discrimination he said the pow
der mark on the cheek was about the size
of a two bit piece.
The widow OF the deceased, Mrs. Dora
Hoffman. was called, and testified that
she had been married ten years and had
four children. She said she had seen Mr..
Hoffman in the morning and that he lett
home IN good spirits.
WAS he TO bring anything home in the
EVENING""
Yes, my ailowance-somem money"
''Did you ever know your husband to
have pistol?"
Never"
"Were you and your husband on good
terms2''
"The very best; we never quarreled.
On the Saturday before his death he
made me present.
She further testified that he was always
kind and affectionate to herself and the
children, and that he was temperate
and strictly moral man. He always came
home to dinner. and on the evening OF
his death when he didn't come to dinner
she had the nurse telephone to the office,
but receiving no answer she sent the nurse
down to the Office to see what was the
matter.
Al, -aI haa
him express any views RS to firearms?"
Then turning to General Barnes he asked:
DO you obipct?' Barnes said he did,
and Mr.. Ach remarked: Objection sus-
tained."
Lizzie Morrin, the nurse, testified that
she had tried TO telephone TO Mr.. Hotf-
man that evening, but could not get CEN
traI. Mrs. Hoffman then told her to go
down to the store to see what was the
matter.
Clarence Post. the mailing clerk, was
recalled. Mr.. Ach asked:
What are your duties at Hoffman,
Rothchild & Co. IS store?"
General Barnes objected. He said the
witness had testified as to this once.
Judge Campbell said he didn't think
the witness could be coached.
Miss Slaetor read the Cooper letter from
her notes. 1t was personal letter in re-
gard 10 the proposed purchase of stock
of goods. and it was offered to show that
Mr. Hoffman was making plans for the
future at the time of his death.
Detective Crockett was recalled, and
told what he had done with the pistol on
June 2. He got it from the property
clerk that morning, took Il 10 The Morgue
and returned it 10 the CLERK. Later he
got it again and took it TO the Hoffm an
Rothchild store and showed it to Mr.
Post.
Mark II. Dreifuss, salesman of the
firm, swore that he never knew Mr.. Hoff-
man to have revolver. 'On June l." he
said. AZ was talking to Mr.. Hoffman and
he told me to go to San Jose the next Sun-
day and he would go down Monday. We
were going to see some customers. He
was also planning TO go to Fresno.
once heard him say that he was getting
along well, and if his children got along
as we'll as he did he would be satisfied"
Hippisley Justin, salesman for Allen q
Co. dealers in guns, said that on June l,
at about 5 minutes past 6, ne sold Figel
3S-calIber revolver and box of cartridges
He put them in va'ise.
The witness testified that he had meas
ured the distance from the desk in the
conversation room to the hole in the wall
and he found it to be 234 inches to the top
and 13L inches to the center. He said he
thought the bullet had been fired from
the direction of he telephone door.
On cross-examination General Barnes
brought out the fact that when Fiqel
bought the pistol he had made the state
ment that he had sold smaller pistol.
Jonn Lauer, drayman, testified that
he had seen Hoffman between o'clock
and 6:15. He said: "When came UP to
his store Mr. Hoffman was coming out of
the door. He mailed letter in the box
in front of the store. He called me into
the store to see if there wasn't some
smoke coming up the elevator shaft. We
went down in the cellar and found it was
nothing but dust. We went out on the
street again and Hoffman locked the
"He asked me if I had any money. /
loaned him $40. Then my wagon came
nm and I got in and drove away. Before
this he told me he was waiting for Fl ell"
In the cross-examination he said he
went over to Hoffman's store to see
schultz. He had sent his wagon down to
the docks and after he left the store in the
wapon he went mp to 41S Post street for
some goods. When he got there it was
$3.50.
What did Mr.. Hoffman do after you
left MIN p
"He walked toward Bush street."
"What elsep"
II didn't look to see. If had known
10 r ha- ID