The San Francisco call., 1905-03-08

we were given g. pfdctlc2i 0emonStrd-
ton Of the manner in which the shoot
ing was done we might be aided in ar
irving at a just decision. Is the-ah-
ah-weapon in court?"
To the bench was passed for inspec-
tion a wooden contrivance with rubber
bulb attached. 1t was a less danger
testimony indicated, but the Judge
handled it gingerly.
If your Honor. will kindly submit
to the test" said counsel for the de-
fense, Il will press the bulb and pro-
ject some of the contents of the tube
into your eyes. 1t may not be amiss
to state beforehand that since the pis
tol was accidentally discharged by my
client in the complainants presence
it has not been tamDered with in any
way and still contains some of the
soapstone with which it was loaded at
that time"
Despite this assurance of the innocu-
BUSINESS of the charge the Court de-
clined to serve as a target, an honor
which was turned aside by Prosecuting
Attorney Greeley also. Then the Ad-
vocate for the defense placed Mr.. Sew
erino against the wall and pinned him
there with one hand while with the
other he pressed the bulb, held within
about three feet of his captive's face,
and elected from the tube a Whitish
cloud. 1t was suggested that he fire
at closer range, as the shot had struck
Mr.. Severino squarely on the chest,
and when the suggestion was adopted
Mr.. Severino bobbed his head and shut
his eyes, receiving the charge on his
brow. The Court pronounced the ex-
pertinent unconvincing.
Asked to explain why he had shot
Mr.. Guss for any reason, Mr.. Sever
inc stated that he had loaned an awl
TO the butchers apprentice, who neg
lected to return it, and when he (Mr
Severino) went to recover his property
he was treated in an intimidatory man
ner by Mr.. Guss, who had a broom in
his hand, And as l was going out, to
avoid trouble, Mr.. Severino contin-
ued, my hand accidentally dropped
into a side pocket of my working coat
and was accidentally withdrawn with
the gun which accidentally went off .
There will be nothing accidental
6bout your sentence one week from to-
day" said the Judge to Mr.. Severino.
Mamoth kastens pleaded that he
had a dream hunch' on a certain
horse. race at Emeryville last Monday,
but was unable to utilize ii to his
pecuniary advantage. inasmuch as he
had no money to bet with. His GER
tainty of winning was enhanced, he
said, by receipt of reliable information
that the famous Mique Scanlon Syn
dicate was heavily backing his faVorite
to bring home the dinero.f So in des-
peration he visited three different gun
stores and rented from each of them
q rifle, his total outlay being three dol
lars and his purpose to pawn the
weapons for as much lucre as he could
obtain and then wager every penny of
1t on Sunny Shore. The pawning was
uninterrupted, but before he could
place his money in the hands of book
makers he was arrested and charged
with larceny by detective who had
recognized him as an ex-convict and
naturally was suspicious that he did
not become honestly possessed of so
many firearms. If the arrest had been
delayed little while, Mr.. Kastens af-
frmed, he would have redeemed the
guns and restored them to their re-
spective owners, because the closing
odds against Sunny Shore to win were
Is to 1, and the horse fairly breezed
home. Judge Cabaniss will learn
something more OF Mr.. Kasten's career
to-day, his promised informants be-
ing members of the police force.
Il came from Nevada an 1 don't
ike your town!" yelled Henry John
son, drunk and truculent. as he started
to break things in a saloon at Haight
and Stanyan streets. Patrolman Ceiner
responded to the bartender's call for
AID. and to him the man frome Ne
Eada addressed language that was too
lurid for transcription.
Judge Mogan had pronounced Mr..
Johnson guilty of peace disturbance
and commanded him to appear for
sentence to-day when there assembled
to the bench a whisper to the effect
that in his vituperative abuse of San
Francisco the Nevadan had cast un-
just aspersions upon the character OF
the entire feminine portion of the
community, said libelous utterances
having been launched in presence OF
ar innkeeper who could be produced
in court if wanted.
He is wanted" said the Judge
and If he swears in accordance with
what he has told these witnesses, you
Mr.. Johnson, might as well write to
your friends in the Sagebrush State
that you will not be able to rejoin
them for unite an ayfandod nor-iad