Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-03
THREATENING LETTER FIRST
EVIDENCE
j, WHITE EVANS ACCUSES HIS
FORMER FRIEND
Missive Regarding Complainant's Past
Life and Alleged Misdeeds Held
Over His Head, He
Says


witness against Owens is j. Whyte
Evans, president of the United Rail
way of Portland, and formerly owens
friend and business associate.
DIR. owens, the defendant, has been
practicing medicine In Los Angeles for
over twenty years. He is to be tried
upon two. separate charges of felony
extortion. The basis of the present
charge Is letter said to have been
received by J. Whyte Evans October
6, 1906. The letter was read to the jury
at the beginning Of the trial. In the
first paragraph of the letter DR.. Owens
states, "I have concluded to bring a
civil action against you and Minnie
Harce Evans, who is living with you,
for the amount of your indebtedness
to me.'
Mrs. Minnie Hance Evans, who is re-
ferred to in the letter, is the daughter
of City Treasurer c.. H. Hance. She
was formerly the wife of DR.. Owens
and was at the time of her marriage
to him well-known local singer and
prominent in social circles. Soon after
Mr.. Evans came to Los Angeles Mrs.
Owens became infatuated with him.
The result was default divorce from
DR.. Owens in October. 1902, on the
grounds of intemperance.
Looked Up f7fS RECORD
In the letter DR.. Owens said he was
having a transcript prepared or
Evans commitment to San Quentin
and his record for application for citi-
zenship. He says In the letter, Il pro-
pose to lay the document before the
federal grand jury, then will furnish
you and Mrs. Evans with transporta-
tion to San Francisco
The letter accuses Evans of desert
ing a wife and child whom he left In
Scotland. 1t accuses him of deserting
another wife and child in Los Angeles.
1t is charged he came to San Fran
cisco from Scotland, where he obtained
a position and was later sent to San
Quentin charged with embeZzlement.
After leaving that institution the letter
says he came to Los Angeles. Here no
met and married Miss Gertrude de
Witt and was divorced from her in
August, 1901, on tn &. OF 1ds of cruelty.
Mrs. Evans secured the custody of her
daughter and is now supporting her in
San Francisco
Both men are Masons, and in the
letter DR.. Owens refers to Mother Kill
winning Masonic lodge of Scotland,
which, he says, would enjoy reading
the transcript, which the doctor intend
ed sending them, of Evans commit
ment to San quentin.
Taken as a whole, the letter is a
bitter denunciation of the old-time
friend. He ends his letter by assuring
his friend he is not trying to obtain
money but simply wishes to let him
know what he might do and at the
same time give his opinion of Evans
and his wife.
Says He Tried 6IackmaiI
Evans claims DIR. Owens has held
these over his head for q long time,
demanding the payment of $4,000 which
the doctor says is due him. Evans de-
nies the debt Evans says he has paid
sums of money to quiet "this thing"
but finally became desperate and de-
cided to put the matter into the hands
of the authorities.
Attorneys Davis, Rush & Willis are
representing the defendant and claim
they will prove every statement which
DIR. Owens made to be true. They VIII
attempt to prove that Mr. Evans does
owe the doctor $4,000 and also say the
defendant is justified in making public
certain facts that will help him in col
lecting the said debt.
On the cross-examination of Mr.. Ev-
ans yesterday Mr.. Rush attempted to
question the witness concerning some
of the charges made against him in
ed by Deputy District Attorney Paul
Mccormick. assisted by William An
derson, made strenuous objections to
every question put by Mr.. Rush which
referred in any way to the charges in
the letters. In every case the prosecu-
tion was sustained by Judge Monroe.
Mr.. Rush insisted he should have a
right to question the witness concern
ing statements which were in the COM
plant. Judge Monroe held to his OBJ
jections, however.
Objects to Letter
The prosecution will make every ef-
fort to prevent the defense from going
into the details of the letter. The de-
fense Is just as determined to air the
whole proceedings.
In the direct examination Mr.. Evans
stated he was a broker.
"Where do you live?" asked Mr.. Nc
Cormick.
Portland, Oregon answered Mr..
Evans.
The original letter said to have been
written by DR.. Owens and on which the
present charge is based, was then
handed to Mr.. Evans.
81 will ask you to examine this doc
ument and state when and where you
first saw it." said Mr.. Mccormick.
s'I received this through the mail at
my office in the city OF Portland, cnam-
Der of commerce building
Mr. Rush said: IT ask to have that
part of the answer, I received this
through the mall stricken out as in
competent, irrelevant and immaterial
and not responsive to the question.
HIS request was granted by the court.
"When was that?" asked Mr.. McCor-
mick.
"About October 9 or 10, 1906"
.And was 1t in the same condition
that it is now when you first saw it?"
"Let me see it, said Judge Monroe.
"The same condition." answered Ev-
ans.
ut was merely as it is now?"
eyes, sir"
'No envelope on it?"
"There was, yes, SIR"
After more preliminary questioning
the witness was passed over to the de-
Tense for cross-examination.
cross-Examlnes Him
Mr. Rush started in where the prose-
cution left off, asking: Where is the
envelope in which this document was
inclosed? ~
~ don't know" was the answer.
"what-you mean to say you don't