The San Francisco call., 1897-08-12
Attorneys Get Fierce
and Blazy-Eyed at
Each Other.
The Colonel is as Poor in
Memory as He Is In
Dollars.
Says He Signed His Property APP
praIsement In the arkness
Of the Jail.

torneys in the Finigan case became heated
to-day and Judge Angellotti was called
upon to ask Sheriff Harrison to preserve
the dignity and the cooiness of the court.
1t all came about through Colonel Peter
A. Fingan's loss of memory. Attorney
7. J. Crowley, for Mrs. Emily B. Finigan,
the plaintiff in the divorce proceedings.
was asking the colonel, who was on the
stand, about certain property in Alameda
mortgaged 10 G. C. Bemis to secure the
note made by Finigan to A. B. Spreckels.
The witness got trifie confused in his
testimony and nun ber of times replied
that he didn't know. Crowley then asked
him if he knew his own age.
George Williams, one OF Finigan's attor.
neys, objected to this query, and address
ing Crowley said, at is none of your busi-
ness"
Crowley took offense at the remarks and
jumping from his seat moved toward Will
liams in threatening manner. Judge
Angellotti pounded the desk with his
clenched fists and ordered the Sheriff to
preserve order, which he did by ordering
the irate attorneys into their seats.
The case was called at O'Clock to-day.
Mrs. Finigan and her father were present
and Colonel Finigan sat with his attor-
neys.
Mrs. Emily Finigan was present at the
trial to-day. She alleged, it will be re-
membered, that Finigan had told other
than the truth in regard 10 his schedule
and inventory in Insolvency, and that he
was trying to defraud his creditors and
her in particular. 1t was in regard to
these allegations that the Finigan matter
came up to-day.
General R. H. Warfield of the Hotel
Rafael, where Colonel Finigan lives with
his daughters, was the first witness. He
said that Finigan had come to him and
said that he was short of money, but paid
$3.50 and then gave ten shares of Ingleside
racetrack stock as security for $500 he
owed.
Warfield converted the stock into cash
and received $3.50. At present Finlgan is
living at the swell hotel on credit, has
been for some time and will be for some
time to come. The witness knew nothing
of any other property belonging 10 the
colonel, and then Attorney Williams
asked him if the Hotel Rafael was large,
first-class hotel. This provoked laughter,
and after he stated that he had trusted
others besides Finigan he was allowed to
depart.
Then Colonel Finigan himself was
called, and after belng sworn was handed
the schedule inventory and appraisement
in his insolvency case. This called up
bad recollections. He swore that he had
signed it, but did not know what it con-
tanned, for when he signed it he said he
didn't know what he was dong.
'.It was brought to Inc in JAIL" said he,
land it was dark in there; couldn't see
very well. but suppose 1 know what it
means. My attorneys handed it TO me,
and / knew 1t was correct, but / cooldn't
tell what was in the statement now. Oh,
no."
Colonel Finigan was told to examine it
carefully and read it through. He said it
would take some time for him to do that,
and he would like TO take it home and IN
spect it. This request was promptly
denied.
Slowly he read the document that was
the means of getting him out of jail, and
when he came to Mrs. Finigan's name he
expressed surprise at finding she was a
creditor named by him to the sum of
$105O. why" SAID he, 81 thought only
owed her $3.50"
He didn't know if the Hotel Rafael bill
for $1,000 was right but he guessed it was.
He didn't keep account. When the
Bemis note and mortgage for $1,000 came
before his eyes he said it was wrong. He
attempted to straighten it out Under
Crowley's questions Finigan commenced
to forget, and finally Williams appealed
to the court and asked If the colonel was
getting decent hearing Finigan said
that when he told Bemis he had not the
money to pay the Spreckels note, which
Bemis indorsed, Bemis got angry. The
note was for $4,000, so Fingan gave Bemis
$1,000 security, and Bemis was 10 give
Finigan $4,000; but, as Finigan testified,
Bemis backed out, and so Fin1gan went
without the odd $4,000. 1t was then
brought out that after the divorce case
had been commenced Finigan bad turned
over property in Alameda to his daugh-
ters
Pending an investigation of this the
hearing went over, and unless, SO the
court ruled, the attorneys could show this
transaction, the matter would be dis
missed.