The San Francisco call., 1897-06-24
ACH POINTS
/ TO FLAWS IN
FIGEL'S TALE
Continued from First Page.

the Office under like conditions to those OF
the night of the tragedy and they had
failed 10 hear them.
There was no blood on the pistol when
he examined II, he said, and he had re-
marked that aithou ;h it had been shown
that the weapon had passed from hand to
hand and pocket to POCKET, he had re-
marked that Chief Lees was too good q
detective to allow any blood that might
have been on 1t TO De wiped off. His in
terest in this matter was awakened by the
state emen; that Hoffman's hands were
covered with blood when found.
Chief Lees, he said, insisted that certain
dark spots in the crevices of the handle
were blood. Witness thought they were
rust
The diagram of the blood on the CARPET
he took exception To. He said there was
no blood trail on it, and the diagram had
been made without the Advantage of day.
light. The carpet had been taken from
the floor and rolled up. Chief Lees had
offered to unroll 1t for his inspection, but
be had SAID, No; keep il as it is as evi-
dence, as the blood ii dried might resolve
itself into dust ana blow away if much
exposed" The Chief had promised him
that he would not unroIl it at any time
unless he (Achl was present. Notwith-
standing this he had done so; the report
ers had been shown the carpet.
"Have you submitted the $500 receipt
70 any one other than Mr.. Ames to pass
upon Its genuineness?" asked the Coro-
ner
"Yes-to Mr.. Hickox. Mr.. schmitts. Mr..
kytka, Harry Williams of Williams,
Brown & Co. and others familiar with Mr..
Ho1fman's handwriting. They all pro-
nounce 1t forgery-alI except one, who
said he thought it looked like tracing
/ asked Chief Lees if he had submitted it
TO any one, and he said he mad not"
Did you offer it to him for the pur.
pose 2"
Il told him that everything we hac was
at his service. We have often remarked
about it as being strange that he did not
ask for it..
The Chief suggested to the Coroner the
question: Have you not been very act
i've in this matter yourself?'
''As active as l knew how" was Ach' 5
answer.
81 never went to the Chief about any
thing In this case that he did not send
for Figel for an explanation. The news
papers say that the answer was always
satisfactory to the Chief; he never told
me-"
This closed Achs testimony, and NJ.
Weiner, of Weiner, Pursch & Mandel. was
called and testified that he saw l. Hoff-
man In Sacramento on the evening of May
IL and the morning of the 18th. He had
talked about having an engagement on
the afternoon of the 18TH.
Is. Joseph was the next witness, and an
other very important one. His testimony
caused quite as much of sensation as had
the evidence of FigePs peculiar book
keeping presented by Ach.
Mr.. Josephs is a money-broker and has
q desk in the Hoffman-Rothchild store
lie lives at 1928 Sutter street.
Prior to March 1st," he said, II had
some business transactions with Theodore
Figel. On February 20 1 gave Figel q
check for $1,000"
DO you remember the conversation in
cident TO that transaction ?"
Oh, he occasionally, not often. asked me for
money for few days, saying it was for his
father OF some one else. The $1,000 borrowed
March he said was for Mr.. Atkinson. Oc-
tober ID, 1896, was the first time Mr.. Atkin-
son figured in these transactions, He bor-
Towed $3.50 on q note signed by Atkinson at
that time. He returned that He paid the
$1,000 on April Z He took my bankbook and
deposited the amount in check which he had
received Tor $500 from Los Angeles. The
next day gave him check for $2J00 the
ference.
The next transaction was on April "a.
gave him $1,000, and on May Is $500. let
Ter had come from Atkinson asking him to
pay that amount as his father might need it,
lie showed me the letter, in which the writer
said that he need not be afraid. as he had Sc
curitles enough TO realize $4,000 They were
wheat warehouse receipts. He returned that
money on June L. never charged him inter
est on short loans, but he put SIS in the bank
this time, saying he could stand it l never
had note OF AtkinsOn's but once. ( did not
"Figel visited you on June 3, did he
not?"
Yes; he came to my house on Thurs
day. | was in bed. They said it was
some one from the office and I told them
to send him up. Figei came into the room
and asked me if / had thrown off on him
If / suspected him. l said no. | rose and
dressed and went downtown with him.
He said be was going 10 Ach's Office. On
the way he said how lucky it was that he
had taken a receipt from Mr.. Hoffman for
the $1,000. l left him to go to the store
He TOOK his bunch of keys from his pocket
and singing out one said: Give them to
M. GelIert and say that that. one is for
the Bush-street door.
Did you ask FlgeI what he bad done
with thai $9500?'
HE told me that he had charged it to
the bank account OF Mr. Hoffman. He
told me he was sorry he had not had it
written by Mr.. Gellert.
'.He told me it was May 1S that he
received the receipt from Mr Hoff-
mau.''
Did Figel visit you afterward?'
eyes; he came to the house Thursday
night and paid me balance due on the
$500. We took "a walk together in a
small park near the house, during
which he said he wanted me to d o him a
favor He wanted me to say that 1 had
seen the $1,000 check signed by Mr..
Hoffman. 1 told him 1 could rot do
that l saw the drift OF his remarks
and 1 turned abrubsIy toward home.
Ficel asked me why L turned away so,
but made no reply. when we reached
home, / may say, that he gave himself
aw lie asked me again il 1 would
not say / had seen Hoffman sign the
check He said it was given to him as
a present. j asked him why OF tell the
truth if that was He said he had
no witness and could not substantiate
it. He then wanted me to say that
had let Mr.. Hoffman have this $500
was very angry, but did not let it APP
near, for / saw what had before me.
i asked him why he did not say he let
him have it himself, as he had plenty
of greeHbacks, as had seen them. We
entered the house and sat in the din
inK-room, and he was looking at a
book. After a while he asked me again
to saw that had seen the $35 90 check
signed. When L said no, he stepped
back from the table and said: Wen,
then 1 viii have to take the cOnse-
queDces.'"
Then said: "Well, 1 viii say that did so
TO end The matter and get rio of him.
Did you ever say that you were afraid
of Figel?"
"weII, did not feel any too comfort
able. 3"
- 49,, NJ he 0i'