The San Francisco call., 1897-06-16
SEEKING TO
SOLVE THE
MYSTERY
Coroner Hawkins Begins the
Inquiry Into Hoffman's
Death.
CHIEF LEES SUBMITS LETTERS
OF INTEREST.
They Tell Of Bitter Family Estrangement.
The Chief Of Police and Coroner
Hawkins Not in Perfect
Harmony.

No Coroner's inquest ever held in this
City probably attracted more general and
deeper interest than that which began
yesterday into the death of Isaac Hoff-
man, which to-day, after a apse of two
weeks, is enslrouded in as great mystery
as when the first doubt was cast upon the
manner of his end.
Coroner Hawkins had fixed the hour for
beginning the inquiry at 10 o'clock, and at
least an hour before that tine the street
and Railways near the Coroner's office,
where the inquest is being held, gave
marked indications that something of un-
usual interest was transpiring n the vi
cinity. But no preparations had been
made to accommodate the general public.
and during the entire period of the hear
ing people had to be refused admission 10
where tne jury was sitting and where the
witnesses were being examined.
Despite the fact that the general run of
seekers after the morbid had to be ex-
cluded from necessity, the room in which
the proceedings went on presented some
interesting figures and scenes.
At his desk sat DR., Hawkins, the
, Coroner, with Chief Lees at his left and
Attorney Ach and ex-Judge Murphy, in
the order named, at his right.
Facing them was the jury OF
ten men, composed of the following
| named: B. Fross, l. Erb, f. Schneider, H.
L. B. Smith, William Geiman, c. Hoff-
man, F. Braun, J. Peirani, J. Heller, J. Gull
lgan. Near to the entrance, in as incon-
picuous position as they could find, sat
Mrs. Dora Hoffman, widow of the de-
ceased, with Joseph Napthsly, her attor-
ney, and Harry and Abe Hoffman. the
two brothers of the dead merchant.
Close by this group was ex-J udge Louder
| back, one of the attorneys retained 10 look
after the rights and interests of Theodore
A. Figel.
Seeking apparently to avoid notice as
much as possible, Lizzie Morrin stood in
the passagewav leading to the inner office.
Figel, though about the premises, did not
make his appearance in the room where
the investigation was going on. On the
wall, directly facing the jury, was hung
the diagram of the offices of Hoffman,
Rotnchild & Co. in which the tragedy had
been enacted. 1t was the same that
showed a track of irregular blood spatters
between the offices and to which Attorney
Ach had made strong objections on the
score of its being inaccurate. He claimed
that there was no trail of blood, as indi-
Gated, visible on the carpet, and holds il
as his opinion that the body was dragged
or carried from one office TO the other,
this being one of his strong points to sub
stantiate his theory OF murd T.
Chief Lees was the first witness called
and took up most of the time of the two
and a half hours session. He was ex.
| tremely deliberate and meth odical in pre-,
| senting his testimony and exhibits to the
| jury, and neither the apparent irritability
OF Ach nor the unmistaka Bile hints of the
| Coroner to have him expedite matters
| made any impression on the head of the
! Police Department. He went on present.
! ing bit after bit of bullets and bone, pho.
tographs, letters, pistols, cartridges and
other old and new things. To the Coro
ner's mind ne seemed inclined to wander
from telling strictly what he knew of hi;
own knowledge, and he was cautioned tC
confine himself to legal lines of procedure
| This he resented, and in a curt manner
| gave the Coroner to understand that ht
would proceed as he thought proper. TC
save time lie was not again interrupted.
After each batch of exhibits had beer
drawn forth from the capacious satche
! that lay by the side of the Chief the Coro
I er would ask, Anything morep' anc
the Chief would stoop over and SLOWLY
drawl out, PLENTY more; 1 have go
enough to keep you going for a couple o
hours, anyway" Then up would come
bundle of letters. tin box of scraps O
bones or bullets, revolver or collection
of grewsome photographs But the Coro
ner got in checkmate just before the ad
| iournment for the day. The Chief haC
called off list of letters that had beer
found on the person and in the desk of tht
deceased, and to give a dramatic clima1
to the day was about to begin the reading
OF the letters, when the Coroner said tina
that was not necessary at that time, anG
would have to be postponed.
While Lees was entering into tht
minute details of the wounds that had
been found on the deceased and toying
| with pieces OF the skull of Isaac Holman
the widow, who was where she had
clear view of where the witnesses sat
visibIy paIed and her look of sadness grew
deeper.
Attorney Louderback created consider
able of a diversion early in the proceed
ings by obiecting to one OF the jurors, wht
he said was dealer with and a credito
of the firm of which Hoffman had been
member. The juror he had reference Il