The morning call., 1892-07-04
THAT TRAGIC FORGERY.
Pitchers Widow and Daughter
Watch Beside His Body.
An Inquest to Be Held To-Day-Wells Still
Maintains His Innocence Oracle Gil.
bert Grows Hysterical.

Very sad, indeed, was the scene in the
upper room of the Morgue yesterday. Sit
ting beside the remains of William j. Pill
cher were his weeping widow and daughter.
1t mattered not TO them that he had been
the leader OF the daring trio who, on Sep
tember 10, 1890. drew $1,000 in gold from
Thomas Crane by forging the signature of
Miss Emma l.. Dick TO a mortgage upon
her property at Ellis and Franklin streets.
Nor did they think of the tragic manner In
which his life ebbed away Saturday when
confronted in the Office Of the Chief of
Police by Oracle Gilbert and James E.
Wells, the other cOnspirators in one Of the
most daring frauds ever committed in Call
fornia. No matter what his business life
had been, the weeping women could only
remember that he had been a kind husband
and atfectionate father.
LOOKING FOR POISON.
While the women we're bemoaning the
fate of Pitcher a chemical analysis Of his
stomach was being made by Dr.. Il. Z. Will
lams. Did he die from POISON or natural
causes? That was the question Police Sur
geon Somers and Captain Lees discussed
for some time in the Receiving Hospital
Dr. SOmers was Of the opinion that if
Pitcher had taken poison it was either
hydrocy yanic acid or cyanide of potassium.
Death usually results from either in a period
OF from one to forty minutes. 1t is a fact
that Pitcher died just 90 minutes after arrest
and 10 minutes alter arriving at the chiefs
Office.
while 1t Is true" said Captain Lees.
that Pitcher told his wife that be would
never again be imprisoned, he had no warn
ing that be was to be arrested in connection
with The Dick forgery until brought in yes
terday. Some three months ago / ques-
toned him about his connection with
spurious coin swindle conducted by one
Sanchez and another Spaniard. 1t seems
that he had introduced intended dupes to
Sanchez, bu. otherwise he could not be
definitely connected with the scheme.
NOT KEEPING STRAIGHT
while talking to him about this matter
told him that / was satisfied that he was
not keeping bis promise to lead straight
life, ana that he had not told me the truth
OF his connection with the Dick forgery. 1t
may be that be became suspicous from these
remarks and prepared to kill himself If ar
rested While l don't like TO talk about the
dead. l believe that it was impossible for a
man like Pitcher to keep in the night path.
Il am now convinced that Pitcher had
completed the note he started to write to
his wife when l lett my desk and went out
side moment. / now remember that
gave him blOtting-pad 10 write upon, and
after penciling 3. F., Dear Little Wife
Will he closed the blotter and moved his
chair back from the desk. 1t was then
that the Chief and Detective Bee heard him
cough. saw him froth at the mouth and fall
unconscious. l can scarcely believe that he
committed suicide. yet the autopsy held
last night showed all the organs to be in a
healthy state"
A yoluminous complaint charging Wells
and Oracle Gilbert with forgery was being
prepared by the Police Department yester-
day. 1t will probably be flied to-day, when
the surviving cOnSpirators will be booked.
THE INQUEST TO-DAY.
Coroner Garwood decided to hold the in-
quest on Pitchers body at 10 80 o'clock this
morning, IL the chemical analysis of the
stomach were completed by that time.
Wells was visited in the tanks" by
relatives, officers, attorneys and reporters
To the latter he repeated his story that he
had no criminal intent in negotiating the
loan for the woman he supposed To be Miss
Dick, and that Pitcher had nothing to do
with the matter. He admitted that he had
been twice arrested for selling lands In the
disputed Ell SObrante district. He would
have talked further upon this subject, but
his attorney. ex-Judge Lawler, entered and
advised him to say nothing more.
ION, CAPTAIN! WHY DID your"
Ollie Hutchins, or Oracle Gilbert, as she has
been know since she married the superin-
tendent of a sawmill at South Bend, Wash,
was visited in the City Prison Hospital only
by detectives and news-Gatherers. She is
evidently prepared for long stay, for her
trunk was carried in early in the morning
As to the forgery which she committed at
the insttgaton of Pitcher and Wells she
had no additional details toimpart. or her
early life she was reticent She told about
her wanderiUgs through the State of WASH
ingt0n until she met and married Gilbert
both settling down at South Bend to lead
straightforward lives and to forget the past
She could not understand why her maiden
name and her past career bad been men
TONED in connection with her arrest for for
gerry While she was complaining If this
Captain Lees entered the hospital. Throw
Ing her arms around his neck she eX-
claimed: "Oh, captaini why did you let
them know? l was trying 50 hard to forget
the past and lead an honest life"
The head OF the detective force had hard
work to convince the excited woman that
he WAS not responsible for the stories pub
lished.
POISONED HIMSELF.
An analysis of the contents OF Pitchers
stomach was made yesterday by DR.. Will
tams, who found that it contained a sufi-
cieDt quantity of the deadly compound
cyancide of potassium to cause death Thus
the theory that the forger died of apoplexy
or heart disease is exploded. An inquest
will be held at II o'clock this morning.