The herald., 1897-12-25
But Axtell Tells His Story
to the Jury
ADJOURNMENT TILL MONDAY
MRS. ERoLINDA COURTNEY OF
QUARTZ GOES FREE
The Temple Street Cable Case-A
Policeman'e Troubles-Mort-
gaging Temperance Temple

gun in earnest yesterday morning before
Judge Van Dyke and jury in Depart
Ynent four of the superior court, and went
on with a will until shortly before the
noon hour, when the absence of x-Mem
ber of the Board of Education j. f. Ad-
ans brought the case to a standstill, so
far as the taking of testimony is con-
cerned, that must last until Monday at
10 o'clock.
While the council chamber has been
filled almost to suffocation evening after
evening during the pendency of the in
vestigation by the board, with all classes
of people, there was woeful lack of in
terest shown in the court proceedings,
which mean in the end Webb's ignomin
iouh dismissal from or disastrous reten
ton in office. There was room to spare
in court room No. at all times yester
day. Most of the audience consisted of
city hall hangers-on, small-caliber pol
iticians and representatives of de push"
besides a few individuals who are friends
Of the defendant. There were also pres
ent some persons who do not love Webb
and who would be happy to witness the
QOWuldll VI the Ildl WIZ dlIiicu " Oe
czar Of the school department of Los
Angeles.
AS matter of fact, nothing could have
been more devoid of interest than the
rehearsal of the crookedness of Axtell,
Adams and Webb, now lacking all the
spice of novelty that lent some actually
to the revelations of those who were held
up, as they told the corrupt doings in the
council chamber.
Webb sat beside his attorney, Me-
serve, alert and wide-awake, prompting
his council or digging into the big vol
umes which form the evidence taken
before the grand jury, for some needed
passage with which to confront Axtell
The member Of the school board from the
Ninth ward may be inwardly nervous as
to the results of his trial, and he has
good reason to be, but he will not be
charged with having shown lack of
sand to fight his cause, however bad it
may be. His pugnacity may yet aban-
don him, but never until he shall have
fought his battle to the bitter end. His
outward demeanor in court shows no
fear-nothing but the eagerness that
hate inspires to confound his accusers
and show them up in as bad a light as
ne STANDS nlmSelr.
The superintendent of buildings
and Janitors, Axtell. chewed gum or to-
bacco to give himself countenance while
on the stand and under the cross exam
ination from the defense, which was
merciless and cruel in the extreme if not
undeserved. Some questions he an
swered affirmatively; some of his state
ments at variance in different places he
explained as best he could; some ques-
tions he parried skillfully, and when he
was pushed too far, the attorneys for the
prosecution interposed objections on the
ground that the questions We're imperti-
nent, irrelevant, irresponsive, immateri-
al and not cross-examination. But while
the witness was in the hands of Webb's
attorneys, although they showed that
Axtell's stories before the board and AK
tells stories before the grand jury were
not alike, they failed to shake the evil
dence in chief at his examination yes
terday.
In order to save time, it was stipulat-
ed between the attorneys on both sides
that Webb was the member of the
school board from the Ninth ward, and
E. E. Cooper the janitor of the Sentous-
street school, at a monthly salary of $65.
Then Cooper was called, but failed to
answer. Axtell had just been sworn and
was ready to be examined when the jan
itor arrived. He was substituted for AK
tell and told how he had been janitor
for three terms. Then he related the
story of the holdup by his superintend-
ent, which has been fully related in these
columns during the investigation by the
board. He wanted to pay his assess
ment in installments, but that was de-
q MED him, and when he was ready to pay
he sought Axtell who sent him to the
Rev. Pitman with his $65 and directed
him to hand the sum to him. On cross
examination, Cooper denied knowing
that he had been recommended by Mem
ber c. c. Davis. He said that he saw
webb for the first time long after he had
received his appointment.
It was now AXtell's turn. Under the
questions of the prosecution the witness
went over all the matter again, which
was adduced at the investigation of the
board and the grand jury and caused
the latter body to issue it's accusation
against Webb.
He testified, however, for the first
time yesterday that Webb was present
at a conversation in which Adams and
himself also participated at which the
Cooper hold-up was first mentioned.
Webb, he said, suggested to him that he
should get money from Cooper and both