The San Francisco call., 1904-06-23

Louis Commencia, charged with fall
ure to provide for the maintenance of
his five-year- r-old son, Harry. Among
those who participated in the mixup
were the defendant, his former wife.
her mother, the child in the case and
two attorneys. only the prompt in
reference of the bailiffs prevented
battle royal.
Commencia's wife obtained a di-
vorce last February and the court
awarded her the custody of the boy
and ordered the father TO pay her IS
a month for it's support After pay
ing one installment he declined to pay
any more and defied her to collect
She has been unable to keep the child
properly fed and dressed. Hence her
complaint.
My client has reason for refus-
ing to pay this woman any more
money" said the defendants attor-
ney He has told me that she is in
love with a man of the name of Gal
leo, and"
You're a liar" piped a thin voice
from the back benches, and a little old
lady was seen Fastening to the front.
Her demeanor was truculent and the
attorney quailed as she approached
him. you're a liar" she repeated.
when she arrived within striking dis
tance. I'm her mother and L dare
you to say it again!''
But 1 didn't say it; 1 only said he
! (pointing at the defendanO told me
SOL" shouted the lawyer, backing
away.
Then the group commixed. Half
dozen voices were simultaneously
/ shouting in angry tone and when the
/ bailiff's gavel proved ineffective to
/ quell the hubbub physical force was
/ resorted to. AS the expert cowboy
cuts out steers from a herd, so did
| the two officers disentangle and silence
the bunch of belligerents.
When the elderly lady was given
J. the stand she said her name was Mrs.
Clara Schivo and her place of resi-
| dence at Lombard and Dupont streets.
/ Shaking her fist at Commencia. she
shouted: He hasn't paid a cent for
| little Harry's support since last Febru-
airy and the last time the child went
/ to see him he shook handful of gold
in its little face and said he would
throw it in the bay before he'd give
a cent of it to my daughter"
The Judge gave the defendant, who
/ is a cement worker and earns good
wages one week in which to pay all
| that he owes for his child's mainte-
nance, else he will be sent to Jail.
Former Police Sergeant Reuben A
( WOlI was acquitted the Charge Oh
I battery after he had informed a jury
/ in Judge Fritzs court that it was in
/ self-defense he assaulted Edmund f.
Coblentz newspaper reporter, who
had been detailed to-ascertain his con-
nection with the management of a
I mercantile agency that had collapsed
and left many victims mourning the
disappearance of their money.
Judge Mogan dismissed the charge of
manslaughtef against Charles F. Large.
a drug clerk, who on June caused the
/ death of John Joseph McCann by Civ
/ ing him carbolic acid TO drink in mis-
/ take for water. The defendant ex-
/ planned that while he was off duty an
/ assistant had taken the bottle of car
/ bolic acid from a shelf, cleaned it, la
| beled it anew and left il where the bot
/ tie of distilled water usually was kept
| That was how he happened to dilute
4 with acid instead Of water the powder
which McCann called for and wanted
! in a hurry.
A jury in Judge F'ritz's court began
I the hearing of testimony for the pros
ecution of Z. f. Sproat, charged with
] defrauding the creditors of Sproat's
market, of which he was the principal
owner. There are twenty seven COM
/ plants and the total amount alleged
to have been embezzled is $4,000.
! Peter OIeson, deep water sailor, was
! accused of robbery by James Flaherty,
/ another son of Neptune, but the com
plainant's story was so weak and the
defendants plea so strong that Judge
Fritz dismissed the case.
"Ah ban dronk," said Peter, but
| ahm no tief. All ban good sailor. Work
hard On sheep i'd vos nodding but
J Ia no - n do do
to de pomp, from de pomp to de lookout.
/ Work twantafour hour. All da time.
All ban dronk. No get paid off an ah
Queet sheep. All ban dronk. No rob
man. All ban good sailor"
! AS evidence of his industry Peter ex-
hibited a pair of gnarled and tarry
I hands. And as he left the courtroom
he murmured, "Ah ban dronk."
/ James Kennedy, one of Uncle Sans
! gallant jackies, appeared with several
inches of facial cuticle missing and
when Judge Fritz asked him what kind
of skin game he had been against he
pleaded failure to remember.
Two colored ladies' Miss Nealie Quinn
and Miss Arlina Duffin, accused the tar
of invading their dwelling in Pinckney
alley and "cuttin' UP kinder rough" In
response to a judicial inquiry as TO
what cutting up rough" meant, Miss
Nealie coyly explained that in the case
of Mariner Kennedy it meant that he
had struck her head with a heavy
water pitcher, smashing the vessel to
fragments and damaging her Uranium
but slightly. Miss Duffin averred that
while she had not been assaulted her
feelings were very much hurt by the
way in which the defendant assailed
her character. No, his face was not
scratched when he busted inter- the
house, and she was perfectly sure that
neither she nor Miss Nealie had
scratched it. How was it done, then?
How did she know? Might a done it
hiSself."
Case continued and Seaman Kenne-
dy's superior officer communicated
with
John Kolen, first. second and third
mate and boatswain and cook of the
coasting scow Merry Mary was sing
ing Let All Obey at 80 o'clock yes
terday morning on Pine street, near
Dupont. and so loud was his voice that
two policemen three blocks away heard
it. Fastening to where the vocalist
s+ood fbav commanded hin, 70 oaoSe