The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 19, 1902, Page 1

VOLUME XCL—NO. 81. SAN FRANCIS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1902, FRANK ALMBERG, ALLEGED BRUTAL ASSAILANT FRANK ALMB that he has the right man. OF ANNIE ANDERSON, IS RG, an cx-soldier, was arrested late last night on suspicion of being the man who shot Annie Anderson. He was captured on the Barbary Coast and locked up in the tanks. Almberg denies knowing anything about the shooting. He claims that he will be able to prove that he was not in the vicinity of the attempted murder. Police Officer Nelson, who arrested him, believes 1 | x3 KEERS LINDS /NOQUEST FAILS TO THROW LIGHT | UF BIG BASIN FROM ENTRY Assessment of Govern- ment Tracts to “Un- known Owners.” Fourteen Hundred Acres of the Public Domain Are Concealed. Attempt to Locate Bed of Waddell Creek as Homestead by Private Party Leads to Prompt Action. been made in the re- in Santa which by the officlals E: 1400 acres in the and on the ridges forming its rim for ment have, >wn to of ment This may imply that erned in Santa 1 about the real and was con- the knowledge from t such lands were eading. While known owners’ has been Ty t assess- ment of 1958 1at he has as been of that s arisen over the State for the Big Ba- e, vet a few here to fur- what follows. 250,000 the The law that ion was pro- acramento and newspapers, made by the could be pro- The Big Ba- which has ac- now offered to acre, was incor- Just one week for 4 Control of Creek. t e Park Com- to the public 1 ca- rk Waddell the be contro park might ossible to imagine be by ent and a re- the first used is Cruz County i whe in the Big . B ticularize, BTG IRS the west Fora: iuboin reek, which is the fork e Park Commission i for a water supply principall . daughter, Mi eV d through her the the great amount of Govern- has hitherto been so ef from the eyes of the made ago, in Basin body steps toward the section that her the west fork of the estead act being her 1 successfully perfect- s beer fact just about the Park Commissioners Miss McKinney securing Big ive way she would have red Big Basin lands 82 er acr ut also would have nership ,of one mfie of st fork of the Waddell s nearly as may be rough just about er of the land she desired. iry Is Instituted. in due time to Commissioners. Gov- nd his associates on the 4 tssion then took pains to inquire di- e ownership of all the tracts ame y into t besides the one that formed the basis of Miss Mec & operation, that were concealed from locators by the ) - 4 Continued on Page Two, the San Fran- | s | ON THE MURDER OF NORA FULLER - 7 Y 3 7 | V7 / Uiy “c B HAwKiNS NEVER STorrFED AT THRE GoLbEN WEsT Hore L | g N TTHE cRAL { LA MAN AND A YOUNG | GIRL ENTER 2211 SUTTER ST Lowis SILLEN TESTIFYED THAT { OccURANT OF 2211 ! SUTTER ‘Was NerVouUs ®wWAS NOT BURNED WHEN Sout +Heam"ng Wil Continue T o- ‘ Day. | < TRIPPED of all sensationalism, the official investigation conduct- | ed yesterday by Coroner Leland into the murder of little Nora Fuller in the vacant house at 11 Sutter street threw but little light on the mysterious tragedy that has been added to the long list of crime committed in this city and which Captai of Detectives Seymour and his alds have becn unable to unravel. | The evidence was but a repetition of facts presented during the last eight days | through the columns of the daily pres There were a few minor details that came to light for the first time, but they were unimportant and gave absolutely no clew as to the identity of the man C. B. Hawkins, alias John Bennett. | The office of the Coroner was too small | to accommodate the crowd that desired to listen to the evidence in the case that has thrilled the city and State. The small space of the room barely sufficed to furnish seats to those whose official duty required their presence. As in all of m men and women were present whose love of the morbid and notoriety furnished the sole excuse for listening 1o the evidence. Old men and callow youths, wizened women'| and young girls, thronged to the Cor- oner’s office to listen to the ghastly de- talls of the death of Nora Fuller. The atmosphere of the office was s> close that a pretty young stenographer | suddenly collapsed and fainted at her task | of taking the shorthand notes of the tes- | stery, er Leland conducted the investiga- | d District Attorney Lewis F. By- {ington was present, with Det2ct ves Dillon and Hamill, to watch the investigation | | on behalf of the people. | Mrs. Fuller Testifies. { Mrs. Alice Maud Mary Fuller was «he} ’flrst witness called before the jury. The | | mother of the murdered girl gave her tes- | | timony in a perfectly cool manner and | [ 1a not betray the slightest emotion as | she replied to the questions of Coroner Leland. | Mrs. Fuller testified that Ndra Fuller | | was her daughter, and that the child had gone to the Popular restaurant, on Geary street, January 11 in reply to an adver- tisement from John Bennett for a nurse girl. The witness stated that Nora had answered an advertisement in the papers, | “John Bennett” 1sipoRE LEVIL THE MAIL CARRIER T GRARAM - S NOoRA OFTEN TELEPHMONED TO A TMAN NAMED i BENNETTA | Mms. FOL LEmR | MoTHER oF TIAE | MURDERES Gifl_ | | | | | | THoS U TomIN HE ASKED ME TO TAKE The URNITURE HENRY ASHEm UrPsTaI=S SPormE To THE MAN o RENTED THE NOUSE HucH GRANT. ' o SOME OF THOSE WHO TESTIFIED YESTERDAY BEFORE CORONER LELAND AND A JURY IN THE INVES- TIGATION OF THE BRUTAL MURDER OF NORA FULLER BY AN UNKNOWN MAN IN THE VACANT | HOUSE AT 2211 SUTTER STREET. Testimony of Watnesses Presents No Cle — wSs by Which Assassin Can Be Traced. and on the 1ith had received a letter from requesting her to meet him at the restaurant. The girl left home at 5:15 p. m. that day, and witness stated that she had not seen her alive since that time. Mrs. Fuller again gave the famiiiar fact that on the evening of July 1 her son was called up by telephone and received a message from her daughter Nora. The message was to the effect that Nora was in the house of Mr. Bennett and his fam- ily at 1500 Geary street, and that she had a good position as nurse girl and was to receive $20 per month. Mrs. Fuller testi- fied that her son had repeated the mes- sage to her, and she had requested him to tell Nora over the telephone to return home. “I understood him to say,” sald Mrs. Fuller, “that Nora had recelved his last message, and that shé said she would go to the market for me and then come home.”” Nora Disliked Hugh Grant. The witness stated that she had picked out the |ddvertisement in the paper and told her daughter of the same. Mrs. Ful- ler stated that her daughter did not like Attorney Hugh Grant and. that the latter had often called at the house in an in- toxicated condition. > Coroner Leland asked Mrs. Fuller a number of questions as to the names of any men who had called at her home iun the last yecar, but the witness in giving the names of a few men accounted for their presence and was certain that they had nothing to do with the disappearance of her child. The witness was questioned at length as'to the purchase of a dress for Nora Fuller by Attorney Hugh Grant, and her version of the affair was similar in every degree to that she had already given to the police and the newspapers. Mrs. Fuller told of ‘certain statements being made to her that Nora had visited the eamp of the troops at the Presidio and frefuented saloons in the vicinity of Camp Merritt. The witness declared that there was no truth in these assertions and that her daughter stayed at home in the evenings and was a good girl in every respect. v "y Mrs. Fuller. testified that while living at 1747 Fulton street she was informed by her daughter that she was followed on two occasfons by a man, but could give no information as to his identity. The witness was asked if her daughter had any intimate male or female friends, anid replied that she did not have any male friends, and that Madge Graham was the only girl who could be deemed an intimate. With reference to the blood-stained towel that was found close to the body of Nora Fuller in the house at 2211 Sut- ter street, Mrs. Fuller stated that she be- leved that it came from her house, but was not positive of it. In closing her testimony Mrs. Fuller stated that Nora had never remained away from home at night without her permission and then only with some girl acquaintance. The witness also sald that whenever ‘Nora answered an advertise- ment. for a position ‘the girl always re- ported the result to her mother. Testimony of Nora’s Brother. . Louls J. Parlane, a brother of Nora Ful- +- | Ing informed | told her of what Nora had said. * | | | 8T Scnecw ‘1ipENTIFY THE BEDDING FOoUND ' WITH THE BoDY? — Jurors Hear Few New Facts. ler, was then placed on the witness stand. The young man told of returning home | on the evening of January 11 last and be- by his mother that Nora had gone to the Popular restaurant on Geary street to answer an advertisement of “John Bennett" as to a position. Par- lane said: Between 6:15 and 6:30 o'clock of that even- ing T was called up by telephone and my sister conversed with me. I am positive it was my sister who spoke to me over the phone. She sald that she was in the 1500 block on Geary street; that she was with Mr. Bennett's fam- lly and had a nice position. She said that the family wanted her to go to work at omce and requested me to speak to my mother about it. I went to my mother's room and My mother wanted Nora to come home at once, and I went back to the telephone to tell my sister s0. Nora seemed to hesitate in answering me | and seemed as if she was frightened. Then she said that she was at 1500 Geary street and that she would come home as mother re- quested. Then the phone was hung up and the conversation between us was shut off. The witness then told of coming home almost at midnight and learning from his mother that Nora had not'returned. He detailed to the Coroner and the jury how he had visited the 'Popular restaurant and the 1500 block on Geary street in search of his sister, but had failed to find the slightest trace of her. Parlane’ then told of a young man named Frank Spencer who had visited hi: mother’s house and explained that he ha made Spencer's acquaintance during the last campaign. Witness identifled the blood-stained towel found gear Nora Ful- ler’s body as one he had purchased in San Diego. In response to the Coroner, the witness stated that the -burned handkerchiefs found in the house where Nora Fuller wa murdered were similar to ones used in his home. The witness was then excused and after Coroner Leland had informed the jury Continued on Page Two. | about the arrest of the suspect. | were identified | pect. | wore an overcoat similar to the one fo | in Almberg's room. BEHIND PRISON BARS DISPLAYS HIS ANGER AT PRISON Arrested Man in Rage Denies Knowing Domestic. Offers to Prove by Friend That He Is Innocent of Crime. Two Men Who Were Sustbcted Have Alibis— Wounded Woman Is Improving. By the arrest late last night of Frank Almberg, a former soldier, the police be- leve they have the man who attempted to murder Annie Andeson, the domestic who was shot on Ashbury street, near | Hayes, on Sunday night. Almberg was taken into custody shortly before midnight by Police Officer Nelson and locked up in the tanks. The greatest secrecy was maintained r Nelson was accompanied by Detective Reynolds, who warned him to say anything about the matter under the penalty of losing his star. Since*the shooting Nelson, who speaks not | the Swedish language, has had several in- terviews with the wounded servant girl expecting that she would be able to shed some light on the mysterious case. Whether or not she mentioned Alm- berg’s name to him in conection with the shooting Nelson refuses to say. It Is known, however, that when he made his répert to Captain Seymour early last evening the head of the detective bureau ordered him to arrest the ex-soldier. When taken into custody Almberg, after being told that he was suspected of | being the man who shot Miss Anderson, indignantly denied that he even knew | her. “This is all a mistake,” he declared, when Nelson slipped the handcuffs on his wrists. ‘““You'll be sorry you ever ar- rested me.' On the way to the Hall of Justice Alm- berg inquired particularly about Miss An- derson’'s condition and asked to be taken before her to-see whether or not she could identify him. “She never saw me,” he declared with emphasis. “T'll wager my life that she will so tell you.” After being taken to the City Prison Almberg asked permission to send for a friend, which request was denied. He said that the friend was with him on the night that Miss Anderson was shot, and, according to his claim, he would prove that he was not in any way connected with the shodting. Who the friend is he refused to say, except that he was also a former soldler. At 1 o'clock this morning the located Altberg's room. They overcoat and a dark suit of clothes, which as belonging to the The man who shot Miss Anderson nd potice found an To-day the conductor on, the McAllister street car, who says that a man answer- ing the description of the shooter boarded his car shortly after the unfortunate wo- man was wounded, will be asked to iden- tify Ajmberg. His description of the mysterious pas- senger tallles exactly with that of the man under arrest. Antoine Anderson, whose name was mentioned In some of theé letters found in the room of *Annie Anderson, reported early yesterday mornimg to Captain of Detectjves Seymour. The police tened to and verified later the statements that he made. Conrad Oleson, the wounded girl's hali- brother, and Anderson disagreed at one time. Anderson was an occasional caller on the woman who was shot, but the po- lice have so far found nothing that would lead to the assumption that he had any- thing to do with the shooting. Anderson stated that on the night of the shooting he went into the saloon om the northeast corner of Clementina anrd Second streets, took a drink and versed for a few minutes, returning to his room about 9:45 o'clock, He ascribes tne connection of his name with the case to the unfounded suspicions of Annie derson’s relations. Alfred Gustafsen, con- whose name is also | mentioned in connection with_ the shoot- ing, !s a seafaring man, employed on the City of Puebla. He will return to the ity on Friday, the steamer on which he s employed being engaged on the Vic- torfa run. Louise Meyer, Miss Anderson’s friend, still refuses to make a statement. The people .by whom she is employed would not allow her to be seen by newspaper men yesterday. The excuse was made at the house that she was out. The po- Hce think that she knows more about the matter than she has yet disclosed. Under the careful ministrations of the physicians attached to the Central Emer- gency Hospital Annie Anderson continues to improve. - As soon as ‘she is able to stand the ordeal she will be closely ques- tioned by the detectives. Her stories, as so far related, do not seem to bear t impress of truth, _ -