The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 11, 1896, Page 11

'HE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, UESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1896. JAILED FOR MaY SMITHS MURDER, Charles Lemmerer Boasted of Being the Girl's Strangler. HAS ADVANCED AN ALIBI A Case That Bids Fair to Be One of a Number of Mysteries. THE POLICE IN THE DARK. Robbery Appears to Have Been the Only Incentive to Spur on the Murderer. Womenj whose businessit is to lure men on to sin, and who, with a merry laugh and a bright sparkle in their eye, have absolutely no compunction in the thought that their wiles are- causing the disinte- gration of erstwhile happy families, crowded about a slabatthe Morguae yes- terday and wept as if their hearts would break over the remains of one of thetr own class. They. had come to see “Little May” | Smith, who was strangled in her Morton- | street den early yesterday morning by | some miscreant, to pay her such tribute as might be expected from sisters iu shame. They saw a terrible sight in that back | room of the charnel-house. The vivacious | littlé blonde girl, whose bright laugiter and merry song enlivened them the day | before, whose coquettish dress and ways were their envy, lay almost side by side with an unidentified corpse more than mutilated in flesh by the ravages of time. Her short flaxen hair, washed off her forehead by the rude hand of the Morgue orter, hung back as though it had never een acquainted with curling-irons or hair- dreéssers. The young woman'’s pretty garb | was replaced by a cold damp sheet and ber | usually rosy. complexion had made way | for the dark red blotches of congested | blood. Worse than all else were the finger-marks of the strangler on the glrl’s delicate neck. It was a terrible lesson May Smith’s sisters learned when they looked at her in her sad state and it told tothem more than volumes of verbal sermons. No wonder they wept and bastily deposited their floral tokens betore rusning into the outer air. The silent story to them had seme home. But the woman is deaa now. The ques- tion arises, Who is her assassin? Her friends are asking it and the police are unable to answer. Up till the evening they were as unable to even | advance a tangible theory as they were | when the corpse was discovered. Theonly evidence up to that time, or rather the lack of evidence, indicated that the case | will be handed down in the police archives recording the mysterious murders of Frederika Drelland Caroline Prennell, both | of whom died at the hands of unknown stranglers in this City. The murdered girl was but 20 years old, luring five of which she had been away | 'rom a widowed mother, who lives at 28 | Madison avenue. She had a pleasant | home there for any child ¢f rizhteons in- | clinations, but May had a penehant which | ) at 757 Howard street. They now have him in the Oity Prison tanks. Captain Spillaine was notified that Lemmerer at an early hour yesterday morning went into the saloon 759 Howard street, which is next door to the barber shop, and told them that he had choked a woman on Morton street. She had stolen a fifty-cent piece from him and - that was why he choked her. He met her in a saloon and went into her den through the back doot of the saloon. The captain in- structed McGrayn to get Lemmerer. When arrested Lemmerer denied having made the statement, but there are three witnesses who heard him. He told Me- Grayn he went to the house of Joseph Stumpf, 415 O'Farrell street, at 3 o’clock Sunday afternoon and played cards there till 2 o’clock yesterduy morning. Then he wandered around till he got to the suloon 759 Howard street. 3 In the City Prison he told Sergeant Shields that he came down O'Farrell street with a friend to Stockton street, turned down to a smal: street and went into a saloon, where he met a little girl, all Eninted and powdered up. She said to im: *“Come with me and I will treat you like a gentleman.” He went out of the rear door of the saloon with her and into her den. He gave her a dollar and she stole a fifty-cent piece out of his pocket. He charged her with_stealing it and she called him a liar. He called her a liar and he went away, saying he would see her about 1t next week.. He claimed it oc- curred about 3 o’clock in the morning. At1o'clock this morning Captain Lees ascertained that Lemmerer’s alibi is almost incontrovertible. S Rt CRIMES OF THE PAST. Mysterious Cases Having Similar Features That Baffled the Pollce of Old. “That looks like Heunry Bays'! work,” was the remark of a police official yester- day morning, referring to the murder by strangulation of Mamie McDermott alias May Smith. And that remark recalled one of three mysterious murders committed in this City in the past fourteen years. The vic- tims were all women—two of them of the class to which Mamie McDermoti be- longed and the other an aged woman who kept a lodging-house. The remark quoted was as to the case of the elderly woman and was prompted by the fact, thatas in the case of the most re- cent victim, she was strangled first and then a towel tied around the neck. This victim was Frederika Drell, 65 years of age, who was murdered in her home, in an old-fashioned cottage, on a terrace on the west side of Dupont street, just north of California. She lived by her- self in this cottage and sustained herself by renting a few rooms. Among her lodgers was one Henry Bays, an indi- vidual who was under surveillance of the police. On the morning of the 21st of December, 1884, the old lady, who was in the habit of sleeping fully dressed on a couch, so that she would be prepared to go to the door in case the bell rang, was dis- covered dead on her couch, with a twisted towel tied around her neck. An examina- tion made when the towel was removed revealed the fact that her death had been caused by strangulation by the hand of a human being, and that the tying of the towel around her mneck was an after- thought and act of the murderer. A remarkable fact was that Henry Bays was missing and that the towel around the woman’s neck was one of two that had been in Bays’ room. It was supposed that the old lady, who was somewhat miserly, had in her rooms a large sum of money concealed and that robbery was the motive forthe crime. The police after a search discovered Bays, who was making his way out of the city, and placed him under arrest. He was held for trial, but not convicted, as the evidence against him was purely circumstantial and. the - jury was not satisfied that it would justify the returning of a verdict. So_this case was one of many in which justice was not meted out to the criminal and it was rele- gated to the long list of mysterious murders. Another murder by strangulation was the killing of Caroline Prennell, at 115 Waverly place. On the 25th of May, 1872, she felt inclined to follow. She took up | with many men and dropped_them after a | time until she encountered Jack Smith, a | good-looking youth hardly three years her | senior, whose wife she posed as and lived | in Erastus Morey’s house at 330 Geary | street. | Smith was brought into Captain Lees’ | office yesterday, when he told of his liai- son with the girl, and he was sent out with Detective Gibson to verify the story he told. He succeeded in proving all” his steps from noontime until the moment | his friend O'Donnell roused him from a | card table with the announcement that | “Mamie has been murdered.” He was therefore allowed to ({;o on | the promise that he would lend | his assis tance to the police in their work of discovering the murderer. Aside | from the disgrace bronght upon him by the revelation of his mode of living Smith is crestfallen over the lossof the giri whom he appears to have held 1n high regard as a valnable chattle. e has informed Cap- tain Lees of the only clew the police had up to 10 o’clock last,night. He says that the only person on earth capable of killing the girl was a cook-named Billy, who was insanely jealous of her attentions t> other men. This Billy, it appears, according to Smith, has written the woman repeatedly from San Diego, pleading with her to be true to him. Last Friday Billy reached | thbis City, and the girl now dead told | Smith of his anpoying her nightly. Smith believes that this cook is the man who committed the murder, and the polics | hope to soon have him under arrest. Georgie Howara, the young woman who more than any other was closely associated with May Smith, and who bad &lmost an adjoining den on Morton street, likewise made a statement to the police. She re- | lated the movements of herself and friend from tne hgur they breakfasted until after their attendance at the theater and their | frequent libations with male friends in | their res]pecnve places. The Iast Georgie Howard saw of Mai Smith was at 10:55 o’clock at night. ~ At that time May was ' in her own rooms drinking with two young men, both blondes, whom shecould recognize if she ever saw them again. They were well dressed peopleand behaved in a gentlemanly manner. They in no way gave her the impression they would be guilty of strangling the woman. ‘What is more, the general makeup of the two visitor: sabsolutely unlike that of the usual visitors to the corner saloon | next to which is located the Smith den. | This is a strong point in their| favor, as their presence in the saloon at any time during the night would have been remarked. The full sirength of this statement is had when it is known that the murderer must have passed out of the Smith woman’s house after the crime into the backroom of the saloon and thence through the barrcom to the street. This is shown by the fact that when L. Spense, the rent collector who discovered the mur- der, called at the fiirl's house, the only front door was locked and he opened it with his pass key. The other, or rear door, was found to be open. Many theories in regard to the murder have been poured into the ears of the police, who have been placed b( Chief Crowley on the Morton-street blockade. The officers in charge yuswerday were P. H. Herring, Tim Doogan, T. A. Atcheson end 8, Hinerman. One of the stories told them by an ex- cited individual, emong a few hundred{ who attempted to get a view of the house where the muraer oceurred, is that a jeal- ous woman chased a man off Grant avenue with a horsewhip shortly before midnight, and she subsequently went up Morton street declaring vengeance against one of the woman was discovered dead, her body partly on the floor and her lower himbs resting on the side of a bed. Her body was taken to the Morgue, and when a re- porter for THE CALL visited that institu- tion he was told that it was a case of apo- plexy. ile examining the body the reporter discovered several slight bruises on the neck, and placing his right hand on the throat discovered that his thumb nail reached the bruise on the left side of the neck and the fore and middle fingers touched two bruises on the right side. He then made the announcement that the woman had been strangied, but he was laughed at. The autopsy subsequently revealed acrushed trachca,and established the correctness of the reporter’s assertion. This aroused the police to activity, and an investigaiion resulted in the arrest of one Henri Rec, the woman’s protector. The police weurd & chain of circumstances so tightly thar there seemed to be no possible hope of escape. This chain was to the effect that he and the woman had quar- reled during the day; that shortly before the woman was discovered dead voices of two persons talking in French were heard, and Bec was believed to have been the owner of one of -the voices. The fact of his having quarreled with the woman, and the further fact that he told a number of contradictory stories as to his where- abouts on the night the woman was killed, were considered such strong points against him that he was charged by the Coroner’s jury with murder, and, after a preliminary trisl, was held. to_appear be- fore the %uperiax Court. Reuben H. Lloyd, who was his counsel, said yester- day: “That was my thirteenth and last murder case, and, while I felt sure that Bec was innocent, for a time it seemed to me that while none of the twelve I de- fended before him had reached the gallows, he would have to go there.” 7 At the time of this murder there lived in this city a notorious criminal, Charles Flynn, known to the authorities all over the State as Charies Mortimer, and a woman named_Carrie Egencer, who went by his assumed name. She was passion- ately fond of him, but was insanely ‘{enl- ous, often getting into fights with Mor- timer because of his attention to other women. A few days after the murder Carrie was arrested and at that time wore earrings that had been stolen from the dead woman’s ears. On her fingers were the dead woman’s rings. She was placed in the private part of the ola City Prison, known as the tanks, and occupied a cell next to that in which Bec was imprisoned. Each put their heads through the wicket and conversed, anod among other things Bec told her that he was innocent and was almost crazy, but felt sure that the mur- derer would be discovered. When she heard this Carrie almost fainted and dis- continued the conversation. She was re- leased and shortly after Mortimer was ar- rested in Sacramento for the murder of Mary Smith, a scarlet woman. Wwhen Carrie becama sure that there was no longer any hope for Mortimer she in some way dropped a hint which ceme to the knowledge of Lloyd, who succeeded in having the police recoyer the stolen jew- elry and sufficient proof to lead to a strong suspicion that Mortimer was the man who had swrangled Caroline Prennel. Morti- mer in an ante-mortem coniession said that he had followed the woman to her house under the lmgnmon that she had a sum of money which he could secure. He said that while he was in there Carrie got inte a fight with the woman, and when she fell from the bed put one of her feet on her neck; that afterward she returned to the house and stole the jewelry. The post- mortem did not, however, support this statement, and it was the general belief that Mortimer strangled the woman, and being disappointed use he could not the denizens in that street. She was a big woman and fully capable of strangling such a being as hittle May Smith. - The police consider the most tangible clew they have is one which reached them late last night ana they have followed it up by arresting Charles Lemmerer, & young barber, who works for D. J. Simon find the money he expected to secure, stole her rings and gave them to Carrie, who was passionately fond of jewelry. Mortimer was haaged in S8acramento. .The third case was that of Ernestine Carboniel, who was murderously assaulted on the night of the 6th of June, 1884, at 3 ‘Waverly place, near BSacramento street. The woman, who was 51 years old, occu- pied one-half of the building, it having two entrances, each exactly alike. The other nalf was occupied by one Louise Meyers. On the night named a man was seen to enter the Carboniel ‘woman’s_house, and inside of ten minutes leave it, go toward Sacramento street and turn down tnat street. A few minutes after that the Meyers woman heard a groan in the ad- joining half of the house. Afraid to enter, she summoned an officer, who found the door of Carboniel’s house closed, forced an entrance and found the place lighted only by a dim jet of gas. Increasing the light he saw on the floor the body of Ernestine Carboniel, with an ugly wound on the right side of her head. The police were summoned as was a sur- geon, who found a fracture of the skull. Under her bed was found a blood-stained iren belaying pin of peculiar pattern with which the wound had been given. Once the woman became conscious for a few moments and conversed about events that occurred six hours before the assault, but she could not tell anything about the attack on her. She died on the9th. The Meyers woman was in the habit of wear- ing diamonds worth at least$1000, and it is Erobnble that the man entered Carboniel’s ouse under the impression that it was Meyers with the intention of stealing the diamonds, and that as soon as he got in- side he dealt the woman the blow that caused her death; that he then discovered hismistake and fied, throwing the weapon under the bed. The -police visited every Lunksho in the city and everv ship in the arbor, but never found where the belay- h:f-pm came from and it is now one of the “‘deodands” kept in memory of crimes that are never unraveled. T THE PLA-HOLSES Lucia di Lammermoor Given to an Enthusiastic Audi- ence. Corinne at the Columbia—*My Part- ner” at Morosco’s—New Things Elsewhere. Mme. Tavary quite captivated her au- dience last evening as Lucia di Lammer- moor, as did Mme. Dorre before her as Santuzza in ¢ Cavalleria Rusticana.” Three or four times during the evening the ordinary forms of exyressing approval seemed not to satisiy, and a strong dis- position was shown to break into cheers. Again and again Mme. Tavary came for- ward and bowed and bowed in answer to the storm. The Cavalleria was con- siderably strengthened in its presentation by the Turridu of Payne Clarke. Mme. Dorre was the 1deal Santuzza. Madame Tavary was at her best in the second act and the latter part of the third act of Lucia. Albert L. Guille as Edgar and Signor Abrahamoff as Bide the Bent fairly won the applause they received. To-night, “Mignon." At the Tivoli. The bill at the Tivoli remains the same as it was last week. The music is ot only equal to soothing the breast of the gentle savage-but to entertaining multitudes of very civilized people. There is no sign of diminishing popularity, and the songs ana dancing provoke the enthusiasm of the frequenters of this theater. Corinne at theiColumbia. Corinne and the Opera Comique organi- zation transferred “Hendrick Hudson Jr.” to the Columbia last night, there to dazsle the habitues of that theater for a week. That Corinne has a strong hold upon the public was evidenced by the crowded theater. Every feature of the extravaganza and the specialty bits that break it up and give zest to it was met with applause. Corinne’s picture-songs and dances and mandolin playing especially caught the audience. Fostelle, the remarkable female impersonator, introduced several new songs, as did also (he Nichols sisters, “Plantation Swells.” Ben Grinnell, the grotesque, also varied his specialty in sev- eral particulars. Altogether ‘‘Hendrick Hudson Jr.,” is Jikely to be no less suc- cessfull during the week at the Cclumbia than it was at the California. The Orpheum. The Orpheam has four new numbers for this week—Miss Tina Corri, the English male impersonator; Jules and Ella Garri- son, travesty artists; Pantzer brothers, head-balancers and acrobats, and Walter Stanton in several musical things, assisted by Tina Corri. The sweet-toned creole soprano, Rachel Walker, in her planta- tion melodies and “Ben Bolt,” and Billy Carter, the funny banjoist, will continue to amuse the crowded house. My Partner” at Morosco's, Morosco’s Grand Opera-house was well filled last night at the opening of Bartley Campbell’s piay, “My Partner,” with Fred J. Butler as Joe Saunders, H. Coulter Brinker as Ned Singleton, the ‘‘partner,” and Charles W. Swain as the funny Chinaman, Wing Lee. The part of Mary Brandon was phged by the fayorite Maud Edna all. Tt is a California piece, with miners of a heroic age found more In novels than in mines, There is some resemblance in the charac- ters of Bret Harte’s book [paople, and alto- gether the play is full of rush, revolvers and ’49 reminders. It evidently takes with the Morosco patrons. " The White Slave.” Bariley Campbell’s play, “The White Slave,” was put on at Grover's Aleazar last evening with Hereward Hoyte as Clay Brittain and Miss Mina Gleason as Lisa, the White Slaye. The piece is full of the homely but stirring scenes of old planta- tion days down South, and the planta- tion negro melodies 'are heard from every cabin. The piece will runall the week. As an entr'acte Miss Claire Gren- ville and Miss Lulu Jackson, two San Francisco girls, made their first appear- ance on the stage in a violin duet. It was a clever bit of music, and won for the young melodists a merited applause. MUST HAVE ACCESS. The New Milk Ordinance Has Been Served on Transportation Com- panies in This City. The Board of Health has determined to take time by the forelock in the matter of the strict enforcement of the new milk ordinance, and has had copies of the measure served on all the railroad com- panies whose lines terminate in' this City, special attention being called to the sec- tions relating to the duties of transporta- tion companies and what is expeced of them in the matter. The sections referred to read as follows: Sec. 12. The said board and all its officers, agenis end employes shall have the right and it shall be their duty to enter and have full access, egress and ingress to all places where milk is stored or kept for sale,and to all Wagons, carriages or other vehicles, railroad cars, steamboats or conveyances of every kind used for the Conveyance Or transporiation or delivery of milk "for the purpose of con- sumption in the City and County of San Fran- cisco. lgsc. 15. It shall be unlewiul for any person or persous, firm or corporation, to obstruct or interfere with the said Board of Health, or any officer, agent or employe of said board, in the performance of any of the duties required by this order. The same papers will be served on all the steamship companies whose vessels bring milk to this cng- from outside g«:‘ims, and notice given by Health Otficer velace will expect a prompt compliance with the provisions of the sections men- tioned. : -The first permit to conduct a milk busi- ness under the new order was taken out yesterday by the XL Dairy. MYSTERIOUS END OF A CAPITALIST, The Body of H. Cranston Potter Found on the Ocean Beach. LAST SEEN ON FRIDAY. Friends and Acquaintances Scout the Idea That He Took His Own Life, HAD NO® CAUSE FOR SUICIDE, He Commanded Ample Funds and His Domestic Relations Were Happy. H. Cranston Potter, a capitalist of Ta- coma, Wash., and the son of Howard Brown Potter, one of the best- known banking men in this country and abroad, 1 and proud. His theory is that he acci- dentally fell into the water and was drowned. @ He said that the action of Dr. Hicks Was not surprising, in view of the doctor’s intimate knowledge of the eccentricities of deceased, and t.hnfahin return to Tacoma ‘was undoubtedly compeiled by the exigen- cies of business. Potter during his stay was always in the happiest frame of mind, and was not in the habit of indulging in aaspondancy_. “So far as financial matters went,” saia Mr. Watson, ‘‘he could have drawn_on me for all the money he wanted, and I know he was not at any time embarrassed on this account.” It isknown that Mr. Potter brought with him from Tacoma a tandem bicycle, but where he kept it haa not been ascertained up to a late hour last night. 1t is believed that he intended to use it for a trip along the beach, and the theéry iz advanced that he met his death while reconmnoitering to ascertain the condition of the shore along the proposed route. — 2 P PERSONAL TRAITS. Was Addlcted to Drink and Fre- quently Indulged in Sprees of an Exceptional Character. A former resident of Tacoma, who is well informed on ali that concerns its his- tory for some years past, was able to throw considerable light on the personal history of the deceased. His story was as follows: H. Cranston Potter was the dissolute son of a very good family. He arrived in Tacoma about seven years ago with some capital and a good income, aud invested his capital in the stock of a large grain warehouse company. He built a very handsome place and married a daughter of C. J. Kershaw of Chicago, who in 1890 was caught in the great wheat crash and failed for millions of dollars. Kershaw is now in Tacoma. Fotter dissipated a great deal and took the Keeley cure about two years ago, Its good effect’ continued for a vear, during which pe- riod he led a very decentlife. Then he broke away and he did some most outrageous things and made a general fool of himself. He suc- THE LATE H. CRANSTON POTTER. met with his death either in the waters of the bay of San Francisco or ‘the Pacific Ocean some time between Saturday and Sunday morning. Whesher his death was due to accident or was sucidal is a mystery, though his friends scout all idea of self - destruction. Al that is actually known is that he had been dissipating heavily just previous to the time he was last seen. The supposition of the authorities is that he either committed suicide while in a despondent mood alter the effects of his debauch had worn off, or he fell into the water while intoxicated and was drowned. The body of a young man was found Sunday afternoon among the sand dunes, a short distance souih of the Cliff House, by R. Williams, who was strolling on the beach. The body was well dressed, 1ts general appearance bespeaking wealth and respectabvility. The Soroner was notified and the remains were removed to the Morfiue, but after a thorough search of his clothing nothing was found, with the exception of a silver matchbox, on which were inscribed the initials *IL. C. P.,” which would be of any service in es- tablishing his identity. Yesterday Thomas Watson, a gram- broker of this City, who was a_friend of the deceased, khowmg _that Potter had not been seen by his friends for several days, called at the Morgne, fearing that something serious had befalien the miss- ing man. is fears proved to be well founded, as he immediately recognized the features of the dead man as those of his missing friend. Watson then informed the Cor- oner of the man’s identity and made ar- rangements for the removal of the remains to an undertaking establishment, where it is being embalmed preparatory to being shipped to Tacoma. An autopsy was held on the body by Dr. J. 8. Barrett prior to its removal to the undertaking parlors, and it was found that the cause of death was “asphyxiation by submersion,” which is the ‘medical term for drowning. The Coroner took charge of the effects left at the Occidental Hotel by Mr. Potter, which consist of & few expensive suits of clothes and a mumber of bicycle suits. Thu{ will be shipped to Tacoma as soon as the inquest is disposed of. S g LAST SEEN ON FRIDAY. Theory Advanced by a Friend That His Death Was Due to Purely Accldental Causes. H. Cranston Potter arrived in this City on the City of Everett on the 3d inst., in company with Dr. A. G. Hicks, one of the best-known physicians of Tacoma. The occasion for the trip issaid to have been to benefit the health of the deceased. The two put up at the Occidental Hotel, and on Sunday morning Dr. Hicks took the regular steamer for Tacoma, leaving word with the hotel people to see that Potter was properly taken care of when he turned up and for them to induce him to return home by the first steamer. So far as can be ascertained Potter was still in the world of the living on Satur- day, for the chambermaid of the hotel reports having made up his bed on Saturday morning and that it showed un:ghulnble signs of having heen occu- pied. The last person who saw him alive, ac- cording the latest reports, is Thomas Wat- son, a grain broker and the correspondent of the firm with which deceased was con- nected. Mr. Watson saw him alive at noon on Friday, and then saw no more of him till he gadly viewed his corpse yester- day. Bpeaking of the probable cause of his death, Mr. Watson said he- could not believe 1t was other than accidental. There was absolutely no cause, he said, so far as he knew, for suicide, and there were no indications of foul play. He added that Potter bad everything 10 make life worth living. He had a large income and a hmiFy of which he was exceedingly fond ceeded in getting away with a lot of ;n‘onedv and in thoroughly disgusting all his riends. His income, at the request of his wife, has been recently sent to her because of his inabil- ity to take care of it, and she left him with very little money indeed, so that he had to re- 8ort to borrowing from friends. He was a member of Troop B of the cavalry branch of the Washington militia, and was 2lso a great bicyclist and yechtsman and a camera fiend. He would Igo on sprees. and get absolutely crazy. Butldon’tthink he had the slightest tendency toward suicide. I know of one_time ‘when he went on one with the very Dr. Hicks ‘who eccompanied him to this City. ~ Potter got into & fight and was pretty badly done up. He went to the doctor’s house, locked himseif in a bathroom and remained there for two days and nights. During their visit here Potter, Ishould judge, ot away from Dr, Hicks in some way, an icks, not being able to find him, had tosban- don him and go back 1o attend to his business in Tacoma. He must haye been drowned acci- dentally, for I don't believe any one would attempt to rob him, as he was given his money in driblets. An instance of Potter's extreme reck- lessness while under the influence. of liq‘nor was made manifest during a visit to this City in 1890, at which time he led an extremely dissipated life. At that time he occupied rooms at the Granda Hotel and after a debauch which lasted several days he undertook to take possession of the barroom connected with the hotel. After considerable difficulty he wasa ejected, but_made his way across the street into the Palace Hotel and endeav- ed to chastise a party who was standing in the corridor against whom he had an imaginary grievance. Afier considerable trouble, five men who had hastened to the assistance of the assailed party managed to overcome Potter and remove him to his room, Where he re- mained for several days prior td hisde- parture for Tacoma. diei S A A MAN OF 'PROMINENCE. - Deceased Was One of the Wealthlest and Best Known Men in Tacoma. TACOMA, Wasn., Feb, 10.--The news of the death of H. Cranston Potter, a well- known and popular society man and cap- italist of this city, was a great shock to his family and many Iriends here,and created considerable of a sensation in commercial and gocial circles. H. Cranston Potter was 32 years of age and was well connected, being the son of Howard Potter of Brown Bros. & Co., bankers, of New York, who were large bid- ders in the last bond issue. His father 13 the manager of a bank in London and at oue time was a director of the Bank of England. Deceased stood 6 feet high and wasa fine specimen of manhood. He was a prom- inent member of the Tacoma Athletic Club and took a deep interest in all athletic sports, besides being considerable of an athlete himself. He was generous to a fault and never turned an applicant for aid away. : 5 He was asssociated with his father in placing some very large loans in this vicinity, Several local enterprises were helped along by him and he was remark- ably successtul in all his business ventures, e left for S8an Francisco about ten days ago on the steamer City of Everettand in- tended to return on her. He leaves & widow and taree children in this city, the oldest being 5 years of age to- day. Just afew moments before the mourn- ful message of his death was received, she mophone% to his office, saying that her papa was going to bring her a big doll and asking if he bad come yet. Mr. Potter has been seven years on the coast, six years having been spent in Ta- coma. His widow and family are pros- trated over the sad news. ~ C.J. Kershaw, his father-in-law, has tele- graphed to have the body sent here atonce. e is & brother of James Brown Potter, the ex-husband of the famous bnntg and is a nephew of Bishop Potter of New York. He was one of the wealthiest young men of Tacoma and was engag with his father-in-law, C. J. Kershaw, in the graii; business, At the time of his death he w/: president of the West Coast Grain Cors- uy and was a member of the Count: lub and an enthusiastic bicyclist. x He leit here F’ebmari 1 with Dr. A. Y. Hicks. a dentist Each had business jn San Francisco, after transacting which they proposed to ride a tandem bicycle down the ocean beach. The theory of suicide is doubted here. ‘While Potter led a rapid life at times, he was never in any serious trouble and no reason is known for taking his own life. Sabai e CUT A WIDE SWATH. Potter Is Said to Have Lost and Squandered Large Sums of Money on the Sound. SEATTLE, Wasm., Feh. 10.—H. Crans- ton Potter came to Seattle from New York in the spring of 1889 and with Charles S. Painter, now of Chicago, and E. W. S. Tingle, now a consul to one of the cities of Germany, purchased the Morning Journal, He spent money freely and soon attained social and business prominence. After sinking about $5000 in the newspaper ven- ture Potter disposed of his interests here and went to Tacoma, where in 1891 he was marrried to one of the society ladies ot that city, and has since been a resident there. At Tacoma he engaged in the cold stor- age business, losing about $40,000 in two vears., He then purchased stock in the West Coast Grain Company of Tacoma, and it is said still 'retains an interest in that concern. As a side issue Potter spec- ulated in real estate and mining and was one of the boomers of the Everett town- site. He is said to be interested more or less extensively in mines in Okanogan County, this State. Boon after his arrival here Potter, by virtue of the social prominence of his Eastern relatives, got in with the Seattle smart set. He was sadly wanting in business sense and training, and conse- quently was fleeced right and left by the shrewd speculators then infesting the City. His infatuation for women and bis love of liquor led him to many excesses. His sprees frequently lasted for days and were repeated with considerable regularity. Since coming West several years ago, Pot- ter has had an income of $1500 per month, and this fact, which became generally known, earned for him many friends of the class of *‘Hail fellows well met.” He was a convivial fellow and he aimed to make life one eontinual round of pleasure. Since last September Potter had been negotiating for the purchase of a presum- ably rich mine in Okanogan County, owned by J. C. Gormley of this city. Many telegrams passed and he made a number of trips to Seattle, but the deal was néver closed. Gormley expressed the greatest surprise and sorrow to-night when in- formed of Potter’s death by THE CALL cor- respondent. It was Potter's intention to have enlisted in the purchase the financial eid of some of his Eastern relatives, though he did not much like the idea of calling for their further assistance. He was sent West by his father, it was claimed, to separate him from undesirable associates and ties. Cransion, however, lost no time in finding kindred compan- ions. It was an easy task in the former days of the Sound cities, and he soon re- sumed his former gait. In his business dealings here he was straightforward and honorable. He built up an extensive ac- quainungflthmughom the State and had many warm personal friends in this city, where he still retains some business in- terests. EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGED. Fred C. Schram. Bookkeeper, Bay City Yron Works, Arrested. L. F. Fogg, secretary of the Bay City Iron Works, Fremont and Mission streets, swore out a warrant in Judge Campbell’s couri yesterday afternoon for the arrest of | Frederick C. Schram, the bookkeeper of the company, on the charge of felony embezzlement. The warrant charged him with embez- zling $145, but it is stazed that his defalca- tions will amount to $600. It was given into thé hands of Detectives Whittaker and Seymour and Policeman Phillips, and late last night they arrested Sehram at the Adeline station, Oskland. He was dismissed from the company’s ser- vice on Saturday and lefs the City yester- day morning. "When arrested he said he crossed the bay for fear of being arrested and spending the night in the prison, but he intended returning this morning. . He | claimed that the company did not give him a chance to zo through his books, and he would have shown them thai it was all & mistake. He had been employed by the | comEnny for the past two years. Schram was married on Saturday, and heand his wife went to live with his par- | ents at 313 Eleventh avenue. He was locked up in the City Prison. —_— OLYMPIC BILLIARD CONTEST. Entries and Handicaps of the Players ‘Who Will Meet To-Night. The billiard tournament of the Olympic Club wiil commence this evening, and the entries and handicaps are as follows: First class—Lewis 250_points, Williams 300, Burns 300, Forsyth 250, Russ 300. Second class—Thornton 165, Smith 175, Pope 175, Es- pinosa 175, Nolan 175, Hodgkins 175, Ed- wards 175, Vaughan 150, Josephi 150. Third class—Hampton 150, Bennett 140, Bryant 130, McCarthy 140, Wegenor 150, Moore 150, Dodge 185, Pockwitz 115. 1t is expected that some great runs will be made, as the contestants have been practicing for the event for several weeks. The judges are F. N. Moore and A. C. Hampton. oS nE Fed a Horse Bran-Packing. D. Arata, & vegetable peddler living at 8 Polk lane, was arrested last evening and taken to. the California-street Police Station by Offi- cer F. C. Boden of the Society for the Preven- tion of Cruelty to Animals. Although Arata is well to do, owning houses and property on Vallejo street, he had been feeding his horse on sawdust and bran used for packing eggs for solong & time that the animal is in a condi- tion bordering on starvation. NEW TO-DAY. PAPER HANGINGS AND INTERIOR DECORATING. TE ARE NOW PREPARED TO ;N’ show the largest and most elegant stock of WALL PAPER ever offered in the ‘city, comprising the “ Choice Things” of the leading manufactories. With our large force of skilled ‘workmen we are prepared toexecute any orders for DECORATING AND PAPERING In the Latest Style and at the ———LOWEST PRICES——— G. W. CLARK & CO. 6583 Market Street. CURING A COLD. The Shortest and Surest Way by Which It Can Be Done. “There are a thousand ways of fighting & cold, but only one way to effect a cure.” It was an experienced medical man who uttered this sage remark not long ago. “Do you know,” he continued, “that there is one way to cure coldsand prevent colds that can always berelied upon? It is a safe and reliable remedy, but I always hesitate to rec- ommend it because it is liable to lead toserious mistakes. 1will tell you in confidence, how- ever, that there is nothing better or safer to teke in winter time than pure malt whiskey. The only trouble is that it must be absolutely pure. The ordinary whiskey you get in saloons or barrooms will notdo. Thatis where most people get & wrong ides. They think that whiskey {s whiskey, and that it is all the same. They forget that there is hardly a whiskey free irom adulteration. To do any good, whiskey must be thoronghly vure, and it is only such & whiskey that I would recommend.” The opinion above given is interesting, but it is not new. Every experienced physicisn knows that pure malt whiskey is nature's great remedy for stimulating the vital forces and building up the heaith. But such a whiskey is not to be found everywhere. - There is, in fact, only one that has been proved to be medicinally pureand free rom adulteration. This whiskey is Duffy’s pure malt, which is universally recog- nized as & wonderful health-giver and restora- tive, Nothing has ever compared with it for toning up the digesive organs, creating a healthy sppetite, stirring up the blood and giving renewed vigor to every part of the body. It will not only keep off colds, gn’{) and pneu- monis, but it will cure them. Eyery person who takes it can go through the severest winter without any fear of chills or pneumonia. PHI LABELPHIA SHOE CO. STAMPED ON A SHOB MEANS STANDARD OF MERIT. JOW IS THE TIME TO BUY CHEAP, AS WE are still blockaded by the Spreckels fence, and we are willing to make big rednctions in the prices of our Shoes as an_inducement, 10 Our CusLOMers. This week we are making s special drive on La{ dies’ Lace Shoes. They have fine Dongola Kid Vamps, Cloth or Kid Tops, Pointed or Medium Square Toes and V-shaped Patent Leather Tips with pliable soles, and we will sell them for $2.35. They are worth at least $3, and can be guarane teed in every way. 81,35, Here is a bargain, and no mistake, and Ladles who wear Oxford Ties should take advaatage of it. Ladles’ Dongoin Kid Oxfords, with Pointed_Toes, Patent Leather Tips and FRENCH STITCH HEELS and Hand-Turned Soles, for $1.35. They are easy on the feet and require no breake ing in. Widths C, D and E. They retal regularly for $2'and §2 50. Conntry o @ Send for Address B. KATCHINSKI, | PHILADELPHIA SHOE CO., 10 Third Street, San Francisco. rs solicited, v lllustrated Catalogue, DOCTOR will stopa cough ina night, check a cold in a day, and cure consumption if taken in time, 'If the little ones have Croap or Whooping Cough, use it promptly. Croupisavery fatal discase. one- elay. rogresses so rapidly that the loss of afew hours in treatment is often fatal. ACKER’S ENGLISH REME- DY will cure Croup, and it should al- The disease ways be kept in the house for emergencies. A 23 cent bottle may save your child’s life. Three sizes: 25¢, 50¢, $1. All Druggists. -JACKER MEDICINE CO. I6 & 18 Chambers St.,, New York. Coke! Coke! Coke! CALIFORNIA AND ENGLISH. P. A. McDONALD, 809 to 813 Folsom Street, and 300 to 400 Howard Street, from * Fremont to Beale. I have on hand a large quantity of S. F. Gam light Co’s and Pacifiic Gas Improvement Co.s Coke, which I am selling at & very low rate. Thi: | Cokels suitable for rates, Furnaces, Laundry an | Family use. L am also a direct importér of tho best English and Belgian brands of Patent Coke, which | ang offering at reduced rates to Foundries, Breweries, Mining Companies and the trade in lots from 1 1on t0 1000 tons. Country orders solicited. City orders deliversd with promptness. Will guarantee satistaction, as I know what will sult from au experience of 25 years In the business. Office $13 Folsom Street. TAMAR INDIEN GRILLON e W ANSYe®Fill a E. Al reliable. Take nosubstitute. For sale by all; d;‘x"mxh 4c. for Woman's T ©0., 228 SOUTH. A laxative refreshing fos h'nltblmlln. very agreeable to take. CONSTIPATION hemorrhoids, bile, 1085 of appetite, gastric and intestinal troubles and . headache arising from them. E. GRILLON, 33 Rue des Archives, Parlg Soid by a}t $2.00. Send reguard. X SPECIFIQ IGHTH ST., PHILADA., PA, HEALTH RESORTS. THE ST. HELENA SANITARIUN, ST. HELENA, NAPA COUNTY, CAL. A RATIONAL HEALTH RESORT! Send for Cireular. yous or Inso néss of discharge, BEFORE ano AFTER "lqhv. reason sufferers B A fi‘mum.ux r §5.00, by mall. Send for FEEE circular and testimonials. Address DAVOL MEDICINE CO., 632 Market street, San Francisco, Cal. For Sale by ROOKS' PHARMACY, 118 Powell stree® n Doct B S5 known mouey return PainsIn the Back, Seminal Pains o the Seminal Emissions, Nersous Debility Tt gtops all losses &1l the horrors of Impotency, CUPIDENE kidneys and the urin. ey8 .‘;m'nrynornnlolaulmp is ty remedy to without e \£ 812 Doxes does 1ot o “CUPIDENE" E italizer,the prescrip- , will quickly cure you of al ner the generative L mch’ a8 LI!“MM g Drains, Varicocele and %D Which i not checked Toads b Bpermatort N clekiacs thaliver, tod 5 t are troubled with s Speration; 5000 leosimom ‘s permunent cure, 8. not.