The San Francisco call., 1897-06-14
Judge Murphy Has Been Re-
taine1 as Associate Coun-
sci by Rothchild.
THE BOOKKEEPERS MYSTER
IOUS CREDITOR,
Interview With the Man TO Whom
Figel Has Owed Thousands
of Dollars.

Another important bit of evidence was
brought TO light in the mysterious Hoff-
man tragedy yesterday that will make 1t
more difficult for Theodore FigeI 10 prove
an alibi. One Of the pieces OF testimony
that Chief Lees appears 10 greatly rely
upon to show that Hoffman could not
have been killed by his bookkeeper is that
the deceased was with Drayman Lauer
after Figel had d parted to catch the boat
TO San Rafael
The latest witness TO come upon the
scene, and who made his first appearance
yesterday at the Office of a ttorney Ach, is
James Maloney, better known as James
Burnett, teamster by occupation. This
is the man who Will contribute testimony
that Ach claims will confirm his theory
that his client was murdered.
After Acn had listened TO what Maloney
aad to say and had instructed his stenog-
rspher to make shorthand report OF the
same he telephoned Tor Chief of Police
Lees and Coroner Hawkins TO come to his
Office, explaining that he had an impor-
tant new witness in the Hoffman case.
The Chief and the Coroner soon made
their appearance, and the witness was
placed under severe examination by the
head of the Police Department.
porters the substance OF WnaJ had been
learned from Maloney.
Maloney Is a Jeanlster by occupation
but has been in the hospital until q lew
days ago. He has not yet fully recovered
his health, and walks with q decided
limp, and Is also troubled with partial
paralysis On the evening of J une l, while
gazing IN the window OF the store at 32l
Hearny street, he heard tue o'clock
whistles blow. He then continued his
sauntering down Kearny street, into
Bush, to Battery. While passing the es-
tablishment OF Hoffman, Rothchild d Co.
ne had his attention attracted by two men
who were at the door, engaged in what
appeared to him to be heated conversa-
ton. One of these men he described as
being tall, heavy-set, full-faced, with
bushy, long whiskers, inclined TO be
sandy. This individual was standing in
the open door, which is the Battery-street
entrance to the place where the tragedy
occurred. The other man was shorter
ana not so stout
he heard several expressions made by
the men. One of these, as near as Chief
Lees could remember without having the
written statement in his hands TO refresh
his memory, was: Come inside and
will show YOU" Both men went in and
Maloney then passed on.
From the description given by Maloney
II is believed the larger man was the dray-
lNQlVlQQal
Hoffman, and that the words overheard
by the new witness were uttered by the
drayman, and was his invitation TO Hoff-
man to have 1t shown TO the mercnant's s
satisfaction that what he took to be smoke
coming up the elevator was nothing more
than dust that was rising from the cellar
from the effects of counterdrafts.
When MaIoney's examination by Chief
Lees had been completed it was deter
mined TO make a practical test OF how
long it took Maloney to walk from 32I
Kearny street, where he says he was when
he heard the O. clock whistle blow to Ii
Battery street Chief Lees, Coroner
Hawkins, Attorney Ach ana the witness
proceeded to the designated number OH
Kearny street and thence MaIonev set tn G
pace to the Battery, Bush and Marker
streets gore. Owing 10 his misfortune the
witness gait is much slower than that oi
the ordinary individuals. 1t took the
party thirteen minutes to reach the from
OF IL Battery street. Allowing for any
little discrepancies in time between the
clock that regulated the blowing of the
whistle that Maloney heard and the cor
rect time, and for any differences in the
time consumed in walking between the
points mentioned on the two occasion.
Maloney probably arrived in front of II
Battery street on the evening of the 1st oI
June at the time that Lauer saws he wa.
engaged in conversation with Hoffman
some time between 6:15 and 6:20 P. N.