The San Francisco call. [volume], May 25, 1895, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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VOLUME LXXVII.— NO. 166.
ALONG THE COAST
A San Francisco Man
Attempts Suicide
at Monterey.
NEWS OF MARE ISLAND.
Murderer Conkling Sentenced
to Life Imprisonment by a
Hollister Judge.
THE INQUEST AT PINOLE.
A Young Tacoman Meets Death
While on an Outing In
the Cascades.
MONTEREY, Cal., May 24.— A guest at
the St. Charles Hotel, registering under
the name of G. H. Rohrs of 795 Haight
Btreet, San Francisco, attempted to com
mit suicide by shooting himself this after
noon.
Two fishermen painting a boat at. the
foot of Taylor street noticed a man sitting
on the sand near them, but paid no atten
tion to him until they heard a shot. The
Mranger had put the muzzle of a pistol
into his mouth and pulled the triji^tr.
The bullet went through the roof of his
mouth, missing the brain, and plowed
through the skull. The wounded man was
removed to the St. Charles Hotel and made
as comfortable as the circumstances would
permit.
The would-be Buicide is a German by
birth, about 47 years old. He is slightly
bald-headed, lias brown hair, cut short, a
brown mustache, and sometimes wear 3 eye
glasses, and has given three or four differ
ent names since the shootintr. The pistol
was a 38-caliber five-shooter, Harrington
& Richardson make.
>£»« OF MARE ISLAXIi.
An Increase Made in the Force of Men at
the Xary-Tard.
VALLEJO, Cal., May 24.— Twenty-nine
thousand dollars will be paid to the work
men at Mare Island to-morrow. Through
out the entire yard work is being vigor
ously prosecuted. Especially is this the
case in the construction department, at
the head of which is Naval Constructor
William J. Baxter. Although only a re
cent arrival at this station, it is remark
able how quickly the new official has
familiarized himself with the vast amount
of work coming under bis personal juris
diction.
The force of workingmen was increased
to-<*«y by the addition of 30 shipwrights to
work on the Hartford. The number of
men employed at the yards and docks is
now 133; construction and repair, 384;
steani engineering, 199; equipment, 31;
ordnance, 46; supplies and accounts, 30;
medical and surgery, L Total, 824.
The tug Nellie met -with an accident a
few days ago. Her after shaft was broken,
and she is laid up for repairs.
Nearly all the ship-fitters are working
overtime on the Olympia, so as to finish
their labors by Tuesday. Orders are ex
pected from Washington ordering the ves
sel on her official trial trip. She is now
coaling, and will soon be ready for the run
in Santa Barbara Channel. Stores &»
going aboard in large quantities.
The preliminary hoisting test of the big
crane was to be made this afternoon. It
was the intention to hoist a weight of
forty-five tons in the shape of four large
cannons and a lot of steel rails. All maneuv
ers with the big machine were to be made
6o as to have tne crane in condition for
the official inspection to-morrow. Presi
dent Oliver Crosby of the American Hoist
and Derrick Company of St. Paul, the de
signer of the crane, has reached Mare
Island, and the preliminary test was to
Lave been made under his supervision,
assisted by Superintendent F. F. Harring
ton and John Strom. When the hour ar
rived, however, it was found that during a
speeding test the boxes got hot and the
test went over till Monday.
Commodore E. O. Mathews, chief of
bureau of yards aud docks, lias taken his
departure from the yard. He left on a
launch last night, catching the overland
train at Port Costa for Oregon. The brief
stay made by the commodore will un
doubtedly prove of immense benefit to
Mare Island.
Heavy shipments of stores are being
made to vessels on the Asiatic station
and to the Monterey, now in Callao.
CAPTURED AT SASTA ROSA.
An Officer Runs ltown a Man Thought to
llf an Oakland Escape.
SANTA ROSA, Cai«, May 24.— Deputy
fiheriff Murphy to-day arrested a man on
suspicion of being Dempsey, one of the
men who escaped from the Oakland prison
on Wednesday. Murphy captured the fel
low after a long pursuit. The stranger
took refuge in a bunch of willows in Santa
Rosa Creek and would not come out until
Murphy drew a revolver and threatened
to shoot. The fugitive then surrendered.
When taken to jail the captive said his
name was Jtiordan, and that he had
been slopj.ins: in Napa. Sheriff Allen tele
graphed to the Xapa Sheriff and found no
such man hart been there. Afterward Rior
dan said his true name is Thompson. The
deputy sheriff, after receiving a careful de
scription of Dempsey, thinks Thompson is
not the man. Thompson is taller and
heavier. He will be held on a charge of
vagrancy, however, until Monday to give
the Oakland officers a chance to see him,
and aNo to discover the cause of his effort
to escape arrest.
uoLLMTvii juvxnisnjgipa fate.
.Chnrle* Jlar«u,irk,, Slayer ■ Denied, a
JV«* Trial and Given „ Life Term.
HOLLIBTER, Cat.., May 24,-When F
M. Conkhng, convicted of the murder iof
Charles >. Hard wick on February 28 was
called up for sentence this morning before
■Judge Dorn, his counsel, p. 8. Geil made
a motion for a new trial on the grounds
that the jury had gone outside of the court
room for evidence. The motion was based
upon affidavits from several parties re
citing that two jurors had produced a rifle
and" some- cloth ■ and had experimented
With the same to see at how far a distance
powder marks would show on cloth; that
me evidence ; so , obtained was used in the
The San Francisco Call.
jury-room to influence the rest of the jury
men against the defendant.
Judge Dora denied the motion, and sen
tenced (Jonkling to life imprisonment at
San Quentin. The case will be appealed
on the above point.
COLOXELS IX COXMAXU.
Governor Itudd Xante* Temporary
Leaders for Two Jiriyades.
SACRAMENTO, Cal., May 24.—Gov
ernor Budd has not yet appointed the
brigadier-generals for the First and Third
brigades, and it is not likely that he will
do so for some time. To-day he ordered
the senior colonels in the two brigades to
assume command of their respective bri
gades until the brigadiers are appointed.
The First Brigade is composed of the
Seventh and Ninth infantries in the south
ern put of the State, commanded by
Colonels William G. Schreiber of Los
Angeles and E. B. Spillman of San Diego
respectively. Colonel Spillman, be
ing the ranking officer, will
command the brigade. The Third
brigade is composed of the Second, Sixth
and Kiehth infantries, commanded'respec
tively by Colonel J. W. Guthrie of" Sacra
mento, Colonel J. J. Nunan of Stockton
and Colonel Park Henshaw of Chico.
Colonel Gnthrie, being the ranking officer,
wili be in command of the brigade.
Governor Budd has set the time when
the various members of the National Guard
wtio attained fX> per cent at rifle practice in
1894 shall shoot for the State championship
medal. The 9o per cent men of the Eighth
Infantry will shoot at Chico on June 18,
those of the Second Infantry at Vallejo on
June 13 and those of the Second Brigade at
Shell Mound on June 18. Lieutenant-
Colonel James L. Rowland of the Seventh
Infantry will shoot with the regimental
staff in June.
Adjutant-General Barrett took formal
possession of his office to-day.
IX QUEST AT riXOLE.
The Exact Cause of the Explosion Re
mains a Mystery.
PINOLE, Cal., May^&^-Coroner H. G.
Curry of Martinez to^uay held an inquest
i over the bodies of O. C. Johnson and H.
I Minugh, the only victims of the explosion
at the California Powder Company's works
whose mutilated corpses could be identi
fied. Fifteen witnesses were examined,
but the actual cause of the catastrophe
could not be learned, and the verdict was
simply that the workmen came to their
deaths from an accidental explosion.
No inquest will be held over the remains
of the nine Chinamen. About twenty
pounds of bones and scraps of flesh, all
that could be found of the tmfortunate
celestials, will be shipped to China for in
terment.
The funerals of Johnson and Minugh
took place yesterday. The funeral cortege
which followed the bodies to tlie grave
was two miles long.
VISALIA'S CELEBRATION.
Hundreds of I'eople T'rom Surrounding
Toxcns Will Attend.
VISALIA, Cal., May 24.— A representa
tive of Visalia's celebration committee re
turned from Bakersfield this morning and
reports that 300 people will come from that
town to celebrate the Fourth of July in
this city. Of that number 200 will be bi
cyclist?, and a special car will be required
to bring their wheels. Forty members of
Company G will also come to participate
in the marksmanship contest for several
prizes. The Bakersfield band, of seventeen
pieces, has been engaged, and the people
of Bakersfield are in correspondence with
the Southern Pacific officials, trying to get
special rates on six carloads of excursion
ists.
Miss Jennie Ward is still in the lead in
the contest for goddess of liberty, her total
vote this evening being 1817. Miss Stev
ens is second.
ACQUITTED AT SEATTLE.
Wil cox Found Not Guilty of the Charlotte
Fetting Murder.
SEATTLE, Wash., May 24.— William A.
Wilcox, who has been on trial the past
week for the murder of old Charlotte Fet
ting in South Seattle in September, 1893,
was found not guilty this afternoon by the
jury. The verdict was reached after the
jury had been out one hour and twenty
five minutes.
Wilcox was tried last January and con
victed of manslaughter, but the Supreme
Court granted a new trial. This time the
State tried to prove that Wilcox murdered
the old lady and afterward killed James
King of Tacoma, who was supposed to
have had a hand in the first crime, and
who was about to confess because Wilcox
had not given him his share of the money
which was stolen from the Fetting cabin.
Wilcox proved an alibi.
DROWXEO IX CO BLITZ HIT EH.
A Toung Tacotnnn Meets Death in the
Cascade Mountains.
TACOMA, Wash., May 24.— For several
days it has been feared that Seth Catlin,
son of Charles Catlin, a prominent and
wealthy citizen, had been killed while in
the Cascade Mountains on an outing. To
day word was received here that young Cat
lin's horse was found tied to a tree on the
bank of the Cowlitz River, two miles above
the mouth of Cispus River. The horse
was very weak from lack of food. The
canoe in which young Catlin had evidently
attempted to cross the river was found
overturned two miles below where the
horse was tied. The spot is a wild and un
frequented one. A party has gone out to
drag the river for Catlin's body.
• : Mysterious Death in ' Perm Fallen.
GRASS VALLEY, Cal., May 24.- 1 man
named Harvey, who has been missing since
Sunday, was found dead with a gunshot
wound in his mouth at Reuben Herrod's
ranch in Perm Valley, ten miles west of
here this evening. It is not known
whether he was accidentally shot, mur
dered or committed suicide. "The Coroner
has gone to investigate. Harvey hud
worked two days for Mr. Herrod and Sun
day afternoon left to take a hunt in the
woods and has been missing until to-night
A Tiaalia Footpad Convicted.
VISALIA, Cal., May 24.— The jury in
the case of Charles Brown found him
guilty of assault with intent to commit
robbery. Last February Brown and H. B.
Gebhardt held up Ah Tins on the Mineral
Kins road, near \ isalia. Oebhardt pleaded
guilty to the charge. Both men will be
sentenced next week.
A Clapton Farmer Killed.
MARTINEZ, Cal., May 24. — Robert
Hansen, a farmer who resided near Ciay
ton, was killed yesterday., He was driving
a two-^orse rake and fell from it, and was
either kicked by one of the horsesor struck
by the pole. His skull was fractured. His
body was brought to Martinez, and will be
shipped to lowa.
SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY MORNING, MAY 25, 1895.
STANFORD'S BIG GAME
Professors and Seniors
Contest on the Dia
mond.
TROUNCED BY '95 MEN.
The Learned Educators Fall
Easy Victims to Their
Opponents.
THEIR PLAY TOO SCIENTIFIC.
The Sphere Finds Dr. Jordan's
Waistband, but He Nets a Run
for Hts Side.
PALO ALTO, May 24.— The brilliant
cardinal of Stanford is slowly turning to a
dull gray. Students are deserting by every
north or south bound train. "Quizzes"
and "exes" have finished for the year, and
the spiders are preparing to spin their
webs over windows and doorways. The
last lecture of the year has been hummed
in scientific monotone from the professor's
desk, and the last "cinch" has been placed
against the backward scholar.
But still the blood-red college flag waves
in the breeze of student enthusiasm, for
Jack Sheehan, Secretary of the Stan
ford Class of '95.
although vacation days have come the
senior class intends to filch at least a
few of those precious hours and to
spend this stated time in festive celebra
tion. When they have finally finished
their revels the dust of disuse will settle
upon the Moorish arcades and corridors of
the great quadrangle, for the college will
be closed until the autumn months are
high upon the calendar. •
With the usual precocity of colleges the
commencement begins when the term
ends, and in the case of the class of '96 the
festivities will last for a full week. The
term closed to-day at 12:30 o'clock, and as
the last senior student left the classroom
he or she proceeded at once to prepare for
festal duties.
The celebration opened with a game of
baseball: For four years past it has been
tii e custom of the faculty to select a base
ball nine from within its grave and rev
erend numbers and do battle upon the
diamond field with the best handlers of
the sphere that the senior class could per
suade to stand against them.
Heretofore the faculty nine has always
beaten the senior nine, but yesterday the
tables were turned. The seniors came out
victorious on the long end of a one-sided
score of .30 to 13; but there was much
reason for the untimely defeat of the
faculty.
It lay in the fact that the class of '95 is
the real pioneer class of the Stanford Col
lege. There have been graduations before,
but there has been no class before it, which
starting at the freshman year, has worked
around all four sides of the quadrangle.
They call themselves "the pioneers," and
the class yell, "Rah! rah! rere! we're
right here! '95, '95, pi-on-eer!" explains
their position exactly. They form the first
class which has served for four years under
the Stanford professsors. There are 16!) of
them, and nearly seventy of that number
are girls.
The great game of baseball was called at
half-past 2 o'clock. The professors were
on the ground early, for they had to face
the crack nine of the college, one that has
come off victorious against many of the
teams of the State.
The seniors came on the grounds shortly
afterward, and they presented a motley
spectacle as they walked from the grain
field back of the gymnasium, trolling out
the class yell. They were dressed as pio
neers — red-shirted, blue-shirted, with torn
overalls and battered hats— and as they
followed the '95 class secretary, who led
the way with a big meerschaum pipe stuck
in his hat, they raised a laugh among the
spectators that shook the hills.
To make the game more even the seniors
changed places each time, so that, in the
seven innings played, every man had a
chance to show his aptitude or inaptitude
for a different position. On the faculty
side President David Starr Jordan brought
all the presidential dignity to first base,
but much of the error column of the tuto
rial nine was due to his efforts. The other
eight, being made up of most scientific
material, played chemical, entomological
or hygienic ball, according to which pro
fessor was immediately interested in the
elusive sphere after each hit.
President Jordan did no base-running.
He contented himself with securing "base
on balls" or "base on hit by pitcher," and
then letting McLean of '96 run the diamond
for him. The president was hit but once.
Baker was in the box, and as he let fly a
curve he doubled up in a twinge of appre
hension, for the ball flew straight for the
ample presidential waist. It hit Dr. Jordan
amidships, with a sound as of a stone
thrown in the mud, and while the senior
nine bowed its several heads in agonies of
remorse the genial president trotted con
tentedly toward the first bag.
"If I had not been hit I would probably
have made an out," he soliloquized, philo
sophically, and so it was thatgoud came of
evil, for his proxy, McLean, made a run
out of the hit in the waistband.
i The game was a mO st interesting one,
even though it did last but seven innings
and was all one-sided, and when the last
out had been made three hearty cheers
were given by the victorious seniors for
the ball-playing portion of the faculty.
The nine were made up as follows:
Faculty club— J. C. Fish, professor of civil en
gineering, pitcher; G. M. Richardson, professor
of chemistry, catcher ; Dr. David Starr Jordan,
president of the college, first base; Frank
Angell. professor of psychology, second base;
Dr. T. D. Wood, professor of hygiene, third
base; H. D. Steams, professor of physics, short
stop; S. W. Young, professor of chemistry, right
field; A. T. Murray, professor of Greek, center
field; V. L. Kellogg, protessor of entomology,
left field.
Senior nine— T. G. Russell, E. M. Rea, P. M.
Downing, J. F. Sheehan, Abe Lewis Jr., Arthur
H. White, William Harrelson, Scott Caihoun,
Shirley Baker, and William Stuart manager.
In the evening a most enjoyable recep
tion was given by the president and faculty
to the senior class in Roble Hall, and
there the victors and vanquished met in a
friendliness of sport only to be found be
tween the graduated student and his late
but still respected instructors.
GRADVATES OIIGAXIZE.
in Alumni Association of the Stanford
l.tiw school Formed.
PALO ALTO, Cal., May 24.— The grad
uates from the law department of the
Stanford University met this afternoon to
form an alumni association, which will
include all previous, present and subse
quent alumni from this college of law.
Professor Abbott, law professor of the uni
versity, is the passive mover in the for
mation of this new association, and under
his direction it has been formed on exactly
the lines as have the law alumni of Har
vard and other big Eastern colleges.
For president the new organisation has
elected M. H. Kennedy of the class of '95,
and for treasurer and secretary G. G.
Wigel, at present a Justice of the Peace in
Palo Alto.
For vice-presidents fifteen of the gradu
ates from as many States of the Union
were chosen, in order that the new organ
ization may have as wide a range of use
fulness as is possible. The object of the
association is self-help and mutual ad
vancement.
A list of the names and addresses of the
alumni will be kept by the secretary and
published periodically, and hereafter any
law graduate of Stanford University will
find himself with a friend wherever he can
meet a fellow-member of the association.
BUDD OPPOSES PARDONS
Answer of the Governor to a
Plea for a Solano County
Murderer.
He Will Ask the Legislature to Pass
a Law Regulating: Executive
Commutations.
SACRAMENTO, C.\L M May 24.— Rico
Moraeoo will be hanged on the 20th of
nsxt month if Governor Build does not
interfere. G. A. Lamont, at the time
Morasco was convicted, was the District
Attorney of Solano County and prose
cuted him. To-day he came up from his
home in Suisun and asked the Governor
to commute the sentence and send
Morasco to the penitentiary for life. He
claims that the convicted man was poorly
defended. He is an ignorant and weak
minded man, wbo is hardly accountable
for his acts.
The Governor replied that those half
witted criminals were the most dangerous
we have. He said if people do not want
murderers hanged they should give them
some other sentence. He had examined
the case thoroughly, had read all the
testimony, and it seemed to be a clear
case, with no extenuating circumstances.
He said there was no doubt but that many
a man had been hanged because he had
been poorly defended; that no Judge
should appoint a sprig of a lawyer to de
fend a man whose life was at stake. It
was not right. In a case where a man
was on trial for his life he should at least
be given an attorney who knows some
thing of the rules of evidence.
"I am opposed to this whole commuta
tion business," said the Governor. "One
Governor will commute a man, and the
next man who is elected chief magistrate
pardons him. The whole pardon business
is wrong. If I interfere in this case I will
reprieve him for two years, and ask the
Legislature to change the law so that a
man commuted in such instances cannot
afterward be pardoned."
O. R. Ooghlan and J. Debata, two other
Solano County attorneys, also appeared,
and asked that the sentence be commuted.
The Governor did not say what he would
do.
SESSION OF EXDEA VOB ER3.
Three Thousand I'mple Attend the Oath
nrinn at Sacramento.
SACRAMENTO, Cal., May 24.— 1n the
Christian Endeavor Convention to-day
committees were named as follows:
Nominations — C. Z. Merritt of Oakland, Rev.
E. B. Ware of Santa Rosa, Rev. J. W. Phillips
of Bakersfield, James Bell Lindsay of Santa
Cruz and Mrs. Duston of Redding.
Auditing— W. W. Milne of Sacramento, Miss
Florence Guthrie of Weaverville and W. W.
Thompson of Modesto.
Resolutions— Rev. G. T, McCollom of Loring,
Rev. William Rader of Oakland and H. G. Wy
lie of Los Angeles.
The special committee that had been ap
pointed to wait on Governor Budd an
nounced that he would address the con
vention to-morrow night. The closing
prayer was offered by Rev. H. M. Tanney
of San .lose and the convention took a re
cess till 7:45 p. m. In the evening ad
dresses were made by Miss Mindora L.
Berry and Rev. E. S. Chapman. There
were about 3000 people present at the ses
sion.
Reward* for Two Murderer a.
SACRAMENTO, Cal., May 24.—Gover
nor Budd to-day offered a reward of $250
for the arrest and conviction of Andrew
Parks for the murder of Elmer Newton, on
February 19,1895, at Pasadena; also $250
for the arrest and conviction of Martin
Toledo, for the murder of Juan Guazen
bura, April 10, 1895, at Carson ranch, in
Los Angeles County.
Mnilrond .Accident at Di.r on.
SACRAMENTO, Cal., May 24.—Brake
man W. S. Jones, residing at Oakland, was
slightly injured by being rolled between
the station platform and one of the cars at
Dixon. He was brought to this city for
treatment. One arm is badly injured, but
it is not thought that his other injuries are
serious.
SAN DIEGO SENSATION
A Will of Ex-Governor
Downey Found in a
Bank Vault.
IN HIDING MANY YEARS.
The Document Is Old and
Musty, and Had Been Ex
ecuted in 1877.
TEXT OF THE TESTAMENT.
Half the Immense Estate Left to
His First Wife, Who Died
Years Ago.
SAN DIEGO, Cal., May 24.— A sensa
tion was caused in this city and in Los
Angeles to-day by the reported finding of
the will of ex-Governor John G. Downey
hidden away in a lot of musty papers in
the Consolidated National Bank in this
city.
Receiver O'Connor was the finder. He
was looking through a lot of papers when
he came across a big envelope indorsed,
"Last will and testament of John G.
Downey."
The importance of the document was in-
Ex-Governor J. Q. Downey.
Btantly seen, as Governor Downey s great
estate is being administered as intestate
property. At first Receiver O'Connor was
inclined to send the will directly to the
Probate- Court of Lob Angeles without
opening it, but later he concluded to open
the en velope in order to learn the names
of the executors who would have charge of
the will.
Upon opening the document it was found
to be dated in 1877 and named Stephen M.
White, Peter Donahoe and E. F. Spence as
executors. Spence and Donahoe are dead
and Receiver O'Connor notified Senator
White at Los Angeles that* he would send
the will to him by special messenger. Mr.
Wadham went to Los Angeles this morn
ing on the errand.
Though no copy of the will was taken
its general provisions were learned. It
directs that the home in Los Angeles and
the house adjoining, together with all
furniture, silverware, plate, horses, car
riages, etc., shall become the property of
his wife. This was Governor Downey's
first wife, since deceased without issue.
Bequests of $5000 or $6000 are made to as
many Catholic charitable institutions, in
cluding the Orphans' Home at Los An
geles, and the remainder of the estate is
divided, one-half going to the widow and
the balance equally divided between Gov
ernor Downey's two sisters, Mrs. Peter
Donahoe and Mrs. Eleanor Martin and the
latter's son, J. Downey Harvey.
The value of the estate is estimated at
over $500,000. Governor Downey owned
much real estate in Los Angeles and San
Diego counties, including the great War
ners ranch in this county, estimated to be
worth $200,000. He died Marcli 1, 1894, in
Los Angeles.J supposedly intestate, and on
the 17th of the same month letters of ad
ministration were granted J. Downey Har
vey on the application of Governor Dow
ney's sisters. The whole estate, according
to law, would go to them in the absence of
a will, and the heirs of the first and second
wives would get nothing.
The present will would have been invalid
had the second wife haa issue, but as she
died without children it will take effect
unless a later will is found. That a later
will was made there is every reason to
believe from the circumstances that were
made kuown to-day by a former attorney
of Governor Downey. Nobody knows any
thing of such a will, however, and if it is
in existence it is probably kept closely
guarded by persons much interested in so
doing.
"I got most of the facts from Governor
Downey himself," said this attorney, "and
know whereof I speak. I have every rea
son to believe there is in existence a later
will, and that in it no provision whatever
is made for J. Downey Harvey. Harvey
was a favorite of the Governor, and was
named after him. It was generally under
stood that he was to come in for the bulk
of the property.
"Some time after the death of the Gov
ernor's first wife there came rumors that
the Governor intended to marry again and
that strong efforts were being made on the
part of his sisters to prevent such an act,
which would throw them and J. Downey
out. Whether upon their urgent solicita
tion or not Governor Downey took a long
trip, almost around the world, leaving his
affairs in the hands of J. Downey Harvey,
who was attorney in fact."
The attorney related a story reflecting
upon J. Downey Harvey's management,
and told of a suit filed against him by the
ex-Governor, adding: "It was enough for
one relative, he thought, under the cir
cumstances, and he told me, and more
than once, that he would cut J. Downey
Harvey off without a shilling.
"Now this old will bobs up and in it J.
Downey is given one-sixth 01 the estate. I
am satisfied that was not the intention of
Governor Downey and that a later will has
been made and is somewhere in hiding.
"So long as the property was all in J.
Downey Harvey's hands, being adminis
tered as intestate estate, no will was
wanted. But now that old will is in the
field, which gives the heirs of the first
wife half of the immense property, it may
be to somebody's interest to produce a
later will. Senator Stephen If. Wnite,
who is named as executor in the will, is
attorney for J. Downey Harvey as admin
istrator. The will is bound to cause a
commotion, and perhaps those to whom
Governor Downey really desired to leave
his property will get their dues."
fIZJEI* THE WILL,.
Attorney Wadham of San Diego Asks
That It lie Probated.
LOS ANGELES, Cal., May 24.— Attorney
James E. Wadham this afternoon brought
from San Diego the last will and testament
of the late ex-Governor Downey and tiled
the same for probate with Judge Smith of
the Superior Court.
In the absence of Stephen M. White,
who is the only surviving executor of the
will, no one would open it or divulge its
contents. Senator White is now in San
Francisco and the will will not be opened
before his return.
If the statement of the will's contents
received from San Diego is correct J.
Downey Harvey will not fare badly by
the change from administrator to one of
the legatees. He does not appear to be at
all worried over the news of the
finding of the will, the instru
ment having been drawn up so long ago
as seventy-seven, when Harvey was still a
very young man, it is not probable that his
uncle discriminated against him. What
ill-feeling the Governor had against his
nephew was engendered long after that
date. This probably accounts for J. Downey
Harvey's equanimity over the finding of the
will. He postponed his departure for San
Francisco on account of the event, but
seems to be having a good time while
waiting for the contents of the will to be
divulged. He brought his bicycle with
him when he came down here and yester
day rode to Santa Monica and back. To
day he went there again and is there to
night.
The presence of the will in San Diego,
its loss and discovery are accounted for in
this wise. E. F. Spence, who is named as
one of the executors, was the fast friend
and confidential agent of Governor Dow
ney, and was at that time engaged in the
banking business in San Diego. Naturally
the document was left in his care and de
posited in the vault of the bank.
When Spence came to Los Angeles the
will was overlooked and left in the care of
Bryant Howard, then president of the
bank. It was forgotten and overlooked
until a few days ago, when Receiver
O'Connor of the Consolidated National
Bank, in going over the papers in the
vault, came across a package labeled "Last
Will and Testament of John G. Downey"
in E. F. Spence's well-known handwriting.
MR. WMITE .SI if I' JUS I. IK
Though the E&- Govern or' a Attorney, He
Knew Xothing of the Will.
The statements wired from San Diego
yesterday that a will made by ex-Governor
John G. Downey had been found among
the papers in the vaults of the Consoli
dated National BanK of that place is sure
to create more than a little interest in San
Francii co.
The ex-Governor left a valuable estate,
which has been managed by J. Downey
Harvey, nephew of the deceased, and dis
tributed largely to himself, Mrs. Edward
Martin and| Mrs. Peter Donahne. The
ladies named reside in San Francisco and
are sisters of the deceased ex-Governor.
J. Downey Harvey is Mrs. Martin's son by
her first husband. Mry. Donahue is the
widow of the late Peter Donahue and was
his second wife.
The first wife of ex-Governor Downey
was killed in the great railroad disaster at
Tehachapi in 1882. He narrowly escaped
death himself in the disaster and many of
his friends have said that his mind was so
affected by the shock and the terrible
scenes of the burning to death of his wife
before his own eyes that he never was
quite himself after the terrible event.
He managed his own business affairs,
however, with quite a degree of success,
and managed to get in the newspapers by
engaging himself to marry Yda Addis, a
young lady of some note in Southern Cali
fornia literary circles.
Stephen M. White, who arrived in the
city last evening, knows nothing of the
purported will, although he transacted
much of the legal business of ex-Governor
Downey.
He says that if the ex-Governor married
after the will was made the marriage an
nuls it.
At the residence of J. Downey Harvey
last evening it was ascertained that Mr.
Harvey had gone to Los Angeles. At the
residence of Mrs. Peter Donahue and Mrs.
Martin, comer of Bryant and Second
streets, word was given out that the
former lady was sick and could not be in
terviewed, and the latter was not at home.
The estate involved is valued at a million
and a half.
S. P. Beach, manager for Mrs. E. Martin,
was seen at his residence last night and
interviewed. The first definite information
that a will had been found came Thursday
night in a telegram from Los Angeles from
J. Downey Harvey to his aunt, Mrs. Dona
hue, in which he said:
"The heirs under the will are you,
mother, Aunt Minnie and myself."
The "Aunt Minnie" mentioned in the
telegram is a half-sister of ex-Governor
Downey. She is about 80 years of age and
lives in the Visitacion Convent, Baltimore
Md.
Ex-Governor Downey's wife, who was
killed in the Tehachapi disaster, was a
Miss Gerradio, a Spanish lady, and three
of her brothers now live in Los Angeles.
They hava instituted litigation there,
claiming that Downey signed a paper
giving to his wife and her heirs certain
property. They contend for $375,000.
Since the death of the ex-Governor the
administrator of the estate has paid many
debts of deceased from the rents of the
property.
Governor Downey died a year ago last
March. After the death of his first wife he
married his second cousin, a poor honest
girl named Rosa Kelley.
This marriage caused an estrangement
between the Governor and his sisters, Mrs.
Donahue and Mrs. Martin. They held
him here a year after his return from a
trip around the world, but by the aid of
Sarsfiela O'Reilly he gave them the slip
and was spirited away to Los Angeles,
where he married the girl.
"She married for a home," said Mr
Beach, "and died childless, her death
antedating the demise of the Governor."
This marriage also broke up the friendship
between J. Downey Harvey and his uncle.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
ALIEN SCALPS SOLD
Coyote Bounty Claims
Investigated in Kern
County.
OFFICIALS IN THE DEAL.
The Grand Jury Likely to Re
turn a Number of
Indictments.
UNIQUE METHODS PURSUED.
The Scalps Said to Have Been Cast
Into a Stove With a False
Bottom.
SACRAMENTO, May 24.— The Grand
Jury of Kern County has for some time
been engaged in an investigation of the
alleged frauds in coyote scalp claims, and
it is stated has obtained evidence that may
result in placing many influential county
officials behind the bars.
A confidential agent of the Grand Jury
has appeared before the Board of Ex
aminers and requested that certain docu
mentary evidence said to be in the posses
sion of the latter be forwarded to the
Grand Jury of Kern County, to be used in
the trial which will follow the indictments
by that body.
It is rumored that hundreds of coyote
scalps received by the county officials,
after having been purchased by the State,
found their way into the hands of certain
outside persons and were again resold. It
is also rumored that after being repur
chased they again passed out the back door
and were taken to other counties and re
sold.
There has been a keen detective em
ployed on the matter for some time, and it
is claimed that very damaging evidence
has been procured against those county
officials supposed to be interested in the
deal. There is no room for doubt but that
the report of the Kern County Grand Jury
will result in indictments that will shock
the entire community.
YROMISEyr MEX IMPLICATED,
Startling Developments Will Follow the
Grand Jury's Report.
BAKERSFIELD, Cal., May 24.— is
almost impossible to give any positive
facts about the coyote scalp fraud in this
county, though rumors are plentiful and
have.been since the Grand Jury * undertook
the investigation of the matter and; names
of various prominent persona who have
been connected therewith.
The jury has been in session now since
last fall, off and on, and one of the first
matters looked into by it was the coyote
frauds.
At the time the scalp appropriation bill
was before Governor Budd the jury sent a
strong protest against his signing it, alleg
ing that barefaced frauds had been com
mitted and stating that an investigation
was in progress.
Singularly enough, however, Senator S.
C. Smith, representing this and San Luis
counties, also a member of the Grand
Jury, took a special trip back to Sacra
mento after the Legislature adjourned and
made an argument to try to convince
Budd that he ought to sign the bill.
Budd was somewhat sarcastic in his re
marks to Smith in reply, but neglected to
sign the bill.
Since his return home Smith has been
known here as "Coyote Smith."
In consequence of this action Senator
and Grand Juryman Smith, when the jury
undertook the investigating of the coyote
business again recently, as they had
promised Governor Budd, was politely
excused from attendance on the sessions
while the matter was under discussion.
What the Grand Jury has discovered has
been kept most profoundly secret, but it is
pretty well understood that three features
of the business were investigated with
more or less startling results.
One was the receipt of a large quantity
of scalps at Caliente from points in Ari
zona and New Mexico and their subse
quent hauling to Bakersheld by team and
distribution among those engaged in the
frauds.
The names of the persons engaged in
this business are whispered, and it is pretty
positively known that at least three of
them will be indicted. One is a well-known
merchant in town, and two others— father
and son — are or have been office-holders.
Another feature that has been investi
gated is a queer story about a sort of
double back-action stove that is reported
to have been used in the burning or pre
tended burning of scalps upon which
bounty had been paid.
According to report this stove had two
doors so arranged that when scalps were
put in an apparently hot fire they passed
through unscathed and came out on the
other side all ready to do duty again as
often as might be thought prudent.
Another story that was investigated was
as to the midnight burial of certain lots of
scalps out at the racetrack and their sub
sequent unearthing and use, the latter
having been witnessed by parties hidden
in the brush, whose suspicions had been
aroused.
These are bnt a portion of the interest
ing stories afloat about the matter. When
the jury adjourned the other day it was
subject to the call of the foreman, and in
the meantime a trusty agent was dis
patched to Sacramento to investigate
coyote records on tile there and report
back, so that there might be no mistake in
putting blame for fraud where it legiti
mately belongs.
The report of that agent is waited with
great interest, as indictments are expected
to follow. At first some twenty-live per
sons were implicated, and it was intended
to indict them, buj a coe slipped some
where, and now the indictments will be
limited to about six.
Prtaluma to Hold a Fair.
PETALUMA, Cal., May 24.— The Sono
ma and Marin Agricultural Society some
time ago decided to hold a regular annual
fair and race meeting at Petaluma, to last
six days, commencing August 19, pro
viding the citizens subscribed $1000. To
night the bonus reached $900, and the re
mainder and the fair are assured.
For additional Pacific Coast newt teeJPagu t and^