The San Francisco call., 1901-12-21
JUDGE SAYS
HIS LIFE IS
IN JEOPARDY
Hints That Lynchers'
Counsel Desire His
Assassination.
Remarkable Utterance From
the Bench During the Al
turas Trial.
Attorneys for the Defense Make Bit
ter Retort and for Time a
Courtroom Tragedy Is
Threatened.
Special Dispatch to The can.

ALTURAS. Dec 20-FOr a time to-day
spectators at the trial of James w Brown.
the alleged Lookout lyncher, were mo-
mentarily expecting to see pistols brought
into play and to hear the ping of bullets
Probably no more exciting scene has ever
been enacted in a California court than
occurred this afternoon, when Superior
Judge Harrington declared in unequivocal
terms from the bench that the attorneys
for the defense desired his assassination.
The Judge did not mince words, and his
expressed fear that he would be shot
from ambush before the present trials
were concluded brought bitter retorts
from the attorneys for Brown Raker'
one of the men representing the defen-
dant, grossly insulted the court in his
reply, but in the excitement of the mo-
rnent his remark was passed with only
verbal rebuke. The bitterness between
Judge Harrington and Attorneys Harris
and Raker, representing the alleged
Iynchers, has now grown to deadly
hatred, and residents of Alturas are pre-
dieting that tragedy will be enacted be-
fore the present trial draws to a close
Agnes Wilson was on the stand under
cross-examination and the. defense tried
in every possible way to cause the child
to contradict herself. Agnes testified that
she unhitched the horses she and her
mother had used in coming back from
Bieber and tied them to the hitching post
Deputy Constable Brown, the defendant,
unhitched them from the post and kicked
them and they ran away. This was on
the day of the arrest of her stepfather.
Calvin Hall, and her brothers. The girl
and her mother found their home in the
greatest disorder, it having been searched
by the arresting party.
Court Fears Assassination.
1t was during the cross-examination Of
the half-breed child that the bitter dis
pute between the court and counsel for
the defense arose. Browns lawyers at
tackled the girls testimony and incident
ally the character of the members Of the
family. Finally Judge Harrington inter-
posed.
"Such conduct will not be permitted
while I am on the BENCH said he.
''Wen, you won't be there long retort-
ed Lawyer Harris.
'I will be here until my term is up,
Judge Harris, unless some of you assas-
sinate me or shoot me from behind,
answered the court.
Harris said that he never yet tried to
assassinate any human being, and the
court replied in substance that he had.
You can't prove any such thing" ex-
claimed Harris, and Raker, his associate
counsel, added:
'sWell that is nice remark for man
to make on the bench. We don't want to
kill anybody If I wanted to kill any
body, 1 would kill man. There is no
man in here wants to assassinate you or
anybody else. If there is we want to see
him. 1 can prove by a dozen different
witnesses that witness Courtwright said
he came down off the stand to kill me
and would have done so if the Sheriff
had not interfered.'
This is none of your putin, Mr.. Ra-
ker. Harris is the man 1 have been talk
ing to, and when the time comes can
prove my assertion said the court.
You can't prove any such thing by
anybody" was Judge Harris retort.
Apologies Not Forthcoming.
Here the controversy ended without
apologies from any Of the three. Neither
of the attorneys representing the State
had anything 10 say WAAlO bAlO Wal VI
words was proceeding
When some measure of calm had been
restored Agnes Wilson continued her tes-
timony She said that after Calvin Halls
arrest Deputy Constable Brown swore at
the aged man and jabbed him in the back
with the muzzle of his rifle.
Counsel for the defense this afternoon
objected to Assistant Attorney General
Post quoting law in support Of his argu-
ments. Judge Harris declared that this
was not law college. but sarcasticaIly
remarked that if Post should start such
an institution he CHarris) would attend