The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 5, 1898, Page 10

10 THE N FRANCISCO CALL MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1598. MRS. BOTKIN FREELY ADMITS SHE BOUGHT THE ARSENIC 000000000000 0000000000000000000000 POISON USED TO BLEACH HER HATS Says Three Witnesses Will Corroborate Her Statement. REQUISITION PAPERS ARE HERE. Character of Toxic in the Candy a Fateful Point. Knight Has Fun With Lees. Calmly and without a shadow of hesi- tance Mrs. Cordelia Botkin yesterday ad- mitted she bought two ounces of arsenic at the Owl Drug Store on June 1 Sus and almost morally con- demned, of t.» wickedest, wanton double murder of the century, she makes this admission without reserve, although it the crime sleuths in welding a chain which may lead her to the gallows. To this damning acknowledgment she vehem reiterates her innocence of assists any complicity in the awful death of Mrs. John P. Dunning and Mrs. Joshua D. Deane, who unsuspectingly ate arsenic- laden sweets sent over 3000 miles to ac- complish the devillsh purpose of a flend. Sitting in the warm rays of the bright Sabbath sun which streamed through the barred window of her cell, (1sting broad shadows on the cemented floor, the ac- cused woman related the circumstances | and detai of the purchase and use nfi the poiso: She said she went to the Owl Drug Store to get arsenic because she knew Frank S. Grey, the clerk who waited | upon her; that she was accompanied by a friend and that she gave her true name and address for entry on the polson reg- | ister. is fact alone, she thinks, exonerates her from the accusation that she plan- ned to murder sixty-five days before the death package was started on its fateful journey to Dover. She told the clerk she wanted the poison to bleach a straw hat, and solemnly swears she used it for that purpose, and further that two witnesses were present at the cleansing operation. Tt nes of these two witnesses are now jealously guarded by Attorneys Knight and McGowan. The requisition from the Governor of Delaware asking the Governor of Cali- fornia to surrender Cordelia Botkin to an officer now here arrived yesterday at noon. In a few days, when Chief Lees s completed his search for evidence and joined it with that forwarded from the place the crime was committed, Gov- ernor dd will be asked to issue a war- rant which will send the alleged murder- ess to Dover, that she may be placed on trial for her life. Experts skilled in chemistry and toxi- cology will have much to do in deciding he fate of the accused woman. Eastern have said the arsenic in the illine, the form which - for medicinal purposes. The which Mrs. Botkin bought was idulterated powder used by taxider- nd for vermin poisons. admission that she bought bonbons w 18 used ¢ arsenic the obviat the necessity of 's identification of her. e MRS. BOTKIN ADMITS | SHE BOUGHT ARSENIC Eays a Friend Was With Her When She Purchased tlre Poison and Two Others Saw Her Use It. Attorneys Knight and McGowan, Mrs. Botkin's legal champions, called on her early yesterday forenoon. Their visits were of longer duration than usual. Both lawyers emphatically refused to discuss the purchase of arsenic by thelr client at the Owl Drug Store and positively de- clined to state whether she admitted buy- ing the poison. Before the watchful newspaper men who interview every visitor leaving the ma- tron’s room had arrived at their posts yesterday one of Mrs. Botkin's closest friends called and had a long chat with the prisoner. This friend, whose name is suppressed by request, gives Mrs. Bot- kin's version of the purchase of the ar- senic on June 1. The friend referred to sald to a Call reporter: “When I arrived at the prison Mrs. Bot- kin had read the morning papers, and when I mentioned the significance which the police attached to the sale of the ar- senic at the Owl Drug Store on June 1 | id, with the utmost frankness and ut hesitation: The police need not worry about that matter. 1 did buy two ounces of arsenic on June 1 from Frank Grey. I used it for the purpose which I stated when he asked me the customary questions pre- scribed by law. “ ‘It will not be necessary for Mr. Grey to come here and identify me. I frankly admit I made the purchase. Furthermore, I gave my right name and address. Does that indicate that I contmplated sending the poison over sw miles to kill a woman I never saw and never knew, except that she was_the wife of J. R. Dunning? ‘‘Mrs. Botkin told me,” sald the friend, *‘the purchase of the arsenlc had slipped from her mind, as it was only a slight in- cident, but she appreciates the effect the discovery will have on her case. She ex- pressed the deepest regret that she for- got the circumstance, and declared she would have mentioned it in her statement to the Chief of Police had her memor: not been at fault. She then gave me ail the details of the purchase. She sald: “I went to the Owl to get arsenic to bleach my straw hats, because I was ac- quainted with Frank 8. Grey. I had known him for a long time when he was employ at the Baldwin Pharmacy. Whenever I needed any prescriptions filled T went to him. I sincerely hope Mr. Grey remembers all that transpired wten 1 bought that poison. I was in the store quite a long time and chatted with lun on several subjects. Why, when he was questioning me and mnk(nF the entry in the poison register his interrogatories ‘were Interspersed with all manner of commonplace remarks. “ ‘An _important point Mr. Grey ought appear in the newspapers. She fears they would be harassed and persecuted by de- tectives and reporters, and di es to pro- tect them from all annoyance. EXTRADITION PAPERS HERE FROM. DELAWARE Lees Hunting for More Evidence, Then He Will Lay tne Case Be- fore the Governor. At noon yesterday Chief Lees received from Governor Tunnell of Delaware the long-expected requisition papers. With the requistory document came a numer- ous bundle of afiidavits of Delaware wit- nesses, and it is upon the showing of evidence made in these, and upon af- fidavits that will be taken here, that Governor Budd will be asked to turn over to the Delaware authorities the per- son of Mrs. Botkin that she may be tried for her life upon the charge that stands agalnst her. Chief Lees is confident that he has, or will have, within a very few days evi- dence to bring his plans to successful is- sue. The plan of the Chief is best told in his own words. In an interview yes- terday he said: ““We are at present busy gathering col- lateral evidence on the four main points that characterize the case; the hand- kerchlef, the arsenic, the candy and the handwriting in the numerous letters. 1 am now positive that the person who wrote and addressed the anonymous let- ters and the person who sent the poison- ed candy are one and the same. 1 am also satisfied beyond a doubt that both box and candy came from the stoge of Mr. Haas and that they were bought on or about July 31 “1 have not yet succeeded in connecting Mrs. Botkin w the purchase of the candy, neither can 1 prove as yet that she bought from the City of Paris the handkercheif that accompanied the box. On that point I am working to-day. I have here the delivery and charge tags of the store and they are being carefully examined. The fact that a tag was di covered noting the sale of a single hand- kerchelf on August 4 is of no signficance, as Mrs. Botkin could have bought one on any of the numerous shopping trips |lhu( we know she made at about that time. The arsenic purchase is the one clew with which we have directly connected ard I vertainly do not believe that bcught it for the use that appears on the pcison register of the Owl drug store. 1 hav infons of a number of chemi know thac arscnic s a bleaching agent ters 1 hope to clear up t few days o that we deliver the requisition papers to Governor Budd. “I do not feel at liberty to make public the text of either that document or the affidavits as they are directed to the Governor personally. As soon as they ar- rived I turned them over to Assistant District Attorney Hosmer, and he prom- ised that by to-day he will have mapped out a plan of action to pursue from now on. That Chief Lees considers the arsenic clew strong one evident in that as soon as the fact of its purchase by Mrs. Lotkin had been laid before him he or- dered that every precaution be taken to protect her against herself. No one but her lawyers are permitted to see her with- out the presence of some one 0° the de- artment. very one who enters her cell s carefully scrutinized, particularly the members of her family whom, it is feared, may seek to put in her possession some means for ending her life. This close surveillance has greatly wor- ried Mrs. Botkin. Last evening she called for Captain Seymour and asked him {f she were to be deprived of the Vvisits of her relatives. Captain Seymour promptly informed her that she was not, nor of any one else she cared to receivi previding no suspicious circumstanc tached to their presence. To back up his contention that Mrs. Botkin did not use the arsenic to bleach her hat Chief Lees is searching for the cast-off head gear worn at that time in order that an analysis may be made of the hlexlura for tra. of the poisonous wash, - HAVH)IG FUN WITH THE AGED CHIEF Attorney Knight Laughs at the Ef- forts of the Police Department to Convict Mrs. Botkin. “What do I think of the new ‘arsenic «iscovery’ of the Police Department?”’ said George Knight yesterday evening in reply to a question. “Why I was so much interested in it that I have been out on the bay all day threwing scud in the faces of some of these fellows who think they own fast launches. “Coming to the point I did not consider it of sufficient importance to inform Mrs. Botkin of it. In fact, we are not par- ticularly concerned as to what Chief Lees has done or may do. Notwithstanding his ‘forty years of experience’ le is in many ways making a show of himself. Oh, he is a bright one. He had the whole business corraled in Stockton, in his mind, and when that imaginary case van- ished Into thin air he gathered himself to- gether and went on an entirely different lay. He and his detectives searched the records at the Owl Drugstore and suc- ceeded in finding nothing. Then a couple of idle drug clerks looked the book over and found that a Mrs. Botkin had bought some polson on June 1. These amateurs gave the old gentleman his cue, and it re- quired himself and four lieutenants to verify the fact. Result, he returns to his star chamber and jollies himself with the idea that he has his case made. “Even granting for the sake of argu- ment . that Mrs. Botkin did buy some arsenit over t months berore the crime was committed, as a single fact it does not amount to anything. “Do you suppose he will search any further in this great city to learn whether or not anybody eise bought arsenic? There are very manfi women in this town who know the man Dunning in a mannear forbidden in the ten commandments, but Chief Lees is not looking for them. Does the public suppose for an instant that in this case those women, Arbogast and Thompson and others 'and the man Fennessee, will ever be brought forward again? Not on your life. They have served the purpose of the Chief and are relegated to obscurity, ““Who is this man Dunning who dares to stand forth as accuser and judge? The betrayer of a good, true wife and an innocent child; a _consorter with passe and blase women and racetrack touts; the leader of endless drinking and carousing bouts so scandalous as to make any de- cent man blush for him. “He 1s not busy at anybody observe any indications of his coming here from Chicago to face this woman and denounce her as the gulilty one? No. He is displaying the same kind of ‘manhood’—of backbone—that sent him fiying to the dogs here. He stays 2000 miles away and hides himself behind an affidavit. ay heaven help such a biped, for he needs some elevating assistance, “‘So far as Lees is concerned he ought to be ashamed of his attitude in this matter. That superannuated Argus of the City Hall has his huadred eyes fast- ened on Mrs. Botkin, and he will fall into more than one Stockton slough before he will look in another direction for the gullty person. resent, but does to recall is that 1 was accompanied by a friend that afternoon. This morning gave the name of this friend to my attor- neys, and have already received assur- ances that my story wiil be corroborared. I told Mr. Grey I wanted the arsenic to bleach my straw hats and he said there were other chemicals better adapted to that purpose. I regfied that I had used arsenic before, and he gave me the poison without further delay. He wrapped the package, handed it to me, I paid for it and left the store. “ ‘T went directly home from the Owl. repared a solution with the arsenic I had Bought and cleansed my hats. “ ‘Two reputable witnesses, whose names are now in the possession of my attorneys, were in my room and watched me bleach the hats. They will take the witness stand and substantiate what I eay or they will make affidavits in ad- vance of evidence in court if they are re- quested to do so. “Mrs. Botkin,” said her friend, “does not wish the names of her witnesses to “Why, he had the matchless effrontery to publicly announce that he proposed to prostitute the Grand Jury and use it as a draflmt to fish for witnesses to try and save his distance and hold the woman on another charge; and, furthermore, to make statements to that jury as Chief of Folice that he would not have dared to make in public. And what did he get? “‘Possibly the Chief has forgotten the Dimmig case, which, while he was work- ing it up, he stated to me was the most remarkable In his experience of forty years.” It was, in the way Lees handled it and in the manner in which it ended. ‘Why, in that affalr Dimmig acknowl- edged having bought cyanide of potas- sium in nine different places, and the then head of the detective department had a sure thing. But it was another waterhaul. He had two chances to con- vict Dlmmlf and the fellow was acquit- ted. Dimmj 5 is now driving a hack for the United Carriage Company, a broken man. The Chief had Dr. Bowers dancing . . . might LEES SUMS UP delia Botkin in these words: Deane murder case. “First, the candy was bought at “Third, the superscription on the Experts will analyze and compare her “Fourth, which is the most direct the accused woman, is the purchase and in a few days will be prepared to that this woman be delivered to the “I cannot express an opinion as to CcO0000000D0000000000002000000 Last night Chief of Police Lees summarized the case against Mrs. Cor- “In this city we have secured four important facts in the Dunning- about the 31st of July last, but the date is not yet definitely fixed. On that day Mrs. Botkin returned from a visit to Stockton. “Second, the handkerchief, which was was bought at the City of Paris dry goods store. work to ascertain if Mrs. Botkin made that purchase and the date. anonymous letters were undoubtedly ‘Whether that person is Mrs. Cordella Botkin I am not prepared to say. and their reports will have an important bearing on the case. arsenic, the toxic which caused the death of the two women. “We are now gathering collateral evidence to join with these facts, kin, nor can I foreshadow the action of the Governor.” 0000000000000 0000000000000000000D HIS EVIDENCE. the store of George Haas & Son inclosed in the bonbon box We are now hard at package, written the note within and the by the same person. known writing with these examples, and jmportant circumstance against by her on June 1 of two ounces of g0 before Governor Budd and ask authorities of Delaware. the guilt or innocenge of Mrs. Bot- 0000000000000 C0COC00000000C0 under a rope’s end for years, but that man is now practicing -his profession in this city. 3 | “It is the same in this case. With his hundred eyes he can see nothing but this woman he now has behind the bars. “Let him go ahead. I propose to give him all the rope he wants, and when he has succeeded in tangling himself up theroughly 1 suppose he will announce his readiness to proceed. However, if he is not ready on Tuesday—if he wants more time to dig up evidence or to walit for some more candy clerks to give him a helping hand—he can have it. We are ready now. Furthermore, we will favor him in another way. He can have his choice of a court in which to bring this action on extradition to a hearing. Either in the Federal or Superior Court or the United States Supreme Court. That is certainly a fair proposition. However, if there is anything we have overlooked that we can do to help the Chief along in this painful complication we might also end that favor. There is a whole lot of quibbling and hair-splitting about the arsenic in the candy and that purchased at the Owl drug store. The latter is known to have been in the powdered form, while that in the candy was announced to have been cry st You mark my words, when the public accusation is made the people will learn that the drug placed in the bon bons was in the powdered form. That will be all right, too. It can go along with the other stupid blunders that have been made in the case. “It is a surprising sight to see Lees using his utmost power to railroad this woman to Delaware to stand trial for her | life. He ought to get somebody to blush‘ for him. What s the matter with our| courts? Why, over in that benighted land | they are still llving under the blue laws. They don’t allow street cars to run on Svnday and they cling to that brutal relic | of barbarism — the whipping post — to which colored people and tramps are par- ticuiarly sentenced and carefully beaten with a cat-0’-nine-tails. Just think of it. If you and I were to be so unfortunate as to go there with our San Francisco customs we would stand a good chance of geiting a few welts ourselves that wouldn’t do us any good. It's too bad, though, that they overlooked Dunning. That kind of dissipation might have put a little of the fear of the Lord in him. “We have no misgiving as to the out- come of this affair. On the contrary we propose to have some fun with the Chief, and before he gets through with the Bot- kin case we will teach him some things he has Leen unable to learn in his ‘forty years' of experienc % THE POISON USED NOT THE POISON BOUGHT Pulverized Arsenic Was Purchased at the Owl, but Crystallized Ar- senic Was Found in the Candies. An unexpected development may oc- cur in the case of Mrs. Botkin, the al- leged poisoner, when the chemist’s report on the poisoned candy is known. It has been stated in Eastern dispatches that| the arsenic which was placed in the chocolates sent to Mrs. Dunning was materially different in form from the arsenic sold to Mrs. Botkin by the Owl Drug Store. That which was found in the candy, if the dispatches are correct, was medicinal arsenic in the crystalline form, while the article which the accused woman bought was the ordinary powder used for vermin poison. Arsenic, or more properly speaking, arsenous acid, once pulverized, cannot again be crystallized, or even caked, without the application of intense heat, applied in iron vessels, or retorts. The process s difficult and not avallable to any one not possessing a thorough knowledge of chemistry. Even had Mrs. Botkin possessed the requisite skill to perform this operation, there was no possible reason ior the act, as she could have purchased the crystalline arsenic just as well as the powdered. Manager Blaisdell, of the Owl Drug Store, made a study of the matter Sun- day, and last evenln? said: ‘“‘There is a grave doubt after all as to whether the arsenic used in the chocolates came from our store, If the crystalline form was used, as is claimed, then the Owl Drug Store did not sell it to Mrs. Botkin. She purchased the fine white powder. It can- not be changed Into crystals or small pleces by any action of moisture. Ar- genous acid will not cake, even when ex- posed to dampness for a long time in a cellar. The moisture in fresh chocolate would not make it cohesive in the slight- est. The powdered form of arsenous acid is not always as pure as the crystalline, h kinds are sold. The powdering of g‘i'lsta.ls is sometimes done in the drug stores. In this case it is for future con- v ce. Again powdered arsenic is gsrr:\i:ames ad%llteraled and is utllized In the arts and for vermin poison. It is not for medicinal use. “It is easy to see how impossible it was for Mrs. Botkin to have used the powdered arsenic we sold her, if published statements are correct. Once powder ar- senic and it cannot be again constructed into crystals or even dough balls made out of the trn«g‘me?m. l:n‘fise% great heat d_gpecial apparatus L N‘I‘Ong thing Rt puzzles me s the way Mrs. Botkin proposed to use the pow- dered arsenic which she did buy. It is not customary to employ arsenic in bleaching, especially on hats. Sulphu- rous acid is the common agent. Perhaps she knew of afirocess, but it was cer- ¢ an unusual one. m‘""i“fie"fnaln point to be determined just now is the form of arsenic placed in_the candy. If-it was crystalline then Mrs. Botkin did not get it at our store. Following up the arsenic clue, a Call reporter visited the Victoria Hotel yes- terday, and asked the landlady, Mrs. Price, if she ever saw Mrs. Botkin clean n"“l“}‘é, I saw_ nothing of ‘the kind' re- plied 'Mrs. Pricé. It is possible, of course, that Mrs. Botkin mniy have used the arsenic she purchased in bleaching her straw hats, but I knew nothing of it. She ‘did not appear to have an unusuai number of hats. Her best was a black straw. She would not bleach that. But really I cannot glve any definite informa- tion on this point. The Japanese servant who made up her every day, and who possibly ~ have noticed if she did any bleaching, has left the city. There is no other person who could know, and it is very doubtful about the Jap. He onl ent to the room occupied b Mrs. gntkln for a few minutes eac morning. Since many facts concerning Mrs. Botkin have been sifted out, I have studied very much over the case, trying to hit upon some new evidence, but am at fault. She was but one of Y per- song in my hotel, and I did not have any reason to observe her particularly.” In?ulrles made of more than a dozen leading druggists in San Francisco re- vealed a general lack of knowledge of the use of arsenic for bleaching pur- ses. Not one druggist would say that e ever sold the poison for that unmue. No reference is made to it as a bleaching agent in the druggists’ books. If Mrs, Botkin used it for this purpose; it was evidently on the strength of some pri- vate formula which she possessed. Assistant District Attorney Joe Dunn asked Dr. H. E. Morrison of the Harbor Recelving Hospital yesterday as to the possibility of powdered arsenic crystal- lizing in the mouths of those who eat it. He referred to an article stating that arsenic had been found in a crystallized form in the mouths of those who had partaken of the poisoned candy at Do- ver. Morrison said in his opinfon the transformation under such circumstances was impossible. A SERMON ON THE Rev. W. E. Dugan Draws a Lesson From the Life of Mrs. Botkin and the Charges Against Her. So keen s the popular interest in the murder of Mrs. J. P. ware by the sending of a box of polsoned candy from this city, that even the pul- pit has taken the facts in hand and made them the theme of a discourse. *Is Mrs. Botkin Guilty?” was the subject of an eloquent sermon by Rev. W. BE. Dugan, pastor of the Stewart Memorial United Presbyterian Church, on Guerrero street, near Twenty-third, last evening. Rev. Mr. Dugan seems to favor the thepry that Mrs. Botkin is the guiity per- son, though withholding judgment until more definite proof is obtained. In dramatic language he pictured the story of the murder and the clews leading to Mrs. Botkin’s arrest, and drew the in- ference that it was the mysterious work of God that brought the fdacts to light in order to show sinners the thorns in the pathway of evil. In part the sermon was as follows: Mrs. Botkin bas not vet been proved to be guilty of the Dover tragedy, but it is begin- ning to look in her case as'if truth is really stranger than fiction. Clrcumstantial evidence is the strongest kind of evidence if it is of the right sort. ~ While no human eye saw the slim arm of deceit stretch across the continent | to lay its finger of death on Mrs. Dunning, vet the clrcumstances seem to be rising and point- ing with firey fingers of justice at Mrs. Botkin and saying, Thou art the guiltyéone. The provi- dential circumstances of God seem to have thrown thelr threads around that dark and mysterious arm, and, winding themselves tighter and tightér, are about to lead the guilty one to justice. The fact that the police can trace the sale of that candy box to the indi- vidual clerk & month after the sale, when millions of boxes of candy are sold dally, is wonderful evidence of a God who works In the affairs of men, and if it is shown that Mrs. Botkin purchased that box who will dare to say there Is not a God of justice whose all-seeing eye looks out along every thread of circum- stance upon which the actions of men are strung? We have in the case of Mrs. Botkin an ilius- Tration of the futllity of seifish carnality o give real lasting pleasure, and especally of the tremepdous gullt of trifling with the sanc- tity of the married life. There are three divine institutions, the State, the church and the home or marriéd life, and to trifie with any of these incurs the wratn of the heart that drives the resources of the universe, We shud- der at the presumption of the anarchist who would destroy our State and give us instead a howling mob of cutthroats; we are horrified at the falsifier and flend who would pull the foundations from our churches, but. to be equally dreaded is the enemy of mankind that would destroy the third divine institution the family. ‘1t Mrs. Botkin is innocent she is to be pitfed, but If guilty the punishment of per. dition 1s too sweet for her. THE IRISH FAIR. Many Novel *Attmctions Provided for the Closing Week. This is the last week of the Irish Fair at the Mechanics’ Pavilion and the at- tendance will be commensurate with the attractions. Beginning with to-day, which is a legal holiday, and with extra attractions, there will be something of big importance each day until the close next Saturday night. The Celtic Union, under whose auspices this falr Is being held, will realize a considerable sum of money. For the holiday-seekers to-day there will be souvenir Irish Fair spoons given out to ladies buying tickets at the box- office. These spodns were made for the management and are put in separate boxes packed in cotton. They have made a »ig hit with all visitors. The military spectacle and musical composition known as the “Battle of Gettysburg,” which always draws to_ the Pavilion large crowds w.ien produced by Bennett’s band, will be given to-night. Two companies from the f‘il’!t Tennessee Regiment, with 800 rounds of ammunition, will be present and will handle the mi tary part. There will be two bands pres ent also. In addition it is a day for the celebration of all wieinster Province men and women and the boys and girls of the Irish dancing school will give a fine pro- gramme on the stage in the main hall in the/evening. For Tuesday evening a splendid enter- tainment will be given. It will consist of the assemblage of all the military bands now at the residio and in Oakland. There will be present .y invitation the bands of the Seventh California, Fifty- first Towa, Eighth California, Twentieth Kansas, First Tennessee and many local bands, together with the cadets' band and Bennett's exposition band and as a fitting conclusion to the seven or eight separate band concerts the united bands, numbering nearly 20 musicians, will play the national airs. It will be the most original as well as the grandest musical festival ever held on the coast. The sale of sods of turf brought from Ireland has been enormous and will be continued to-day. There will be an Irish minstrel show to-night and to-morrow night in the Art Gallery Theater, and this is sure to attract many to the fair, for it will be very novel and entertaining. ———— Thé famous old JESSE MOORE WHISKY 1s recommended by physicians for family and medicinal use becaue it is pure. LABOR DAY. It Will Be Generally Celebrated Shell Mound Park. The San Francisco Labor Council and the Building Trades Council will celebrate Labor day this afternoon and evening.at Shell Mound Park with exercises and games, along and varied programme having been prepared for the occasfon. There will be dancing in the pavilion, and prizes will be awarded to the winners in the athletic contests and games. It will undoubtedly prove a vleasant outing for the large crowd ’“at will be in attendance, The day will be observeu in San Fran- cisco by the closing of the banks, Post- office, courts and some of the other public offices, together with many of the busi- Eels houses, it being a national legal holi- ay. —_——— Bank of England notes are numbered backward—from 10,000, hence the fig- ures 00,001 PR i Dunning in Dela- | THE LINE OVER THE PASS 1S NOW CERTAIN A Private Corporation Will Build It. LOCAL CAPITAL INTERESTED INCORPORATION PAPERS TO BE FILED SOON. The Beginning of a Transcontinental System of Which the Valley Road Is to Be a Part. The line over the mountain pass south of Bakersfleld will be built without the shadow of a doubt. Within a few days incorporation papers will be filed with the Secretary of State by a private corpora- tlon formed for the purpose of building a railroad over the celebrated Tejon Pass. This will be the first step in the way of another transcontinental system with San Francisco as the western terminus. Everything is in readiness for the new company to begin work at once. The articles of incorporation are already drawn up, the officials named and all the minute details necessary to be perfected before the final stroke have received the most careful attention. The members of the corporation are all business men of this city. When the Valley road wished to extend its line some time ago before the present terminal was reached it was decided to issue new bonds. The people most inter- ested In the Valley road’s success feared that these bonds could not be floated on this coast and that they would be forced to place them in Eastern markets to ef- fect a sale. A great surprise was in store for the Valley road promoters when they discovered that the local financlers were eager and even anxious to purchase these bonds. The San Francisco capitalists took them up with avidity. This was an in- cation of what might be expected in case of the extension of the road south of Bakersfield. Shortly _after the completion of the road to Bakersfield some of San Fra cisco’s prominent capitalists came to- ether and decided to form a corporation gdr the buflding of a road over the pas: The magnitude of this undertaking is ing comparable with any other railroad con- struction in the State. The road over the mountains from Bakersfield south to con- nections with an Eastern line is seventy miles long, and the heaviest problems of railroad building will have to be met in the construction of the line. The capital that will of necessity have to be invested must also be great. The fact that the necessary capital is forthcoming for the bullding of this road bespeaks a com- bination of big and wealthy investors. The line over the mountains will cer- tainly have Eastern connections. With a terminus in San Francisco and a chain of road to the East, the Valley road is des- tined to become one of the greatest roads of the West. The_ officials of the San Francisco and San Joaquin Rallway have known of the formation of the private corporation to build the road over the pass for some time. When it leaked out there was a general reaching for Valley stock and they then notified the holders not to sell unless at pai THROWN OUT OF A SCENIC RAILWAY CAR FOUR PERSONS INJURED AT THE CHUTES. Occupants Land on the Roof of the Zoo and Are Conveyed to the Park Hospital. An accldent occurred on the scenic rail- way at the Chutes last night that caused injuries to four persons and created in- tense cxcitement among the throng of visitors. Rumors were quickly afloat that very serious results had followed the collison of a running car with another that was standing on the track. But the rumor was soon dissipated by the fact that the four persons occupying the standing ear were thrown onto the roof of the low building used as the Zoo. Mr. and Mrs. J. 8. O'Rellly of Vallejo and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wessling of 1515 Geary street were the Injured persons, the most serious hurt being the sprained arm sustained by Mrs. Wessling. The others were bruised about the legs and generaly shaken up, without lasting hurts. The car they occupied was obstructed by something thrown on the track and was struck by the one coming down be- hind it. The force was not strong enough to demolish_the car, but lifted it bodily off the track and dumped wie occupants out. Their escape from more serious in- jury is a marvel, though in the conduct of the railway all precautions are taken to prevent accidents. . —_————————— WHO WILL SUCCEED MORSE ? Directors of the German Hospital to Appoint the New Surgeon on Tuesday. Much Interest centers in medical circles as to who will be appointed to fill the po- sition of staff surgeon of the German Hospital—the place made vacant by the recent death of Dr. John F. Morse. During Morse's recent fatal illness and since the lamented pnysician’s demise Dr. P. de Vecchi, consulting surgeon of the hospital board, has kindly filled the po- sition of staff surgeon. Cognizant of Dr. de Vecch!’s skill and ability, and with the interests of the hospital at heart, the board of directors were anxious that Dr. de Vecchi present himself as a candidate for the position. This honor, on account of the stress of private practice, Dr. de Vecchi was obliged to decline. The candidates for the vacant post in- clude Dr. Fehleisen, Dr. Max Salomon, Dr. Conrad Well, the present Police Sur- geon; Dr. Levison and Dr. Kugeler. Drs. Fehleisen, Weil and Salomon have the greatest following, and the contest between these three gentlemen will prob- ably be a heated one. Many friends of the hospital predict that the position will be awarded to Dr. Fehleisen. —_—————————— DEATH OF MISS TAYLOR. Passes Away After a Brief Illness, a Victim of Appendicitis. Bessle Taylor, the accomplished daugh- ter of John Taylor, who is connected with the Spring Valley Water Company, died yesterday afternoon after a brief illness. The unfortunate young woman was taken ill two days ago with appendicitis and at once removed to a private hospital. Despite the efforts of two physicians she breathed her last yesterday afternoon. ‘Always kind and gentle Miss Taylor had endeared herself to everybody who knew her, and her death Is severely felt. She was possessed of a remarkable voice, which was frequently heard at church socials and other gatherlnfx. Miss Taylor was 23 years of age, and lived at 1419 Baker street. The funeral will take place to-morrow from her late residence. CASTORIA For Infants and Children. " ADVERTISEMENTS. _fi. DOMESTIC DEPARTMENT ! SPECIAL OFFERING e Fine White Blankets! We beg to inform our customers and the public of the purchase of 48 cases FINE WHITE BLANKETS (very slightly imperfect) at about ONE HALF THE REGULAR MILL PRICE, and we will offer them for sale at q correspondingly low figure. The imperfection consists in a slight stain or discoloration, and will not injure or affect the wear of the blanket in any particular. In connection with the above sale of Blankets we will also offer 500 pairs FINE NOTTINGHAM, FISHNET AND GUIPURE CURTAINS, In White and Ecru, at $2.00 and $2.50 per Pair. These Curtains range 3i yards and & yards in lepgth, full latest designs. width, and the very Housekeepers will find the above the Greatest Bar= gains ever offered in San Francisco in Blankets and Curtains. o (770 ¥4 1892, m, 03, 1s, nz, 19, 121 POST STREET. OLOBERG BOWEN & €0, The time for entertaining is approaching—get in line—learn what noveities you can get here in the way of food and drink SPECIAL SAVING SALE Monday Tuesday Wednesday Tea——regularly: soc Ib 40C Ten flavors. This is_the great, popu- lar seller, the tea of the muftxtude. Many come here to buy it who buy their other foods elsewhere Royans a la vatel ™7, 15c ood sardines, first rate oil, trufflés, a sprig of pe;\per, adash of spice; an appetizing addition to the menu Olives—reg'ly 30c quart 25¢ Now that the war is over we can eat Spanish olives with pleasure A WhlSkey-Scot(h and Irish DCL reg'ly $1 50 ‘12-Year Old $1 25 81 75 Highland Liqueur 135 ““ 81 Highland Club, Killy Croy Ssc Your friends from the United Kingdom wilsppreciate these—so will you Fiber pails—regly 35c 25C Two kinds, light and heavy. Clean, neat looking. Almost indestructible Farina—regliy 12kc 3 pkes 25C For puddings, omelets, gruels and breckfasts. Hecker’s-made New York Je“y—regulnrly 12%¢ pkge 10C Many flavors—all you have to do is to ut the: contents of a package in a ittle warm water and stir it up . Gin——Boo(h’s~reg‘ly $1 bottle 90C Cools the blood in hot weather—gin is good for many purposes and this is. good gin Telescope baskets-good, strong G inches long 4 22 21 2 19 regularly $100 goc 75¢ Goc s0€ special .75 65¢ 55 45¢ 35C German lentils 3} Ibs 25C 'teg’ly.xoc Ib. For soup Listerine-for colds in the head 65¢ Glycerine lotion-regly 30c 25¢C ley's. For softening the skin. Granula——rcg’ly 20c pkge 15C From Jackson’s Sanitarium, Dans- ville, N. Y. i Princi] > Gales Clgars (Ti:plsrlgcee of Wales.) The best Havana tobacco cigar made in the United States—reduced 10 avoritos 50 in box for $5.75 Bougquets Imperials 25 “ 2.75perc’t | hrbzlfms Fx}:wa 50 5« 4~‘;’5 pgr 3 | Londres Grande 100 “ 9.50 days Mail orders entitled to these prices if posted not Tater than Wednesday 432 Pine 215 Sutter 2800 California San Francisce 1075 Clay between Eleventh and Twelfth Oakland 800000000000000000 o™ PALACE "%, SGRAND HOTELS?3 [+ SAN FRANCISCO. [+) Connected by a covered passageway. ° © 1400 Rooms—900 With Bath Attached. [ All Under One Management. 0| E PRICES: H O Bormeen TR RTGE 2 6 ot e O 3 e dence Solfcited. [+] J0HN 0. KIREPATRICE, Mansger. o apo0o00ncac000a STATEMENT —OF THE— CONDITION AND AFFAIRS —OF THE— MANHATTAN FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY F_NEW YORK, IN THE STATE OF NEW York, on the 3lst day of December, A. D. 1897, and for the year ending on that day, as made to the Insurance Commissioner of the State of Callfornia, pursuant to the provisions of sections 610 and 611 of the Political Code, condensed as per blank furnished by the Com- missioner, CAPITAL. Amount of capital stock, pald up in cash .. $250,000 00 ASSETS. Cash market value of all bonds owned by compan ocks and $641,115 00 223 7 Cash In company’s office. 0 Cash in banks. 36,908 90 Premiums in due course of collection 106,843 50 * Cash deposited with Guarantee Trust and Safe Deposit Company, Phila- delphia. ......... = 200 00 Total assets . $785,201 10 LIABILITIES. Losses adjusted and unpaid 315,223 60 Losses in process of adju: in suspense 5 . sLssTe Losses resisted, inch penses.. 10,222 43 Interest declared and remaining un- paid . % S 595 78 Qutstanding Interest-bearing receipts 11,001 79 Due and to become due for borrowed 1l ‘other demand ot o | g of emands against - ”,Lé»'"’.fl. ceeee 152,391 42 Total lablitles .. . 57,30 71 INCOME. Net cash actually received for fire premiums .. 828 55. Recelved for interest and dividends on bonds, stocks, loans and from all other Sources L. 23,978 00 Received for profit on sale of bonds. 9,348 13 Received for excess payment Broad- v ‘Insurance COmpany... 54 67 Received for increased capital Total income Net amount cluding $74, years) Serip redee! patd for fire losses (in- 307 losses of previous vidends to stockholders. T s or Dividends fowed for commission oF brokerage ... e 1099% 03 Paid for salaries, fees and other for officers, clerks, etc.... ate, national and local charges Paid for St taxes . All other paymen ts and expenditures. al expenditures Total expenditures H. F. NEEFUS, Secretary, Subscribed and sworn to before me this 1ith Februar: 8 day of FP™ISHN T. KIRK, Notary Publtc. E.W.S. VAN SLYKE, MANAGER PACIFIC COAST DEPARTMENT, MILLS BUILDING, San Francisco. DR.PIERCES GOLDEN MEDICAL DISCOVERY FOR THE BLOOD,LIVER.LUNGS: W. T. HESS, FOTARY PUBLIC AND ATTORNEY-AT LAW, Tenth Floor, Room 1015, Claus :{recnh Bldg. Telephone Brown Residence, $41 California st.. below Powall, 5co. J