The San Francisco call., 1898-02-08
FICEL ON TRIAL
 FOR HIS LIFE The Accused Murderer of Isaac Hoffman Ap-
 pears in Court. Opening Statements Made by Attorneys for Prosecution
 and Defense. Alleged That the Deceased Was Seen With a Revolver by His
 Brother Charles.

with his attorneys, General Barnes and Judge Louderback. Judge Murphy and Assistant District Attorney Hosmer acted as prosecutors, and at the same table sat Detectives Ross Whitaker and Harry Reynolds, who gathered evil dence in the case.
 The courtroom was crowded with the usual hangers-on, although there were few ladies drawn to the scene through curiosity. They were seated in the gal lery.
 The case has evidently not created general interest as yet. Four witnesses were called during the day, and when the name of Mrs. Hoffman was called for the purpose of having the widow testify as to the family relations exist ing prior to the death of her husband sign of expectancy was seen on all faces in the court. They were doomed to disappointment, however, as the wit ness IS not obliged to appear until to- day during the morning session.
 Attorney Ach, who was the principal prosecutor during the preliminary ex- animation, was not to be seen except for a moment when the trial opened, but during the afternoon he joined hands in the prosecution. Judge Mur- phy made the opening statement for the people. An explanation was made of the drawing of the interior of the store formerly occupied by the deceased and the surroundings and arrangement of the offices prior to and at the time of the death of Isaac Hoffman.
 Here is a double door," he said, and another one on the south side, and platform here, which is before the door leading to what was Isaac HoHmanS room; and a partition here divides the first room and that occupied by MT. Rothchilds." The pointer in the hands of Judge Murphy passed from place to place on the diagram, and finally rested on what seemed to be a black speck. afterward designated as the desk of Theodore Figel, then chief bookkeeper and now a defendant in tragedy. inc location of the safe. the partitions and desks, as well as the bloody telephone room door, which will soon be placed in evidence, were explained.
 The stairs leading into the basement were spoken of and the fact that the deceased had been seen writing letter which was addressed to Dear Ed on the evening of the shooting was talked of During the address which carried a strain of accusations against Theo- dore Figel from beginning to end the man being tried for his life sat smil- tingly and chewed a small roll of gum with evident satisfaction.
 Then Judge Murphy entered into the finding of the body and accused Theo- dore Figel of the crime of murder. The movements of the dead man were gone into, and it was stated in the address that Hoffman had been seen at o'clock talking with drayman. In the end that was the last seen of him until he was found in a wounded and dying condition. The cries of agony and the groans heard by the watchman who found Hoffman writhing on the floor were described to the jury, and then the address for the people was closed with a remark that if possible the de- fendant should be found guilty and that the verdict would be asked Tor by the prosecution if the evidence bore out the idea at present prevalent Tn the minds of the people.
 The sensation of the day, however, was sprung when General Barnes for the defense stated that he would do away with the general customs and fully stated the case of the defendant. He stated that he had received infor- nation that Charles Hoffman had de- clared and would so testify that he had seen the revolver found in the store the night of the tragedy in the posses sion of the deceased within two days prior to the time of the shooting.
 The case was gone over by the de- fense. and 1t was declared that even if Figel had been guilty of embezzle- ment he would not have committed a murder, as it would have been det- riment instead of an aid, for the true state of affairs would all the sooner come to the attention of the partner. Rothchild, who, General Barnes said, was a bitter enemy of the defendant.
 Barnes promised to show that Isaac Hoffman had been troubled about money matters and family affairs and that he had sufficient motive for taking his own life, and that the defendant in the case had no motive for commit ting the crime with which he is charged He then explained the move ments of Figel on the fatal night to show that it would have been impos- sible for a man to have committed such a murder and then to cross the bay and eat dinner. as alleged. with the cashier of the Nevada Bank, without showing some effects of the encounter. Judge Murphy's statements were con- tradicted and then recess was held, after which witnesses for the prosecu- tion were examined.
 first witness called for the prosecu- tion. He testified that he had been de- tailed by Chief Lees to draw a dia- gram of the building occupied by the firm of Hoffman & Go. prior to and af- ter the death of Isaac Hoffman, and that he had been so detailed as he was the official draughtsman of the police department In detail he explained the position of the various offices In the building and the arrangement of the double doors both on the Bush street side and the Battery street entrance. His testimony bore out the statements given at the preliminary examination of the defendant. Following the testi- mony. the diagrams drawn by the wit ness were placed in evidence and marked exhibits 1 and 2.
 He was followed by witness Stewart Merrill, who stated that he was a pho tographer, and that he had, at the sug- gestion of the Chief of Police, taken photographs of the body of Isaac Hoff- man while in the Morgue. after 1t had been removed from his late residence. The ghastly pictures were admitted as evidence and were marked peoples ex- hibit 3. A. 5, 6. '. and g. w. s. Jones, another photographer, introduced more pictures of the scene of the shooting, and the peoples exhibits numbered fif- teen.
 Harry Hoffman. the brother of the deceased. then took the stand. In his fpstinony he reviewed the affairs of