The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 1, 1902, Page 1

\()l l \Ih @all s 7Y zrw{/// 4 - CAPTURE MAN AT W ‘aM susplcmn POINTS IN CONNECTION WITH FULLER MURDER T BUYING THE SECOMD HAND ?UKHITUK!‘ EENTING 221) SUTTER STREET MORA MEETS ™ d MUROB R C. A. SEIFERT TRACKED TO HiS HIDING PLACE Taken Into Custody at Esparto, #here He Had Fled to Escape Arrest, and Is Found Concealed in Empty House. A.SEIFERT,onwhose trail the pnlice have been hot for two weeks past as he sought cover from one town to another of the bay counties, was arrested yesterday in Esparto, Yolo County, by Constables Lee and Parker. Detectives # Callundan and Hamill of San Franoisoo, who are in Wood- land, will bring Seifert to San Francisco to-day on the nominal charge of obtaining money under false preteneés, but the real purpose of the police in desiring Seifert's presence in this city i to confront him with those who kriow most'of the..mysilicy of | | 1\ 11 Nora Fuller's disappearance, and to examine into certain unex- | plained transactions that seem Lo connect Seifert with the myste- rious Hawkins and possibly ths tragedy of the vacant house on Sutter street. Seifert is known to have been a friend of Emma Searight, the girl acquaintance of Nora Fuller, and was frequently seen in her company. Employes and guests at the Winchestér House, on Third street, where Seifert lived at the time prior to the disap- | pearance of Nora Fuller, recall that a girl answering the descrip- tion of Nora Fuller was occasionally seen there with hifnand on some occasions visited his room. A medical student named Haw- kins was also among his associates, and the police are waiting the opportunity to compare the handwriting of the man now under arrest with the signatures of Hawking and Bennett. [RAILED FOR WEEKS, Whatever may have been the man’s relations to Nora Fuller and the girls with whom she associated, he has been the one ob- ject toward which the combined efforts of the public and private detectives of San Francisco have been direoted for two weeks past. Chief of Police Wittman gained ‘knowledge of the many suspicious circumstances in which Seifert was involved and his | sudden disappearance from his usual haunts, and at once started | deteotives upon his trail. Fearing that the presence in small | fowns of so many of his detectives would put the fugitive from his | guard, the Chief of Police enlisted the services of Harry Morse's Detective Agency, and the Morse detdctives have followed per- sistently the trail of Seifert as ne passed around the bay, always keeping his identity hidden and pareful to avoid attracting atten- | tion. A dozen times during the ohase the detectives were close upon his heels, only to find in each case that the quarry had es- caped. Seifert reached Davisville by train early yesterday morning and at once took a team and drove to Woodland, There he en- gaged another team and started west, An attorney who at one time had him for a client recognized him, although he had removed his mustache and in other ways sought to escape identification, Seifert was formerly a druggist atWoodiand and he did not tarry there, apparently fearing that he mluhl be recognized any mo- ment, SEIFERT CONCEALS HIMSELF, The Woodland constables were notified that the mud-bespat- tered traveler was the man Seifert, who was wanted by the San Francisco police, and they at once started on his trail. He beat them to Esparto, concealing himse!f there In a vacant house, where he was found after a long search, Detective Callundan of the Morse Agency and Deteotive Hamill cf the looal deteotive foroe arrived in Woodland two hours after Seifert had left with the constables hot on his trall. They had been shadowing him in his mad flight, but he had maintained a good lead on them, When Seifert was searched by the constables a marked alip- ping of a San Francisco newspaper relating to the Stanford House on Sutter street, and the suspicion that Seifert had stopped there under the name of Pearce, was found in his pocket. TELEPHOMES HF man to whom the pol:ce say suspicion strongly points in connection with the foul murder of Iittle Nora Fuller in the Ionely house on Sutrc street is behind prison bars, and the detectives assert that they have abundant evidence to connect him with the awful crime that caused the entlre commumry to gacp with horror at its recltal QEEN TO ENTER FOUMD DEAD ESTATE AGEMNT MIrMING SUSPRCTS S TRONG EVIDENCE SAID TO BE IN POSSESSION OF POLICE CONNECTING SUSPECT WITH NORA FULLER'S DISAPPEAHAIIL‘E Three weeks before the disap- pearance of Nora Fuller Seifert went to Charles Conklin, the ticket broker, and applied for space in the storeroom at 710 Market street to start a perfu- mery stand, Conklin asked as to his financial standing and Seifert explained that he had an account in the Western National Bank in the Flood building, and on this un- derstaidiiig Conklin rented him space in the storeroom, MEETS EMMA SEARIGHT, Shortly afterward Seifert brought Emma Searight, with her father, to Conklin and intreduoed them, He said he had engaged Miss Searight fo tend to the pers fumery counter and the sale of a flea exterminator whioh he In- tended to put on the market. Workmen appeared to put In the fixtures for the new venture and elaborate eleotrio displays were bargained for by Seifert. As the days went by and Seifert seemed no nearer the point of opening the place, although the stock of perfumery was on hand, Conklin and Lester began investi- gations. Conklin found that Seifert had been engaged as an advertising solicitor for the Fairyland Carni- val and had not been careful in turning in his receipts. Conklin also found that a check which Seifert had given him on the Wostern National Bank wa worthless, It being returned wi “no funds” stamped aoross It, The irregularities of Seifert's business ' transactions eame (o the notice of the police fn this connection, but though his whereabouts was then known he was not placed under arrest, FLEES FROM THE CITY. \ Seifert was shut out-of his room at the: Winchester Hotel abotit that time for non-payment of rent, and his effects were held there and are still in the room he occupied. After a short time spent at the Stanford House on Sutter street Seifert left the city { and since then has been a fugl- tive. Two weeks ago the infor- mation came to the police which seemed to connect him with the | - Nora Fuller mystery, agd it is notewdrthy that extraordinary efforts were at once put forth to apprehend the ex-druggist on the charge, nominally, of obtaining money under false pretenses, though if that were the real pur- pose of the chase he could have been arrested at any time during the week that elapsed hetween the discovery of his offense and his flight from the city, Chief of Police Wittman was seen early this morning at his resldence and asked to make a statement of Seifert's supposed connection with the Nora Fuller mystery, but he refused abso- lutely to talk or to say whether Seifert was suspected of any mote serious crime than that of the charge under which he is held. SEIFERT TAKES ALARM. C. A, Seifert is an apothecary by profession and a solicitor by . E IEANOR HAUDE FULLER. "WHO WAS LURED TO DEATH WHIl E SEEKIN(J EMPLOYMENT. 2 Remves © TRgwes BARCHING FOR Som c,l"% MOoORGUE p lPlVoE3°TTI‘::\"$|°N | | | | | e —td occupation. The nominal charge for which Seifert was apprehend- | ed is that of obtaining money un- der false pretenses, but the fncti that the complaint in this case was made months ago, and thc: matter has been partially settled, | indicates that a graver charge| than mere money matters is be- hind the pursuit and arrest of thjs | man, Seifert was formerly a resident | of Wooedland, but has heen liv ing In San Francisco for three menths past. Certain clreum-| stances came to the notice of the | police two weeks ago that| seemned to connect him with the | myaterious erime in the Sutter- street house, and he was shad- owed by detectives, Last Thurs- day Detective Hamill gained en- trance to Seifert's room at the Stanford House on Sutter street atid was examining the lmlpzer 8| effects when Seifert came in. e | disappeared at once, and a search of the city failed: to locate him. | Attention was at once turned| to ‘Woodland, his former hotne, and the officers there were noti- fied to keep a watch for him. Yes- terday morning Seifert arrived in Woodland, as had been an- ticipated. He went to Davisville from San Francisco by an early train and drove over to Wood- land. He had shaved off his mustache and otherwise altered his appearance, but was recog- | nized by an attorney, who neti- | fied the local officers. Word was | telegraphed to San Franeiseo, buit in the meantime Seifert had secured a frash team and started west Fhe loeal officers 100k up the trall and captured him at Es parto, where he had grrived be- fore them and taken refuge in a vacant house. A long search was necessitated before he was dis covered. GET THEIR MAN, Two hours after Seifert left Woodland Detective Hamill and Captain Callundan arrived from San Francisco and took charge of the prisodfer. They had a war- Continued on Page Two.