The San Francisco call., 1897-07-11
The Queer Antics Of a
Woman Who Seems to
Be a Lunatic.
Mrs. Addie Farnum Testifes
Against Conductor R. D.
Jackson.
The Young Man Promptly Acquitted
and the Woman Severely Scored =
by the Court.

One OF the most peculiar cases In the
criminal history OF this City was heard
Yesterday morning before Police Judge
Conlan.
Ten days ago a woman named Adds
Farnum procured the arrest of R. D.
Jackson, streetcar conductor, on a
charge of robbery. She claimed he had
stolen her purse, containing $1O0, and
some valuable jewelry.
Jackson was taken into custody, and
after some time behind the bars he was
liberated on substantial bonds.
Mrs. Farnum, the complainant, was the
only witness examined when the case was
called yesterday. She is a comely looking
woman, a trifie over 80 years of age, with
beautiful white teeth, which she shows
con tinually in her hysterical way of
laughing. Her large dark eyes danced
about in her head while she was testify
ing and her every word and movement
indicated mania.
Prosecuting Attorney Mogan asked her
to relate how the defendant had robbed
her, and she did so in her own dislointed
way, contradicting in one sentence the ut
terances OF a moment before.
The unfortunate woman confessed to
having sworn falsely to her residence. and
she could not recollect ever swearing that
she lost 500 and ieweIry when her purse
is alleged to have been taken from her.
Attorney julius Kahn, for the defense,
humaneiy refrained from being severe in
his crosse examination, simply asking the
woman ii it was not fact that she had
been robbed quite often of her purse and
whether she had not on numerous occa-
sions gone about the City borrowing
money dollar at time.
The witness acquiesced to all this in q
cheerful, even hilarious manner.
At this stage Prosecuting Attorney
ad n Sat ha
"Your Honor, l only put this witness
on the stand that you might judge for
yourself what kind of person she is.
believe she is crazy and dangerous 10 be
at large"
Ir dismissing the case Judge Conlan
took occasion 10 say:
II do not think the prosecution has es-
tabllshed case. In regard to the COM
planning witness l really do not know
what to make of her. She is either in
sane or the most orazen liar l have ever
encountered. l cannot punish her for
anything excepting to cause her arrest on
"a charge OF perjury, ana L hardly like to
do that
The entire proceedings seemed a huge
Joke to Mrs. Farnum, who, when tod
she might go, wedged her way toward The
defendant.
Il want 10 shake hands with vou," she
I said, laughingly. II did it ali for YOU.
had the case dismi issed''
But there was somebody else with the
unfortunate Jackson. His wife, red of
eye from weeping and humiliated at the
unhappy predlcament through which she
and her husband had just passed, stepped
up to the woman who had caused her
sorrow. So
Madam" she said sternly, "you will
have 10 desist; this man is my husband"
policeman put Mrs. Farnum out OF
the courtroom, and she joyfulIy proceeded
to the nearest side or ladies entrance
to q bar-room.
The sad feature to this affair is that R..
ID. Jackson, the Young conductor who
was acquitted, has lost his position on ac-
count OF the unmerited and unsought-for
scandal.