The San Francisco call., 1905-08-16
COLLINS TELLS
A TALE OF WOE
Lawyer Accused of Perjury
Declares He Is Victim OF
a Gang of Conspirators
TALKS FOR TWO HOURS
Says Press, the Judiciary,
Grand Jury and Bar Asso-
citation Are the PlOtters

VICTORIA B. c., Aug. 16.-George
d. Collins. the levapting San Francisco
lawyer, being tried for extradtrton Tor
perjury before Judge Lampman, while
on the witness stand to-day in his own
defense. spoke for about two hours.
detailing conspiracy which he claims
was launched at San Francisco 70 rail-
road him 10 jail and from which ne
fed to Victoria. He said the conspiracy
was launched by the Hibernia Bank
and aided by Judges Lawler, Kerrtgan
and Graham, the Grand Jury I'M
paneled at San Francisco BY Judge
LawIer, the Bar Association and the
San Francisco Chronicle, Call. Exam
iner and Bulletin. newspapers
He aroused their enmtty. he declared,
because Of his aggressiveness on the
part of clients in having offended
Judges and lawyers by securing the
release of clients on various grounds
after juries had convicted them he
declared the Judges were antagonistic
20 him because he reversed some OF
their decisions, among others that OF
Judge Morrow. convicting Williams,
customs inspector. OF importing Cni-
nese women, and because Of which
Judge Morrow had stated he fixed up
the record. He detailed many cases
he had in San Francisco where ne Sc
cured the release of accused after their
conviction on technicaltttes, notably tne
case of Turner, accused OF swindling,
who was afterward shot and killed by
a victim in front of Collins Office, and
Hansted and others accused Of being
in league with the then Public Admin
istrator to loot the John Sullivan estate
by producing false heir he salo
because of his having secured the re-
lease of these persons he had been at
tackled by press. bar and pulpit Of San
10
Judges.
They were also antagonistic to him
because he was instrumental in pre-
venting the police by legal means from
raiding houses of prostitution and
gambling houses and because he Sc
cured the removal of Police Commis-
sioner Hutton with Mayor Schmitz's as
sistance He said that 1t was al
legged by those arrayed in conspiracy
against him that he was lawyer OF
the Schmitz administration.
The Hfbernfa Bank started the prose-
/ cution against him said Collins, because
while representing claim against the
Robinson estate upon which the bank
| had a mortgage he found the mortgage
| had-been lost. He was threatened with
| disbarment proceedings by the bank
! unless he desisted from the action
/ When his wife, Agnes Newman, died,
/ she had an account in the Htbernta
| Bank which she assigned TO him and
he made affidavit at the bank in with
| drawing the money. Later, after his
| wffe's death. William Newman her
brother, offered his services TO the Hi
bernia Bank because witness would
/ not give him part OF the money and
| stated falsely witness had married his
/ sister Cnarlotta instead Of Agnes Col
/ lins asserted the charge of bigamy was
| instituted az the instance of the Hiber-
mia Bank people. those interested In
/ publishing the San Francisco Chronicle,
/ Judges Lawler. kerrigan and to some
| extent Judge Graham. who was against
him because he collected a debt from an
actor named Thomson. who was Gra-
| hams friend. by arresting him when on
| the stage of the Columbia Theater at
San Francisco, attired as Richelieu.
Newman had gone before the Grand
| Jury and the present prosecution re-
i suited from which he fled
| In cross-examination by Frank Hig-
gins for the State of California, he
! strenuously denied the marriage with
Charlotte Collins and said that all the
/ evidence given there anent by Thomas
Curran. William Newman and the depo-
| sitions OF Charlotte and Florence New
| man were absolutely false The New
| mans sought to blackmafl him, he said
II doctors had sworn they had been
nresent at the birth of the children OF
J Charlotta Collins they had perJured
themselves. The children now with
| C,harIotta Collins were the issue of his
/ marriage with Agnes Newman and his
/ friends at San Francisco would pro-
vide for them until he was out OF the
meshes of this conspiracy
The cross examination or Collins Will
be continued tomorrow.