The San Francisco call., 1904-10-23


gret that the law did not make it COM
pulsory on John Koening. ivory turner,
to contribute to the maintenance OF his
16-year-old daughter, Bertha, until she
Is able to provide for herself and the
babe that is soon to demand her ma
ternal care. The father was seemingly
gratified to find that he could not be
legally forced to aid the child, and
angrily rejected the courts suggestion
that he donate SIS to her. She was a
his fault that her husband had deserted
her. Besides, she had been impudent
to him and her stepmother. Not one
cent would she ever receive from him.
OF course she was his flesh and blood,
and it was true that he owned prop
erty and could afford to give away
more than $25: but were those any
reasons why he should reward her dis
obedience with kindness? No, sir.
Koening lives at 50 Prospect avenue
with his second wife, and at No. 65 on
the same thoroughfare dwells the wom-
an from whom he was divorced several
years ago. When the family was
divided Bertha accompanied her
mother, who was left in comparative
poverty. Several months ago the at
tention of Mrs. John Pettee, manager
of the Universal Service Society was
called to the fact that the girl was not
being properly cared for and investiga-
1,a 70 bof he
she became the wife of one William
Hansen, an amateur lightweight pugi-
list, the better chance would she have
of saving her honor. So the wedding
was effected by having Hansen arrest
ed for vagrancy and arraigned before
Judge Mogan. who gave him the alter
native of marrying the girl or spending
six months in the County Jail. A few
days later the bridegroom disappeared,
and since then the young wife has been
working as a domestic. Now her ap-
preaching maternity makes it impos-
sible for her to toll. Mrs. Pettee was
again appealed to, and she haled the
father into court to ascertain il the law
could not force him to do what paternal
feeling is naturally supposed to prompt.
The law was powerless in the matter,
because of the young woman's wife
hood. And the father openly exulted
in his immunity from compulsion to
perform a fatherly act. His wife. too,
made no secret Of her satisfaction over
the Judges ruling.
Until her trying period is over the
young woman will be cared for by the
Universal Service Society.
John Fitzgerald Murphy. playwright,
told Judge Mogan that his assault upon
Landlord Reavis of the Hotel Meredith
was committed in self-defense. as he
delivered the kick when he was pinned
to the bed by the assailed one and two
other men who had entered his apart
ments without invitation. Mrs.
Murphy. with whom the defendant was
quarreling. told the court that she did
not desire to testify, and she was ex-
cused. Mr.. Reavis said he had retired
for the night when the woman's de-
spairing shrek, Kill me quick and
have done with it," impelled him to go
to her rescue. He did not invade the
room, but was dragged into it, despite
his semi dressed condition. by Murphy.
The two men who aided the landlord in
holding down the dramatist until the
police arrived Also adduced some unin-
teresting testimony. Murphy then
stated that he has left the Hotel Mere
dith and will remove his trunks next
Monday, and the case was continued
till Tuesday in order to see if he keeps
his word. Mrs. Murphy displayed
much indignation while her husband
was testifying.
That a coffee pot cannot legally be
designated as a deadly weapon was
opined by Judge Cabaniss, and in ac-
cordance with that opinion the charge
against John Clifford Jenkin was dis
missed and the complainant. Harry
T. Mollair, advised to file an accusa-
ton of battery.
The two men were discussing politics
in their boarding house. $50 Howard
street, when Mr.. Jenkin abruptly ter
minated the argument by shifting Mr..
Mollair's head with the coffee pot,
infiicting a severe wound. When the
assailed ones face was cleaned of the
mingled blood and coffee he had Mr..
Jenkin arrested and specifically ac-
cused of committing an assault with
deadly weapon.
Perverted use of the coffee pot by
the defendant did not necessarily make
it a deadly weapon, or even deprive il
of it's domestic character" said his
Honor. "Othello snothered Desdemona
with a pillow, but it would be absurd
to classify a pillow as a murderous
implement. Again, we have seen cof-
fee denounced as a deadly fluid by ad-
vertisements of substitutes for that
beverage. Even the coffee that mother
used to make is thus alleged to have
been insidious poison-an allegation
that is sufficiently refuted by our sur
vival to boast of the unexcelled quail
ity of the coffee brewed by our mater
nal relatives in the long ago. But in
my judicial experience this is the first
time 1 have had the coffee pot accused
of being deadly weapon, and 1 hope
1t will be the last"
Sam" Mcvey, one of the colored
heavy-Weight pugilists who have had