The herald., 1898-11-18
THAT MIDNIGHT MEETING
DETECTIVE BRIGHTON TEsTIFIEs
AGAINST JOE HUNTER
AGUIRRE STANDS BY JOSEPH
Hunter Said Wednesday Morning That
He Thought Clark Killed the
Chinaman

tice Young yesterday IN the preliminary eA
animation of Joseph Hunter on the chargs
of the murder of Wong Sing Hay, the Chi
nese laundryman. At the opening Of court
in the morning every seat was occupied
and as many were compelled to stand as
could find seats. Later the room was
crowded.
j. B. Brighton, private detective, was
the first witness called for the prosecution,
and told of visiting the Hunter house with
other officers the Thursday after the mur-
der and of seeing pair Of cuffs with blood
stains on the edge. He neglected to re-
move the cuffs that time and went back
next day to get them, but had not found
them. Friday evening Hunter and Cleg-
horn had accused him of cutting the mat
ting under the bed and Saturday showed
him razor which appeared to have been
spoiled by such use. Witness denied
knowledge of the cutting and Hunter said
Clark had vomited on the floor few days
before and some one must have mistaken
the marks for blood stains.
THAT MIDNIGHT MEETING
The most notable fact testified to by
Brighton was to the effect that Hunter had
admitted to him that he, in company with
Cleghorn, met Clark Wednesday night after
Clark escaped from the officers, who had
taken shot at him. This evidence was
important, being corroborative of Clark S
latest testimony as to meeting Cleghorn
and Hunter a half houc after midnight on
that night and of having asked the latter
for money with which to go to San Fran
cisco. AT Clark's trial Brighton said moth
ing about such conversation with Hunter.
Brighton on cross examination said he
formerly lived in Arizona and had been ar
rested there some time before he left, and
also once previous in Kansas Tor scrap
ping" The blood on the cuffs Hunter or
Cleghoru had said came from the arm oil
whoever had worn them. Deputy Sher
iff Barnhill was in charge of the posse and
so witness had not taken measures for pre-
serving exhibits in the case. Joe Hunter
had told him since that the cuffs belonged
to Clark
NO EVIDENCE MANUFACTURED
Brighton was somewhat confused when
Mr.. Jones, the attorney for Hunter, init
mated that Brighton had tried to extract
money from the defense and had failed to
get it. and the examination was con-
Quoted apparently with view of showing
that Brighton would manufacture or con-
ceal evidence for cash consideration. The
officer retorted that Mr.. Jones ought not
to Judge him by himself. On cross, examina
ton the fact slipped out that Hunter had
told the witness that he (Hunter) had vom-
tied on the floor ana that Joe had said:
'It looks as though You officers were try
ing to lay the crime on me-"
At the request Of Deputy District Attor-
L., -. Il Il,
conversation he had with Wong Fong. the
Chinese prosecutor, before Brighton bad
testified at Clark trial, that he would pay
the witness more not to testify as to what
he knew about the cutting of the ting
than the other side would pay him TO tes
tify; that Deputy District Attorney Nc
Comas did not want evidence that would |
implicate Hunter. Mr.. Williams defended |
Mr.. McComas, saying that he knew the lat |
ter would not try 20 suppress evidence and |
that Wong Fong must have acted solely on |
his own behalf.
On redirect examination Brighton testi-
fled that his arrest in Arizona was due 10
the fact that he killed Ike Clanton, a des-
perado whom ne was trying to arrest for
train robbery, being thereafter arrested on
a warrant sworn out before a Mexican jus |
tce OF the peace for that alleged offense.
He was released after eight days detention !
below the line. Having been long in the
service of the government; as a United |
States marshal, he had at anolh-" time
been compelled to kill an offender, but was
not prosecuted for the act.
TALK ABOUT "MURDER'
Martin Aguirre, the deputy sheriff, was
next called for the prosecution and testi-
fed substantially as at Clark's trial about |
going to the Hunter place, hunting .or
traces of the Chinaman, finding blood un-
der the house, a blood stained shirt in |
Clark's room, an oil spot near the kitchen
door and small blood spot close to the
oil. He continued, saying that Joe Hunter
told him at Hoffman's saloon when he first |
went out that a Chinaman was missing and |
that he thought ''the man who killed him
was in the parlor.
This showed that Hunter, even on
Wednesday morning, believed murder
had been committed and cast suspicion on
Clark. Hunter has always persisted that
he told Aguirre that the man was in the
parlor who was at the house when the
Chinaman called and he thought he knew
more of the matter than he would admit,
but that he did not know murder had |
been committed and consequently could
not have told Aguirre that Clark knew it
had been.
Agurre is an old friend Of Hunters and !
has all along ned 70 the theory that ice
had no guilty knowledge regarding the
murder. At the Clark trial nothing was
brought out by Agulcres testimony regard |
ing the implication by Hunter OF Clark as
guilty of murder, but merely that he
knew more than he would tell about the |
Chinaman." Aguirre also testified 70 hav-
ing had talk with Clark about the length !
OF time person could be held in prison on
suspicion of having committed murder, |
while on the way TO Garvanza after pho
,osraph of the missing Chinaman, and told |
Of Clark's escape while he and Sheriff Gle
ment were in the wash house Joe Hunter
had tried, apparently, to aid the officers in |
their search, and suggested placing guard |
to watch the house where Letitia Alice |
lived to intercept Clark if he should 90
there
A SIDE CONTROVERSY
At this point in the evidence, brought
out by Mr.. Jones on crossexamination. As |
tistant District Attorney Williams smiled
ond Aguirre took exception thereat. telling
Williams that he would not take an insult |
from him. The district attorney said that |
he was not smiling at thew itness. but at
tho idea which occurred to him that it was
n little peculiar for Joe to suggest guard
Ior the Alice premises and then 20 inside
before the guard mad been placed to tell