The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 12, 1901, Page 1

Wall, VOLUME LXXXIX—NO. 10 ) SAN FRANCISCO, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 1901. PRICE F1VE CENTS. THOMAS H. WILLIAMS JR. AT LAST FALLS A VICTIM TO CUPID'S SWEET WILES Holds the Promise of Miss Beatrice Steele to lake Him the Happiest of [len---Simple Wedding and No Bridal Trip. ted has come to pass. as H. Willlams Jr. is about become & benedict. Miss Bea- e Steele of Oakland is the lady in the case, and in a few short weeks the merry wedding bells will ring : the world like a well con- HE unexp o ducted novel, this betrothal of the popu- ar horseman and the Oakland belle. There is the confirmed bachelor and the . & gradual awaking of the with such delightful inci- ents as & dangerous {liness, a summer in mp, & man of the world's confession 1 then a betrothal, to be followed by & ple wedding at which there will be no or orange blossoms, no bridal et and no bridal trip. Williams told of the great joy that 4 come to him at a little dinner given at his home In Oakland on Sunday even- ing. J. Naglee Burke, Clarence W Louts Lissak, Charles E. Paxton, Herman Oelrichs, Harry Veuve, Truxton the cradle of the a few short weeks He went to parties ghter was father were always the maid who now es were -~ meant other maid until a very of Oakland 1 s0 he took streets and health and to regair ams saw a to a sincere friend- two years ago, he discov- 4 crossed the narrow bor- was in the snares of the god of love. Miss Steele, with her spent the summer a: r and sister FE no more to Wil- ARFUL HARVEST Mr. Willlams' camp and it was then and there that Willlams decided to win th #1irl he loved for his wife. The announc ment of their betrothal tells how gallantly he wooed and nobly won. It i= to be a very quiet wedding. Wil- liams has attended to all the details and Miss Steele has acquiesced to all his ar- rangements. “I will go with a few rxcetrack friends to my home in Oakland and from there will go with them to Miss Steele's home,"” said Mr. Willlams as he joyfully explained his plans. “There we will be marricd quietly. There will be no white satin, no orange blossoms, no fuss and no feathe: r the ceremony my wife and I will catch the 6 o'clock train, come over to the city, have dinner and then go “to the pheum. We will settle down quietly in T Oakland home, and later perhaps, when the racetrack war is over, we will o0 off on a short little trip.” The lady who will shortly become the bride of Thomas H. Willlams Jr.is the OF DEATH WELL-KNOWN HORSEMAN AND THE OAKLAND SOCIETY BELLE WHO WILL BECOME HIS BRIDE. - ) | daughter of the late E. L. G. Steele, a swell-known merchant .nd club man. She | resldes with' her mother, Mrs. Emma | Steele, at the corner of Sixth and Jack- son streets, Oakland. She was born In the little cify across tie bay, and all her | education was recelved from masters in | her native town. Personally she s very attractive. She is tall and slender and a decided brunette. Thomas H. Williams Jr. is probably onc of the best-known and most popular of all the high-class sporting men in the country. He is the son of the late Thomas H. Williams, a promlnent lawyer, a was himself educated for the bar. Mr. Willlams has now and then, however not serfously, practiced his prafession, but he has given nearly all s time to the en- couragement of high-class, clean sport. He is the president of the California | Jockey Club and a member of the Pacific Union Club, Mr. Williams has traveled extensively, and there is’ probably no corner of the | globe that he has not visited. Every- where his reputation is that of a gentle- |man and a man generous almost to a | faut. | Mr. Willams' marriage will make no ’(‘hnnges in his plans. He will continue { his interest in the track and in theatrical | management. DUE TO BOILER EXPLOSION Disaster in a Chicago Laundry, in Which Eight Persons Are Killed and Forty-Two Injured. | | Conway, CHICAGO, March 11.—By the explosi of a boller Yorem au 45 West Madison street, this r ng, eight persons were instantly killed, forty-two were ral are m! Tao . of 55 Sanee The Dead. MINNIE OLSEN. Long List of the Injured. The injured: Michael Howell, siight'y | injured by fa glass; Tillie Olsen, in jured about body: Arttur Boyer, sligh injured about body: Hilda Kalb, leg crushed and face cut; Sadie Kalb, 5 years old, arm broken; Willlam B. Dean, 10 bri years old, badly ed; Joseph Galzelia, internal injuries Abraham Colsen, heai cut: Mary Kalb slightly bruised; Anthony Stearn, shoulder d; John Dean, § years old, boly bruised; Mre. Fanny Deen, badly bruised cn | by falling timbers; Lizzie Wike, three ribs broken; Antoine Stamaky, head and shoul- der cut; Eadie Slick, head cut; Lizzie Dar- row, severe internal injuries; Susle Gin- ter, body brufsed: Susanna Fraina, hezd cut; Nellie Right, slightiy bruised; Peter Dean, head cut and left leg crushex head and shoulders badly cut; Mary Halko, arms crushed, bad scalp wounds; Mamie Burns, severe internal in- juries; Minnie Jaekle, Internal injuries; Frank Dottenby, head cut and shoulde- crushed; Theodore Van Belden, internal injuries; George McNelll, head cut and arms crushed: William R. Haepel, in- ternal injurfes; Joseph Ortzeller, badly crushed; Teresa Vansik, internal injuries, hip cut; Bessie Kinneald, slightly bruised; | Deltsjo Patalo, internsl injuries; Patrick O'Neill, bruised by falllng wall; Ot Freund, face and hanls cut; Mary Zaser, severe scalp wounds; Jacob Burchard, badly bruised; Martin Andrews, face lac- Mary Werno, head cut; | erated; Kate Robinson, internal injuries; Gussie Hoffman, internal injuries; Minnic Hoffman, head cut and badly brulsed; Emma Kreuger, face badly cut. The cause of the expivsion has not been determined with accuracy as yet, anl | 1t will probably require an officlal investi- gation to settle the matter. Pending the verdict of the Coroner's jury, A. L. Dore- mus, the proprietor of the laundry, is held in custody by the police. Reports of the number of dead in the ruins run all the way from six to twenty. It is known that thirty-six employes of the laundry had entered the place before the explosion occurred, because the au- tomatic timekeeper fourd in the ruins showed that number of registered ar- rivals. ", Two or three were' entering at the mo- ment of the explosion, making the ap- proximate total of forty employes in and around the building. The most conserva- tive estimate by the police concedes that at least three persons, dead or alive, are still in the ruins, The work of search in the ruins has been stopped because of a disagreement between the police and fire departments as to jurisdiction. : The force of the explosion was so terri- Continued on Second Page. DYING DEPUTY SPEEDS DEATH 10 OUTLAW Bandit's Body Found at Scene of Wal- lce Batle Second Robber Is Taken Prisoner by a Consta- ble at Ione, —_— Bpecial Dispatch to The Call. SAN ANDREAS, March 1l—Deputy Shertff Samuel J. Holman of Wallace, who ! was slain last night in battle with two outlaws on a mountain trail near that place, did not die unavenged. Cold and stark, the body of one of the desperadoes | was found this morning in the house in | | which the pair had made their stand against the officers. A charge from Hol- man's shotgun, fired after he had recefved | a mortal wound, had torn away part of | the outlaw’s skull and a bullet from the Deputy Sheriff’s revolver had shattered the bones of the fellow's left knee. Evi- dently the wounds had caused almost in- stantaneous death. The second highwayman was captured during the forenoon at Ione and must | answer to the law for his part in the | killing of brave Holman and the robber- fes that preceded the fight to the death. | Fred Braun was the name of the slain | outlaw and the captured man is Louls | Biddle. They traveled together as tourist | sign painters. Sheriff Finds the Body. Officers McSorley and Dower of San An- | dreas were met at Wallace early this morning by Sheriff Sibley of San Joaquin | County and drastic measures for the cap- | | ture of the outlaws were planned. The cficers made their way to the Goodman | place, where the battle of last night oc- curred. Upon entering the building from | which the robbers made their fight they | found the body of Braun, the larger of the two cutthroats. McMurray and Ham- lich, who accompanied Holman and brave- ly remained with him under fire, had | claimed last night that they heard groans |as of a dying man, and that their ears wege not deceived was proved by the find- ing of the Gead bandit. Apparently the remaining bandit made a hasty escape after the officers had with- érawn from the fight. The robbers had their own rig, a buggy and bay mare, and | a black dog followed the outfit. The sur- | viving robber started with the rig and | | crossed the Mokelumne River at Lancha Plana and traveled until daylight. His | | buggy was found at the Wilson ranch at | | an early hour this morning, where he had | deserted it and struck out on foot with | | his black dog for company. He covered a | | distance of twenty-five miles, most of the | time in a driving storm. ‘[ Taken by Ione’s Constable. Shortly after dawn the news of the trag- | edy was wired to all places on the line | and Biddle was captured at Tone. He had | stopped at the brewery there and was sus- pected because of the black dog being | with him. The Constanle of Ione came upon him and commanded him to surren- | der, which he did without resistance. | Sheriff Thorn was Informed and made his | | way to Ione at once. Owing to the con- | tinuance of the storm to-day the Sheriff | could rot return, but locked Biddle in the | County Jail at Jackson and will return to | | S8an Andreas with him to-morrow. Coro- | ner Buckley went to Wallace to-night and | will conduct the inquest over the bodies | of the officer and the outlaw to-morrow. ! ONE HUNDRED MILLIONS BEHIND A SYNDICATE — | Reports That Three of the Largest | Industrial Corporations in the South Are to Unite. BIRMINGHAM, March 11.—Rumors of the consolidation of three of the largest industrial corporations In the South, with a combined capital of nearly $100,000,000, are current in this city. The three com- panies are the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Rallroad Company, the Sloss Sheffleld Steel and Iron Company and the Repub- lic Steel and Iron Company, which to- gether own twenty-eight pigiron furnaces, one steel mill and two rolling mills in Al- abama and Termmessee and make the bulk of thelr iron in those two States. The | combined capital-and bonded debt of the! three companies is $93,000,000. HUNGARIAN OFFICERS IN A SAVAGE DUEL Two Lieutenants Fight Desperately With Swords and One of Them Loses His Life, VIENNA, March 1L.—A ferocious duel with gwords has been fought at Ments- chau, Hungary, between Lieutenants Lenderle and Lexerd. The former was killed and the latter, who is now in the hospital, received more than twenty dangerous wounds. o s B FLORIDA MOB KILLS A NEGRO FOR REVENGE Three Other Black Men Are Wounded by Bullets Fired Into Turpen- tine Works Camp. BRANDFORD, Fla., March 11.—A mob of several hundred people fired several times into the camp of the turpentine works of H. C. Searles at Callea, La- fayette County, and killed one negro and seriously wounded three others. Feeling against the negroes on account of the re- cent murder of Sheriff Matthis is sup- posed to have been the cause w | six months and FRS. R. J. HANCOCK SAYS HUSBAND HAS DESERTED HER FOR A CHURCH SINGER fe of the Well-Known Clubman and Capitalist Files a Sensational Suit for Support and Division of Property. L5 Y the filing of a sult yesterday for maintenance and division of community property, Mrs. Ella Wood Hancock, wife of Robert | J. Hancock, Jaid bare a skeleton | in the married life of the well-known | clubman, capitalist and athlete. To the many friends of the young couple the news of a separation and possible divorce proceedings does not come as a surprise. The step taken yesterday by Mrs. Han- cock has been looked for during the past the only surprise ex- pressed is that the lady has not asked for a divorce. Robert J. Hancock is a familiar figure in athletic and club circles and when be married Ella Wood of Modesto on May 15, 1889, it was thought by the friends of tie voung couple that a life of bliss and joy before the bridal pair. For almost six years there was not a ruffle on the sea of matrimeny. Then in 18% a small cloud appeared. Mrs. Hancock became jealoas of the attentions her husband paid to pretty Lel Westcott, a singer in the choir of the California-street Methodist Episco- pal Church. Hancock and his wife, after extensie traveling, had settled down to domestic life In a beautiful house at 928 Broderick street and every wish of the wife was gratified by the young husband. Hancock denied his wife nothing and the home was filled with rare and costly bric-a-brac and the thousand and one things so dear to femininity. Mrs. Westcott Sings in Church. As worshipers at the California-street Methodist Episcopal Church, Mr. and Mrs. Hancock met Lel Westcott. She was known as Mrs. Westcott and church gos- sip said that she was a divorcee. Her con- duct was beyond reproach and the fair singer was received in the homes of the leading members of the congregation. Thus it was that the small cloud began to appear on the sea of matrimony of Hancock and his wife and which has now assumed the aspegt and proportions of a tornado which threatens to wreck the happiness of two of Cupld's mariners and a dainty child of 9 years, the offspring of Robert J. Hancock and his pretty girl wife. Mrs. Hancock yesterday denfed herself to all callers. She gave orders that no one should be admitted to her home with- out her consent and declined to be inte:- viewed. Robert Hancock gallantly says nothing in disparagement of his wife and the maother of his child. He denied yesterday that she had been violent or jealous to- ward him, and begged that nothing might be sald as coming from him which mignt hurt his wife's feelings. Hancock admits that he left his home some months ago, but denies that he ever refused a proper allov:ance to his wife. He declared posi- tively, however, that he would fight to the énd any suit of his wife for a division of property or an allowance of $500 per month, which she asks for. Denies Refusing Support. “I am willing and have always been willing to give my wife a proper allow- ance, and I will leave it to the court to decide what she shall have,” said Han- P = cock, “but I will not allow her to have | half my property or an ‘allowance more | than T gave her while. we lived together. As regards the lady mentioned in my wife’s complaint I will say nothing. This | is not a suit for divorce. I think it shame- | ful that this lady’s name should be drag- sed into the matter. If my wife wants an allowance it would have been sufficlent for her and her lawyers to have alleged that I left my wife and ask for a certain sum.” The suft filed by Mrs. Hancock, through | Attorneys Galpin and Bolton, is a remark- | able one, as it bristles with charges of in- fidelity against the spouse.of the plaintiff | and names Mrs. Lel Wescott and Carrle King as being his inamoratas.! The name of Carrfe King figures but once on the complaint, while Mrs. Lel Westcott, either | by néme or as “Jane Doe,” is mentioned | hundreds of times in the veoluminous doc- ‘ ument now in the archives of County | Clerk Deane. The complaint recites how Lel Westcott | visited the home of the plaintiff and her | husband and how Hancock openly showed his admiration for the fair singer. When Hancock would, after the visits, escort Mrs. Westcott to the cars he would linger longer than necessary, and the plaintiff gradually shows how the minutes length- ened out to hours. In August, 1897, Mr. and Mrs. Hancock visited Altruria with Hancock's mother. Mrs. Lel Westcott went along with the party, and the complaint alleges that the conduct of Hancock and Mrs. Westcott was indiscreet on many occasions during this summer vacation. Makes Many Accusations. The plaintiff then recites how her hus- band installed the fair Lel in a sumptu- ous flat at 1306A Hayes street, and that | he there assumed the position of protec- tor for the dove In the lover's bower. Mrs. Hancock tells In her complaint how in August, 1898, her husband went on a business trip to Sierraville for a month. That s what he told her, but she alleges that he spent the time at Lake Tahoe with Lel Westcott, who took her little boy and her sister Hallie along. After the Lake Tahoe trip, it is alleged, Hancock furnished a flat for Mrs. West- cott at 1719 Sutter street and there main- talned {llicit relations with its éccupant. The plaintiff accuses her husband of | having in June, 1899, gone on a trip to the southern part of the State accompanied by Mrs. Westcott, and produces the fol- lowing letter to show how Hancock asked his falr friend to join him: I do so much want to have you come, you have no idea how I want you mow. I was truly sorry F did not kiss you good-by. You had your veil on and 1 was mad with myself that lack of reserve force did rattle me. I T i ) - s 4 PROMINENT CLUBMAN AND THE WOMAN WHOM HE 18 SAID TO LOVE. [ :l'olrlfi yo: will forgive me, sweetheart, and I make amends for my omittl 3 never forget the ooy e sight (so stra ou standing on the e You pler and I was going on a: almless saunt and you waved eilT eoutd See you no longer. We waved good-by all the others quit. s s Uses Wife's Stationery. In July, 1899, it is alleged in the com- plaint, Hancock refused to go to Pacific Grove with his wife, as arranged. but Joined Mrs. Westcott. He is charged with having visited his wife for a couple of days and breaking open her trunk and abstracting $40 in notes and some of his wife's stationery. Mrs. Hancock grows indignant in the complaint where she §ives an account of how her husband sent the money to Mrs. Westcott and wrote on her note paper to the singer in the follow- ing terms: And that after all my love don’t hold you %o clote and is not such a comfort as we sometimes think it is. Lel, dear, do not let me come up If you have allowed your mind and heart to stray for ome moment, because I wish to go up there and meet you feeling 4hat you yearn for me every moment as I do for you and that nothing can satisfy but each other's presence and that love that we belleve Is for us nowhere else but in that satistying union that commences where words fail and truth is feit. Mrs. Hancock alleges that her husband maintained Mrs. Westcott in gorgeous style during 1599-1900 in flats at 1719 Suttet street and 19)4 Laguna street and In apart- ments at 1098 Pine street, and also charges that the couple were gulity of {l- Heit relations on divers and many ocea- sions. ‘Wore Loose Silk Robe. Mrs. Hancock recites how on one ocea- sion she watched for her husband at the Laguna-street flat at night time, and that he came out without his overcoat. Mrs. Hancock demanded that he go back and get his coat and go home with her. Haa- cock refused, and the angry wife rang the bell of the house and had sharp words with Mrs. Westcott, who is described in the complaint as having on that occasion worn “a loose silk robe only.” The wife secured her husband's coat, and when she returned to her hubby on the sidewalk he Continued on Third Page. w