The San Francisco call., 1897-07-17
The Man Who Would Not
Be Corrupted" Makes No
New Disclosures.
Mrs. Craven Reappears in Court
Ready to Resume Her
Testimony.
Attorney Delmas Gould Not Be in
Attendance, However, So the Case
Went Over Until Monday.

"Bom bshell" Aitken. the witness in the
Fair Craven trial who tells the story
about Mrs Craven having tried to corrupt
him into giving false testimony, saw the
last of his cross-examination yesterday
and bade his torturer, Attorney FoOte,
adieu, and the witness-stand as well.
Looking rather wan and worn after her
long spell OF sickness Mrs. Craven made
her reappearance in Judge Slack's court
room and announced herself ready to go
on the stand again and nave her examina-
ton finished. She was being cross-ex-
amined by her own counsel, d. M.
Delmas. when she was taken i'll. and that
would have been resumed yesterday
afternoon had not Mr.. Delnas been COM
pelIed to absent himself from court at
that particular time. As the mi after stan DIS
now the lady will not resume the inter-
estipg story of ner dealings with the late
Senator Fair until Monday morning.
Mr.. Foote did not daily long with Ait
ken after the morning session was for
maily opened. He evidently considered
that he had accomplished sufficient in the
way or casting discredlt on the man who
could not be CORRUPTED when he showed
up the witness record at the previous
sessions.
"Is there not an understanding be-
tween yourself and Attorney Wheeler by
which YOU are to be allowed to win the
Rife damage case, in which you are inter-
ested, as means of compensating you
for the testimony you have ven here2"
asked Mr.. Foote.
mo; there is no such understanding, ("
replied Aitken. Just the same, though,
I expect to win the Rife case even though
Mr.. Wheeler believes to the contrary"
That practically closed the cross-ex.
animation, and Altken was turned over to
the attorneys for the Fair heirs tor re-
direct questions.
Judge Slack announced that he had
come to the conclusion that he had erred
slightly when several days ago he ruled
that Altken could not be ques toned AS to
the details OF his alleged refusal by letter
to serve Mrs. Craven as one OF her attor-
news and also to testify in her behalf The
court now reversed this ruling and, said
that Mr.. Wheeler could if he SO desired
examine Aitken on this point. Wheeler
did so and also introduced in evidence the
letter that Aitken sent 10 Mrs. Craven.
II this missive he simply told that lady
that he had refused Martin Kellys offer
TO remunerate him il he went into the
case, and declared that all negotiations
were at an end. Aiken said he returned
the typ written contract that he had
been asked to sign along with the letter. u
AT Wheeler's direction Aiken then pro-
ceeded to retell, but more in detail, the
story OF how he happened 10 disclose to
the at iorneys for The heirs what he knew
about the case. He had called on Mr..
Wheeler in connection with the Rife case
and after that had been disposed OF
Wheeler said he understood that Aitken
was going 10 be witness against HIM In
the Fair Craven suit. AItken denied this
and told the attorney, SO he says. all about
how he virtuously spurned the iady's
proposition.
Aitken was next given an opportunity
to relate his version of his San Diego
scrape, which resulted in his b ing in
dcted for faisifying his own records. He
said it was all tine result of political strife,
and he took pains to have it appear that
he was entirely innocent of the crime
charged against him, and that he was
made the victim of the enmity of others.
He denied that ne only escaped the peni-
tentiary on a technlcalitv:
That finished Aitken's story and the
court took a recess for lunch. When the
afternoon proceedings were opened Judge
benson asked Tor continuance until
Monday, on behalf of the defense. He
said that Mrs. Craven was in court and
ready to resume the stand, but that Mr..
Delmas, who had been cond ucting her ex-
animation, was unavoidably absent.
None of the Other attorneys for the de-
tense, he said, felt like underl aklng the
responsibility of cond ucting the exami-
nation of the lady. He therefore aske
the court to be indulgent. Messrs. Wheeler
and Mitchell objected, but to no purpose,
for Judge Slack ordered the continuance.