The San Francisco call., 1897-06-09

Thomas was correct in his statement
complete and conclusive alibi would be
established for Figel. Otherwise the mat
ter would still remain in doubt.
Last night the attorney had expert
ments M ale with pistol in the store
where Hoffman's body was found under
circumstances as nearly similar as pos
sible TO those under which the tragedy Is
supposed to have taken place.
Al $50 O. clock yesterday evening quite
a group of attorneys, newspapermen and
friends of the dead merchant had congre-
gated al Battery and Bush streets to wit
ness the experiments. Nj. o. Feudner Ot
E. T. Allen g. Co. was stationed inside the
office with the same kind of pistol and
the same kind of cartridges that are sup
posed TO have caused Isaac Hoffman's
death. With him inside the building were
Captain HlnGe OF the Pinkertons, Messrs.
Rothchild and Schultz and several news
paper representatives. Outside of the
building, on Bush street, were stationed
Attorney Ach, NJ. II. Dreyfus, Henry B.
Harris and another group of newspaper
men.
1t had been prearranged that the shots
should be fired at 6:35, the time when
Thomas said he heard the shots on the
1st A CALL reporter and several others
stood where Thomas had stood and lis
tened intentIy for the sound of the pistol
shot Attorney Ach stood twenty feet
nearer the Hoffman store. On the north
side of Bush street, almost directly op-
posite and in front oil the Merchants
restaurant, were 81. H. DrevIus and A
P. Anderson OF Levi, Strauss e. Co.
Directly in front of the side door of the
building stood S. F. Newberry.
Those outside had all set their watches
with the watch of FeudDer, who was 10 d o
the shooting. As they listened inIentIy
they kept their eyes upon their watch
dials. At 6:35 Newberry, who was stand
ing right in front CT the door, raised his
finger, indicating that one shot had been
fired. None OF the listeners who stood
where Thomas had stood heard the shots,
nor did Attorney Ach, who stood several
yards closer. At 6:36H and 6:37 succeed
ing shots were fired, out Ach and those
with him heard nothing. although they
had moved several PAGES closer after being
signaled that the first shot had been
fired.
The listeners in front of the Merchants
restaurant declared they bad heard only
one of the shots, probably the one that
was fred in Rothchild's Office, where the
body of Hoffman, was found, the first two
shots having been fired into the ceiling o.
the private conversation-room, where
Hoffmann's pistol was found.
This settles Thomas story about hav
ing heard the pistol-shot," declared At
torney Ach, after the experiments were
over. I'VE have used a pistol which i.
! the counterpart of that which caused
! Hoffman's death; we have used blacI
! powder cartridges identical with thos,
used in Hoffman's pistol and we had th'
shots hred u into the air, thus making
more noise than if they had been aimee
toward the floor, as they probably were
And yet none of us who stood wher
Thomas stood. or even nearer, hea rd
sound. And New berry, who stood close t,
the door and heard the noise, said a per
! son unfamiliar with the sound of firearm
would not be certain that 1t was the sounC
of shot being fired"
Cnlef Lees was not present during thes
experiments, nor did he have a repre- sen
tatlve there When told of the result O
Ach performance he only shrugged hi
shoulders to indicate his indifference ant
suggested that the same experiment
made under very slightly different circum
stances might give different results.