The San Francisco call., 1903-12-01
WOMAN SCREECHES RESENTMENT
AND ALARMS HALL OF JUSTICE
Mrs. Mary Beans Wall of Protest Against Charge
of Inebriety Mars Eclat of Police Judge Mogans
Monday Morning Reception and HorrifieS Hearers

Pollce Judge Mogan'S endeavor to ad-
just neighborhood Quarrel, involving
several matrons, was interrupted at ir-
regular intervals yesterday morning by
a feminine howl that shrilled through
every nook and Granny of. the Hall Of
Justice and even penetrated the calm
precincts Of the Coroners quarters
across the alley. 1t was a mezzo fall
setto screech of pitch and duration that
Patti might envy and it's tone was "a
mixture of anger and resentment. EX-
perts in operate vocalism Opined that
nothing exactly like it ever waited
from the Tivoli stage, and persons with
little or no appreciation of musical nov
city profanely compared it to the Shrek
that emanates from an. .ungreased wag-
on axle bearing a heavy load up a steep
hill.
Mrs. Mary Bean, aged 50, was the
producer Of the vocal innovation. 1t
was inspired by certain statements not
complimentary TO her character made
on the witness stand by Mrs. Agnes
Curtis and coTroborated by Mrs. Her
man. The three ladies are neighbors
on Hoff avenue, and Mrs. Cur
It's had Mrs. Bean arrested on
a charge of disturbing the peace of the
avenues residents as a whole and her
own rest in particular. She testified
that Mrs. Bean was in the habit Of
tippling strong waters until her reason
fed and that when thus unburdened
by common sense she had a penchant
for seeking the complaining witness
and making her a target for flercely
delivered fusillades. of verbal abuse. It
was further adduced by Mrs Curtis
that. to the best of her knowledge and
belief. she had never said nor done
anything to provoke these oral casti-
cations.
The charge of inebriety evoked the
first screech from Mrs. Bean. 1t came
like the proverbiaI bolt from a clear
sky and its sharp crescendo involun-
tarily drew its hearers TO their feet
with hands to ears.
Stop her," shouted the court.
A bailiff sprang to Mary's side and
tried to quell the tympanum splitting
yell, but the best he could do was to
reduce it TO prolonged diminuendo that
finally lapsed in an agonizing vail.
When silence was restored the court
mopped his brow, stared reprovingly al
the offending Mrs. Bean and sternly
commanded her not to do it gain, else
she would be visited with severe penal
ties.
Wasn't it awful?" said the Judge. in
awed whisper. to his clerk.
"Frightfull" shudderingly replied Ju-
Illus
Ms. Bean confined her vocal exercise
to moaning and grooming until Mrs.
Herman, called for the prosecution, in
Gorsed Mrs. Curtis charge of intem-
pe-s nee, and then again did the defend
arts voice pierce the empyrean in
wordless protest. Again did all those
present muffie their ears. and once more
did Bailiff Mahony valiantly brave the
music and subdue the musician.
If you do that again. said the court,
addressing Mary, .I'll-well, l. don't
know how long I'll send you up for
But there was no further bidding for
judicial reproof by Mrs. Bean. After
the evidence was all in her case was
continued two weeks. with the distinct
understanding that If she fails TO COM
port herself with ladylike dignity dur
ing the intefim she will be halec into
curt and hastened to Jail before she
has time to shrek defense.
The spectators in Police Judge Fritz's
court-and there was a big crowd Of
them-thought for a moment that they
were to be treated to a display of fistic
exercise as the. outcome of d sharp
oral tilt between Attorney Afford and
Assistant District Attorney Harris.
And only the prompt Intervention of
the court and the alacrity Of the bail
ifs prevented the looked for combat.
1t was during the preliminary exam
iration of former Policeman Joseph
Field, charged with having fatally shot
his father-in-law at the latter's resi-
dence,. and the aged widow of the slain
man was Under sharp cross-examin-
alton by Afford when the war-cloud
suddenly appeared. The attorney had
asked the witness If she saw. the de-
fendant strike her husband more than
one blow, and she had evasively
answered the question, when Harris
jumped to his feet and accused Afford
OF deliberately trying to confuse the
woman. Afford denied the accusation.
and said Harris conduct was uncalled
for and outrageous.
"You liel'' promptly and warmly re-
torted Harris.
For a moment Afford glared in sur
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