The San Francisco call., 1897-06-17
WILL POWER
: HER MAIN
SUPPORT
Mrs. Craven Is III, but She
Refuses to Quit the
Stand.
BADGERED THROUGH AN.
OTHER SESSION.
Russell Wilson Was the Only
Honest 0le of the
Whole Crowd
THE LITTLE COUP M'ENERNEY
ATTEMPTED.
A Man Who Locke Like Him Offered
Her Large Sum to Suppress
the Information.
BADGERED THROUGH AN.
OTHER SESSION.
THE LITTLE COUP M'ENERNEY
ATTEMPTED.
A Man Who Looked Like Him offered
Her Large Sum to Suppress
the Information.

Rather than undergo anticipated jibes
OF derision for outright era wishing the
attorneys for the Fair heirs did not insist
upon their request yesterday to withdraw
Mrs. Nettie R. Craven from the witness
stand.
While it is more than apparent, not
only from their statements in open court
but from their actions as well, that these
gentlemen have found their promise to
prove conspiracy out of the lady's own
mouth rather too hot to hold, still it is
equally evident that they are making a
star play to cover their retreat and have
II appear that they have other and far
more i'm mportant conspiracy evidence up
their sleeves and wish to produce it. They
undoubtedly rely for the greater part of
this upon the possibility that John r.
Aiken, the attorney who was dismissed
by Mrs. Craven, will go on the Witness
stand and testify that he negotiated with
her to give false testimony regarding the
disputed deeds. And although having
admitted that they want 10 get rid of Mrs.
Craven-and would have released her
had her attorneys permitted it without
themselves having an opportunity to
cross.exa mine her they badgered her
throughout yesterdays session with what
were paIpably unimportant and irrelevant
and sometimes almost brutal questions.
Mrs. Craven was quite i'll and they took
quick advantage of this fact, as well as of
the appeals OF her counsel for fair treat
ment, to renew their request to take her
from the stand before completing their
direct examination. But despite her
feeble condition Mrs. Craven would not
consent to this. She insisted upon seein Q
The ordeal out, come what may. There
are many things she wishes to discuss
while under the Cross-examination of her
own attorneys-matteTs which, she says
will expose the utter fallacy of the accu-
satlons of conspiracy and forgery-and
she prefers to remain on the stand until
the direct inquiry IS tinis he'd.
Should the attorneys Tor the heirs have
been given their way it might be weeks
before her counsel could have her as their
witness, and in the meantime she would
have TO live under the suspense, suspicion
and prejudice of those practically unan-
swered accusations.
and it was feared that she would be un-
able TO return, but through the force of
her own indomiteble VIII power she rail-
lied sufficient strength 10 resume the chair
of torture.
Judge Slack opened the session of the
specimens of Mrs. Craven's handwriting E
could not be admitted as evidence for pur-
poses of comparison with the pencil inter
Hneations found on an alleged duplicate
OF her contract with Attorney John r.
Aitken. This was the point that was IN
der debate when court adjourned Tuesday
evening. The ruling was a Knockout for
the counsel tor the heirs and their only
satisfaction was 10 formally except to the
courts decree.
Attorney Wheeler being Instructed to
let the case proper proceed, called Mrs.
Craven back 10 the witness-stand osten-
sibly in order to make the way clear for
him TO offer in evidence another XDibit.
This happened 10 be the letter which
Judge" Aiken wrote to Mrs. Craven at
the time that he com piled with her re-
quest to return the typewriter contract
entered into Dy them. The attorney made
the offer all right enough, but when Mr.
Delmas demanded to know the purpose
OF this evidence the explanations were not
satisfactory, and the court shut it out.
Attorney Mitchell MADE a long argu-
ment in the hope of securing a reversal of
the ruling by the court, but his Honor
held his ground firmly.
The Fair attorneys gave up the idea of
putting Exhibits in evidence, and Mr..
Wheeler elected to ask Mrs. Craven a lew
more questions about her knowledge OF
Aiken.
''Will you swear that you saw Judge
Aitken in Saor4mento between the 1st and
25th of February, 1852 he asked.
1T was either in January or February" !"
was the reply.
But will you swear it was in Feb
ruary?"
II will swear, tell you, that it was
either in January or February. l cannot
fix the exact date"
Wheeler circled around with mum Der
of odds and ends of questions with the
hope OF getting nearer to the exact date
tndt the lady got acquainted with Judge
Aitken. The Governor Budd interviews,
the lobbying al the capital for the teach
ers' pension bill. newspaper interviews
and other like incidents were recalled but
Mrs Craven could not find anv assistance
in these in brushing up her memory.
There were MANY things happening at
that time and they crowded upon each
other 30 rapidly that she could not deh-
niteIy fix any of them in her mind as re-
CARDS dates.
Mr.. Wheeler wanted to know If George
R. Williams was ever the lady's attorney,
and, receiving a negative reply, looked
up with an expression of joy such as has
not graced his classic coun tenence during
the past two iroublous days. But he only
fell upon another mares nest.
Seizing the deposition made by Mrs.
Craven many months ago he thumoed
over the pages until he came to place
where the lady discussed Williams and
the drawing up of the contrac: by which
it was intendea by the heirs to buy her
off. 1t appeared IN the deposition that
she spoke of Mr.. Williams as her lad
wiser" This, Wheeler seemed to think,
proved that the lady was equivocating.
Mrs. Craven explained, however, that Mr.
Williams was Stephen Roberts attorney,
and in that capacity she considered him
her adviser but not her regularly en-
ployed attorney.
Being shy Of pertinent questions to hurl
at the witness at this moment, Wheeler
sought to have a black eye touched up, so
TO speak. This was the ''shanty" Mrs.
Craven erected for the Fair attorneys last
Friday, when she told in open court how