The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 14, 1898, Page 1

-y — { 10 be taken from the Library.+++* The VOLUME LXXXIV.—NO 106. SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1898 PRICE FIVE CENTS. A TENNESSEE SOLDIER DOES WILLFUL MURDER he saw the soldier coming along the threateningly flourishing a pistol in right hand. He pointed the weapon at a colored man who was behind the coun- ter of Hammond & Brod’s stall, but the colored man quietly backed away and | celved since their arrival on the coast, | W. Rosser’s Unpro-| iy S st i i voked and Delib- | who were outsige the line of guards were | more or less under the influence of liquor, | and with each drink the soldiers took the | more quarrelsc they became. The | avoided the enmity of the Tennesseean. = Tennessee sold had frequently made | The soldier then turned and leveled the erate Lrime. threats that when they got money they | wapon at the head of the proprietor of a would tear the city to pieces. During the | fish stall. The soldier stood for a moment day the police saw several of T & with the trigger, while those in the e — volunteers purchasing pisto a | neighborhood scurried for shelter. sharp wateh was k\l‘pl‘ 95, many of them. | Rosser grinned in diaholical glee at the o hen word reacned po! h 1UArters | sepsation he was making wit! s gun, | H. Hilderbrand the Vietim | that the bad bicod that in the past few and he moved on down the market velling w Tllks m;d hm'i_n flnm-ml«redl ?etwv“\, ”,'," "hat is the matter with Tennessee?’ s $0 soldiers from Tennessee and from Wash- 5 Sunte TW. . of His Vicious Desire | ioiisa nad eutminated 1n ' chailens to | o 0f the.counter of A W. iink & Cove fight a pitched battle some time during | Sitead around them in a most tempting for Blood. | last night and that the challenge ha anner were a number of dairy delica- been accepted. | “As soon as word of the murder reached | | the office of the vCuief of Police a call was sent to all the outside police districts 1 all the officers tr >uld be po; fi the cies. When opposite that counter the soldier lowered his weapon and walking over to Hilderbrand, who was in charge of the stall, demanded to be waited on. “IWhat would you like?’ asked the you attendant ‘in a pleasing manner. For a reply Rosser raised his weapon and sent a bullet into the heart of the young man _behind the counter. Willlam Walsh, a boy llving at 816% Dolores street, and employed by Hal mond & Brod, was standing beside H: was sent to the | derbrand when the fatal shot was fired, Police Fear a Riot and Call Out Out All the Available Patrolmen. f oK | being collected a request | ‘Welter Rosser, a member of the First Tennessee Reg shot- and instan killed Henry nd, an employe of | A W. F the Spreckels Mar- ket y ortly before 6 | o'cloc Rosse He al Col- and his father is sald Nashville, e Railw: He is only 21 army record is extremely | almost the entire, time his 1 in camo in this clity he ed the gu In fact he 1 from the military prison through ivance of sc is who were 4 duty at th e and went | ie stole a bottle of liquor b mp, and. his vicious ni the stolen whisky, excited - by {ALIFORNIA PE, OLIVE IN gULK HiHl ECRO3Y INDICATE E SPOT WHERE ms’sowae( SToo. WHERE THE Booy FELI” 1BV CITNOINGS 133¥15 a 0 ‘TH . -— 0. X WHERE! ‘HE waAas CAVGHT T - STEVENSON STREET = A - — Sevecoos ==~ I GHERE HE : sy AT 4553 THE DOTTED LiNE ""‘!'rtfg;:‘;fin Teamogr INDICATES THe ROUTE Yraite TAREN BY THE SOLDIER' commandant of the camp at the Presidio to send out i)rnvost guards and gather in all the soldlers who were outside ihe camp lines with all possible speed. An hour later squads of soldiers with loaded rifles and glistening bayonets were patrolling the streets in charge of com- mijssioned officers, hunting for the sol- diers who were the cause of so much anx- fety to the peace-loving citizens. and when the murdered man fell Rosser turned the weapon on the lad and fired a shot at him, but the bullet just missed his_head. ““What's the matter with Tennessee?” he yelled after he had fired the second shol and moved toward the Stevenson- street doorway of the Market. He took about a dozen steps in a most deliberate manner, then he bolted out into the HENRY HILDERBRAND licemen were upon him and he was dis- armed. The murderer fought against ar- rest, but when the policemen demonstrat- ed their superior phgslca-l power and the handcuffs were pinched on his wrists he | surrendered. He was taken back to the scene of his crime.’ The body of his-victim lay on the floor in the passageway to the stall the murdered man tended. Dr. J. Goodwin was examining the body when the mur- derer was pushed through the crowd to the scene of his crime. “The man is dead,” remarked the phy- siclan. The words were heard by the murderer, but he scornfully turned up his lips and nudged the body with the toe of ais shoe. He then turned away and apparently tried to give the impression that the enormity of committin a cold-blooded murder was a matter of little concern to a Tennesseean. The prisoner was crowded behind the counter of the stall to wait for the ar- rival of the patrol wagon. A crowd quickly gathered and filled the | market building, and when the facts of the crime became known to the increasing mass the cry of “Lynch him!” was taken up, and every moment the excitement and the wrath against the murderer increased. The prompt arrival of a squad-of police- men, however, \-Are\'er.tml any overt act |on the part of the crowd, though feeling | against the soldier ran high. | .In the excitement and confusion of the | threatening crowd the prisoner slipped | | one of his hands through the steel cuff | and made an effort to escape. Policeman | Janes, however, grappled with his prison- | C000000000C0 | | | cuff was re filn('ed and the second time it | was set tigl tly and no risk taken of its | | removal. | market and not long afterward the patrol wagon arrived and the prisoner was tak- | en to a cell at the City Prison. ‘ The body of the murdered man was | taken to the A\Iflrzue’.“ S ! {CLAIMS IT WAS LIKE 1 A HORRID DREAM Rosser Makes a Statement in His Cell in Which He Says He Doesn’t Realize the Crime. | When young Rosser entered the City | Prison an hour after tte shooting-he was still stupld with drink. Some realization of what he tad done rvidently came to him, as he burst into tears. Through his tears heygave the acting desk sergeant his name, Walter Rosser, his age at 20, al- though he is 21, and the name of his regi- ment. When the arrssiing officers :ried to search him he voluatamly handed $64 75 and a lady’s gold watch and chain to Offi- cer Knight, and tearfuliy begged him to care for the valuables, A sudden realization of his position came to him when the iron door of his cell clanged behind him. anew, and he buried his face in his hands and tried to blot out his surroundings. A young lawyer named Curtis visited the prisoner shortly after he was booked, and for him telegraphed the boy’s father about the trouble, asking him to come to his son’s aid. The prisoner’s b h and refined ap- pearance won him some sympathy. His recollection of the shooting he claims is entirely blank. He claims to have been in a dream and begged his interviewers to narrate the occurrence. - “] am greatly humiliated,” ne said. “I will_never go home again. I know [ am, in deep disgrace and feel it keanly. T don’t remember a thing about to-aight's affair, but I would like to know the names of the men who were with me. ‘““Are the negroes uprising? Is there much feeling against me? There should be none against my regiment, because every precaution has been taken fo keop the men within bounds. -1 come of an ex- cellent family, and fee] keenly for tham. My father. and mother are alive,” he sald, ‘‘and are living in Stevenson, Ala. My ' father is supenintendent of the NashVille, Chattancogs -4pd™ . Tuls Railroad. “I am a ember. of the Sigma Nu Fra- ternityand-a grld\mte of -the Vanderbilt University, and am entitled to the degres of M. D.” When the war broke out I wat a student in classics, but left school an enlisted. in the Tennessee regiment at Memphis. JMy knowledge of medicine gained me the position of steward of Com- pany B, which positign I still hold. “T have telegraphed my father and ex- pect him to come to this ¢ity at once.” Later in the evening Judfe J. H. Guerry of Georgia, who has lately come to this State to practice law, called on the pris- oner and tendered his services as a friend of the family, and he was accepted. He will appear iIn court to-morrow when Rosser s arralgned. STORIES OF THOSE WHO WITNESSED THE CRIME All Agree ‘fhat the Deed Was a Cold-Blooded, Deliberate Murder. Sam Cosel, a butcher in the employ of Hammond & Brod, who have a stall op- posite the place of shooting, supported the dying man’'s head. Cosel said his at- tention was attracted by the soldier’s wild actions. He saw him with a pistol in his hand but thought nothing of it un- til he heard the fatal shot. The soldier then ran out. Cosel sald Hilderbrand was a quiet fellow and very popular. He was in charge of the stand during the ab- sence of the proprietor, A. W. Fink. ‘W. M. Morris, manager for the Revere Rubber Company, was dining with his wife an@ child in the upper apartments of the Spreckels Market Cafe when the shot was fired. He said he heard no harsh words. The soldier first fired at Hilder- brand and then pointed his pistol at a boy who was near his victim and again fired. The soldier then walked out and started to run down the stairs and fell. Nelse Johnson, a waiter in the cafe, was standing near the door when the first shot was fired. He sald: “The sol- dier fired again and then ran down the street,. and I tried to catch him. He turned and pointed his pistol threaten- ingly at me, and, thinking he was going to_shoot, I ducked out of the way.” | | Sam E. Hammond, one of the proprie- tors of the butcher stall directl opposite the scene of the shooting, sald: “‘After the first shot and th again.’ Officer, Charles M. James, who arrested the murderer, made the following state- ment directly after the affair: “I was walking slowly up Third street, near Ste- venson, when my attention was attracted to a soldier who came running breath- lessly down Stevenson street with a pi: tol in his hand. I grabbed him and ask:d him what he was doing with the gun. He replied that it was none of my businass. Immediately a crowd began to coll:ot and shouts were raised of ‘Lynch nuim! He has murdered two men!’ T arrested him and walked him back up Stevenson street to the Spreckels market, where I turned_him over to Officer McNamara. ‘While I was turning him oyver to the oth- er officer the prisoner seemed greatly ex- cited and commenced shouting, ‘Tennes- see boys, where are you? " Edward Varney, res|dhl’:f at 421 Tils street, saw the tragedy. He said the sol- dier was standing in front of Fink's stall for ten or perhaps fifteen minutes before the shooting. “He was eating a pie at the time,” said Varney, “and what attracted my ‘atten- tion to him was that he held a revolver in his right hand. At one time some few moments before he fired he placed the ‘weapon (:3: to Mr. Hilderbrand's face. The latter dodged behind the counter and the soldier leaned over and shot him. could mot hear what led up to the shoot- ing. There seemed to be no quarrel nor I looked out of my offi en saw the soldier dellhural{ly flfi: There were many witnesses to the | street and sped toward Third street | Willie Walsh w murder, and t&eydfl}b un_{mulmtlnal say | an effort to escape. ° ggslde ‘tv}?;d:éldler when he mii.’&?;'&d',“é brought him to commit his deed of It was a most deliberats, cold-blooded | “Nelse Johnson, a waiter employed in the | ter the shot ran toward me. The soldier murder. R S Sasee entered 1 ‘hid least | cafe close to the Stevenson street door- | fired at him. The soldier then ran out on G Tenry Hilderbrana B ddrericdiing e ¢ Market | wqy, and who was a witness to the crime, | to Stevenson street.” Hi# victim, Henry . resided | bujlding from the Market-street side and | foljowed the murderer out into the 3 o o & street, ‘Willjam Walsh, at whom the soldier at 812 Turk streec. He was 27 years of | stopped for a moment at the fruit-stand | and ran after Jim velling ‘‘Murder!” and |fired the second shot, works for Hammonqg age and a most exemplary man. He was | just inside the door. C. M. Toster, the |ghouting for the police. & Brod and lives at 816% Dolores streer married only a short time ago, and he gmprletor o mfl ;edn .hnsnld Rosser | Policemen. McNamara and Janes were | His story of the shootlnfi 3uzo|mw5: “i was the main support of his father and b:,"n‘mw::m:efirusshanhelwedeh}r};-nes};lre{: on Third striet, And&htey hhenni the wait- | had gone over to. Mr. Hilderbrand to ask mother and several brothers and sisters. | ahat small frults were within his reach, sgfef.flea D TR o m\rrl;n{?{ fo ::Lex;r;&m; s?:rnt‘eblfri i w?;“ His employers speak of him In the high-| Wnen his purchases were Wrapped and | Just as Rosser reached Third street he | fhe soldier, whom I had noticed standing est terms. | ready for him he u?ke'd that the bundle | stopped, and, turning, leveled his pisto] | in front of the stall eating a pork ple, He had a pleasant little home, but last | be laid aside for a few moments, as he |at Johnson. The waiter suddenly stopped | grabbed me by the right saying, ‘1 v d back for them. He then pass x!:ll:'z‘k;: it was a place of desolation and de- ::‘filowl:f thecmnige"hlm % 1; ed . xt made sel Ccons; The Tennesseo Regiment received three | wion spout half way 4own tho marwes months’ pay yesterday. It was the first | puilding toward Stevenson street. go)? rod,, mbney the men of that regiment had re- | Wuth: , cashier for Hammond & ursuing the soldier and rolled back, fall- Tng prostrate in the middle of the road- way, to give, as he said, a smaller target for the fusillade of bullets he expected efore haa ‘would 0! ® tWo po- be sent his way. B 0-‘0"”.:;&'“ his weapon ayl) to you.' I told him to do and was too bl‘lhl; : t him, *Are you mggwcm | want to talk er and threw him heavily to the floor. The @ A squad of police cleared the O His tears flowed | MISS FLOOD’S GIFT TO THE UNIVERSITY o 00000000000000000000000000000000000 A most munificent gift has been made to the University of California by Miss Jennie Flood. It consist of the palatial Flood mansion at Menlo Park, with the ornamental grounds, con- sisting of 540 acres, together with a tract of land of about 1200 acres and four-fifths of the capital stock of the Bear Creek Water Company. According to the estimate of John W. Mackay, who is now in the city, and who was intimately associated for many years in business with the father of the donor, this gift amounts in value to over three million dollars. There is but one condition attached O to it, and that a very easy one—in fact, a condition that would in all probability be carried cut without any request having been made in regard to it. Miss Flood simply asks that the ornamental grounds surrounding the mansion be kept in good order within a [ O rensonable area for a period of fifty years. The proceeds from the g gift are to be devoted to some branch of commercial education. It is a singular and happy coincidence that the regents of the uni- g versity recently established a commercial department in the insti- o tution, and Miss Flood’s generous endowment will enable them to carry out their ideas on a most liberal scale. o The donation came as a surprise to all but a few of the re- 9 gents, and, following the liberal gifts of Mrs. Hearst, whose for- o tune, like that of the Flood estate, was derived from the develop- o ment of mining interests, will prove of vast benefit to the cause o of higher education in California. At the same txme, it may in- © fluence other rich pecple to devote a portion of their wealth for g educational purposes. 00000000000 000C000000000C00000000000 SOOOOOOOOO 000000000 0CO0000C0O0Q 'A Splendid Estate at Menlo Park Is Donated. Mansion, Lands and Water Rights Valued at $3,000,000. Martin Kellogg Tenders His Resignation as President of the University of California. In the calendar of the University of California Tuesday, September 13, 1898, will be reckoned as an eventful day. On this 0000 me? Mr. Hilderbrand said, ‘Certainly, what is it you wish? or something like that. The soldier then brought a revolver up over the counter and Mr. Hilderbrand dodged back of a case, but the soldier reached around the case and shot him. As soon as he fired I broke loose from him and ran to the other side of the market. He fired at me before I reached the coun- ter, behind which I hid myself. Some of the men in the market say that the soldler had the pistol in his hand all the time I was standing there, and it may be so, but to me he seemed to have his hand in his hip pocket all of the time, and the first time I saw it was when he pointed it at Mr. Hilderbrand, so I thought that he had only taken it from his pocket at that mo- get back to camp. These were special orders issued by General Miller, who fear- ed some further outbreak from the in- tense excitement and accordingly ordered all privileges revoked. The guards attracted attention whercver they went, and had some lively scufiles with men who held passes and did not care to be shuffled back to camp before the passes had expired. At the junction of O'Farrell and Market streets one ot the liveliest encounters of the evening took place. Corporal R. M. Conly of the Seventh found a friend partially under the influence of liquor and undertook to see him safely back to camp. He got mer — - him aboard an O'Farrell strect car, but HERDED THE SOLDIERS N ur E[mitannut Pilbbes of the pivs; Tennessee appeared on the scene. The BACK TO CAMP Provost Guards Search the Dives for Fractious Volunteers and Place . Them Under Guard. . On account of the murder and the con- sequent excitement a number of provost guards of twelve men each were ordered out last night under charge of commis- sioned officers. The general orders were to place all men who showed any signs of intoxication under arrvest, and all Te; | nesscoans were given forty minutes guard demanded the surrender of the man. Corporal Conly refused to give him up, saying that he would take care of his friend. By this time a crowd of curi- ous citizens gathered to see the fun and ressed in so closely that the guard had ?o drive them back with fixed bayonets. Corporal Conly stanchly held his ground and refused to surrender his friend. Sev- eral members of the guard jabbed at him with their bayonets, and finally both he and his friend were forcibly dragged from the car. The drunken man was taken in charge by the guard, but Corporal Conly Continued cn Seopnd- Page. Al day Martin Kellogg, presi- dent of the institution, ten- dered his resignation, and Cora Jane Flcod gave to the university property valued at three million dollars. 000000 The events of the day occurred during the afternoon,session of the Board of | Regents. Shortly after 8 o’clock Timothy Guy Phelps, who had presided during the | session up to that hour, vacated the chalr for Governor Budd, who thanked the re- gent from San Mateo County for his kindness in presiding up to that time. The assembled regents evidently expected an important announcement, for unusual order was observed when the Governor recognized Regent Arthur Rodgers. 7The regent, holding in his hand two letters, re- marked that he desired to read the letters to the board. He read as follows: 1010 CALIFORNIA ST. To the Regents of the University of Cali- fornla—Gentlemen: I .hereby tender to you the following property: The Flood residence and tract of about five hundred and forty acres near Menlo Park, Cal. One-half interest In about twenty-four hundred acres of marsh land adjacent {o the residence tract and four-fifths of the capltal stock of the Bear Creek Water Company, Which supplies water to Menlo Park and vicin® y. The only conditions I desire to accompany this gift are that the residence and reasonable area about it, including the present ornamental grounds, shall be kept in good order for the | period of fifty vears and that the net income | from the property and Its proceeds shail be devoted to some branch of commercial educae tion. Yours very respecttuily, CORA JANE FLO( San Francisco, September 13, 1868, o The second letter read was a_ private ° | request or the expression of a desire to Mr. Rodgers by the lady that the resi- dence at Menlo Park should be pamnted no other color than white. The regents listened to the reading with profound satisfaction. A motion was im- | mediately made that the gift be accepted and the thanks of the board be conveyed to_the danor. f Regent Foote asked scme questions con- | cerning the formal acceptance, and Gov- | ernor Budd replied that it would be nec- essary for the attorney of the board to prepare a form of acceptance and for tne Tegents to ratify the acceptance by tne committee. Regent Rodgers moved that a com- mittee be appointed to prepare the papers for consummation of the %n, The motion revailed, and President Kellogg and Mr. odgers were named to constitute the committee. On motion, Governor Budd was added to the committee. These gen- tlemen will accept the gift from the gen- erous lady and, on behalf of the univers- ity and the State of California, express gratitude for the donation. B ‘There was still another surprise in store for the onlookers, if not for the ren?és themselves. The secretary was instruci