The herald., 1898-03-06
BARNETT GOES TO JAIL
HE WOULD NOT OBEY THE
COURTS ORDER
AND TALKED INcEssANTLY
He Makes a Great Fight With the
Bailiff For His Liberty But Is
Landed All Right

George w. Barnett was before Judge
Smith yesterday afternoon to answer the
charge of contempt of court, and as usual
he acted as his own attorney. Mrs. Mar
tina M. Barnett was granted a divorce
long time ago from Barnett, and he was
warned not to go near his ex-wife or his
minor children, but he did not obey the or
der of the court and was pulled up with a
round turn. He has also failed to provide
her with alimony and has heretofore been
fined for contempt by the court
Barnett is an erratic Individual, whose
frequent appearances on his divorce case
have given him an idea that he is a full
fledged lawyer. Judge Smith scored him
numerically and said that his proper place
was in an insane asylum. That caused the
gentleman who had fool for client an
intense pain, and he wanted the court S re-
marks to go on record, but the answer was:
Record nothing You have to quit annoy
ing those people. You have made their life
miserable, and If you could make that or
the court just as unpleasant you would;
but I'll take care of that, sir"
Barnett wen. on the stand to refute the
testimony of several young nieces and OF
his wife and daughters. and rambled on
without conference interrupted every few
moments by the court because his evidence
was not to the point. Finally Judge smith
settled down in his chair with resignation
and let Mr.. Barnett argue unchecked for
at least ten minutes, during which he tried
to convey the idea that he had not diso-
beyed the courts order. The mind OF the
man is no constituted that he cannot grasp
a plain legal proposition. His talk was all
around the act charged to him, but he new
er could tackle the matter a issue square
ly. When Judge Smith found that 1t was
impossible to rake Barnett talk himself
L -o,1 toI p O
for heavens sake, get through. and give us
rest"
This encouraged the man and he started
off again al a great rate. The board of po-
lice commiss toner's, the dog catcher and
everything under the Los Angeles sun came
in for a share in his nonsenscal discourse.
The more the judge said, rs that all?' the
less it was all. The stream flowed on. The
old man scared 1t was Excelsior"
On cross-eXamination by Will ID. Gould,
he denied that he had threatened the life
of his family and of the lawyer himself if
he persisted in furnishing legal advice to
Mrs Barnett any longer. He had never
prowled around his ex-wife's premises. He
- admitted that he had gone to the house on
Friday night for the purpose of taking his
boy off to Pasadena over night. He had
also taken him to the Chinese new year cell
ebration and to Simpson tabernacle, but he
did not know that it was against the moth
er's wish.
Barnett then proceeded to examine him
self redirect, and he had hard time to
come to a full stop. Then a happy thought
struck him. He wanted to make an argu-
ment When it didn't go he said he was
prosecuted.
Judge Smith stated that from the evil
dence presented it was evident Barnett
had not obeyed the order of the court. On
the contrary he had pursued his obnoxious
course after having been warned a week
ago. He hardly knew what to do with a
man of Barnetts mental makeup. How
ever, there was no question but that he had
violated the decree and become guilty OF
contempt. He had terrorized his family
AS punishment the court would fine the
man 5000 with the alternative of 100 days in
the county Jail.
Bailff Marsh had hard time to get Bar
nett down stairs. because some more argu-
ments were trottlng through his BRAIN OF
which he wanted TO deliver himself. but
everything considered things went well
enough until they We're out of tLS court
house.
Barnett then laid down the utimatum
that he was not going to Jail at all and that
he wouldn't pay his fine. either. He forth
with squared himself for the fray. and a
grand struggle took place. Reinforcements
In the person of Bailiff Davis of Depart
ment Five, Con Mallory of the district at
torneys office and Stenographer B. N.
Smith, jr., Immediately came to the rescue
of Marsh. The prisoner was capsized. two
men took charge of his legs and two of his
arms, and in the condition of a turned tur-
tie he landed in the county Jail, feet fore
most, still talking against time.
There is no doubt but that the man has
prairie schooner wheels in his head with
very broad tires, that keep his brain in the
condition of scrambled eggs all the time
One of these days he is going to do some
thing reckless unless Judge Smiths sug-
gestion of an enforced vacation at High.
land is acted upon.