The San Francisco call., 1901-10-05
LEAVES VICTIM
IN TRAINS PATH
Tramp's Determined At
tempt to Murder a
Comrade.
First Beats Him and Tries to
Hurl Him Into the Bay
at Seattle.
Special Dispatch to The Can.


| robbed Harry Calhoun, another vagabond,
last night Not content with kicking him
almost into insensibility, he made an at
| tempt to throw Calhoun into the bay. Un-
successful in this, he placed Calhoun. who
| by this time had become unconscious, on
| the Northern Pacific track, where he
passenger train had he not been discov-
cred and rescued in the.nick Of time.
| O'Brien was captured shortly after his
| murderous deed was committed. He was
| drinking in the Anaconda saloon on
| Charles street, and when brought to the
| City Jail by PatrOlman HumeS was read
| lily identified by Calhoun. The latter pre-
| sented sorry sight. He was covered
with blood and suffering from two ugly
| scalp wounds. inflicted by the boOtheels
| of his assailant. Calhoun remembers lit
! tie of the affair, but has a distinct recOl-
| lection that after he had been knocked TO
! the ground his assailant picked him up
| and tried to throw him into the bay. He
| resisted and the effort was finally aban-
| doned. Kicking him on the head several
| times O'Brien then deliberately left the
unconscious man lying across the railroad
/ track and made his escape.
| A passerby discovered Calhoun and no.
| titled Patrolman Humes. The latter, aft
| er some difficulty, aroused Calhoun and
| obtained a meager description of his as
saiiant Later he gained another sI Ter 1g elew
| saloon, where he placed O. Brien under ar
rest. When searched O'Brien had SS2 in
| his pockets.
Q .
Have you ever given this estimate nearer
than that?''
What have you given it before?''
| ''One hundred and fifty yards.
| why do you change it now?
| Because have read from my notes written
| the day after the battle and from notes used
| those that nv estimate at that time when
| gave it 175 to 250 yards was too near Also.
1 was very much influenced by the thought
| that the navigating officer of the Texas would
| not think it was less than 15O Yards
| Just read from your notes
| The witness (reading)-We quickly put
| helm aport and then around to starbOard pass
ing well inside the Texas. That was written
were from the Texas in those notes?''
DO you remember whether anything was
said about blanketing the fire OF the Texas
Hodgson Was Skittish.
| when 1 told the commodore I thought we
would run into the Texas think did say
| we might get shot from one of her big guns.
. Have you ever said that you were 'sl<ittish'
about collision with the Texas at this time?''
| ''Well, 1 was 'skittish' about it. I thought
| we going to have a collision very likely
How was the collision ayerted from what
you know Of your own a1nd Hnowiedge Nv 1ie,! ssed
| ahead Of her"
| II have no idea
| The judge advocate then questioned Com
nodore Hodgson about changes in the log of
the Brooklyn giving the account OF the IA
nous loop. The witness said that Lieutenant
given Doyle all the data for 1t.
What information did you give him with
reference to the direction in which the helm
was put in turning the vessel?''
II told him helm was put aport. If I men
| toned that particular incident"
DO you remember whether you mentioned 1t
or 1ot?T ,. .,.. .nt,on.a 9.
cept that we turned around to head for the
Spanish ships
'sYes, sir; put it in my log
| What do you mean by your log?''
| We'll the logs of the forenoon and afternoon
| watch written up by Lieutenant Doyle and
Lieutenant Wasster, but as both those gentle
men had been tone in the turret and the other
| on the gun decEO fighting the batteries I gave
! them a number of points that might enable
them to write their deck log correctly After
they had written up their log 1 went 70 the
| captain and told him would like to put in
little information OF my own to make 1t more
complete and there was an addendum written
! that day by myself and 1 think that IN that
| will be found the way the helm was put
! when that addendum made and put
imp
| Before noon, on the day following, as the
log generally copied before noon
DO you remember any discussion on board
put when she made what is known as the
'SVVe11. I think remember the fact of putting
an interlineation in this log, because an erasure
was made of that word 'starboard and 1 sug-
gested putting in the explanatory words that
| we cleared the Texas"
Change in the Log.
| DO you remember whether any change was
| made in the logbook in the recording of the
direction in which the helm was originally
II think remember that erasure The wore
'starboard' was erased and the word port sub
'iDo you remember discussing that in the
presence of Commodore Schley and Captain
Cook?''
'T do not
How was this first brought to your attention
the helm put to starboard? %
! Very likely by the watch officer wanting TO
make an erasure in the log after rad ex-
DO you remember. if at ALL you undertook to
check the log as written to show whether these
RSh!S Rot were correctly entered IN the i0sO00k or
no I do not, except that it is more prob
ceeding day, because the log was generally
given to the captain by noon
the Iogbook, that the helm was put to bort 1T
| in order to bring the starboard battery to
mo. that was not the reason for which the
| helm was put to port 1t was put to port to
sibe to head OF the spanisS S as POS
! would not the Brooklyn have been brought
around quarter if the helm had been put to
starboard as 1t was recorded In the logbook
originality
These words swinging clear OF the fire OF
the Texas are they right?"
That is right. That is point that I'm!
out having one of the Texas guns hred over
| u.s.
''The words. clear Of the fire Of the Texas
| are the interlined words are they not?"
| They are
| did you give any specific Instructions or
| make any specific suggestions to the officer
| who wrote the log with regard TO putting in
those words?'
IT think 1t is very possible I did. I think it
more than probable that 1 did because that
| was the fact that impressed as the result
| of swinging with the port helm very
1 thankful we cleared the Texas and her fire
Then. were those words put in relative to
the change in the logbook from 'starboard to
| port~'?
i II cannot say; I was not at that time
tempIating any such searching investigation
as this and consequently thought that the
log was written with the idea Of giving gen.
eral and fair account of the battle without be-
ing brought up under searching scrutiny, or I
| would have been more particular exact
| time and dates
| With Commodore Hodgson still on the stand
the court adjourned until tomorrow. It is
understood that Hodgson will be examined
tomorrow about series of letters which have
passed between himself Admiral Schley.
bfcb SHO -