The morning call., 1892-06-16
Was THERE A THIRD?
Questions and Clews That Are
Puzzling the Police.
Apparently but Little Roadway Being Made
Toward Securing the Oakland Train
Robbers.

spoke and coterie of newspaper reporters
who listened.
In view of the fact that the Chief and
Captain Lees had just concluded very Sc
cret and very lengthy consultation. at the
conclusion Of which various secret orders
were given to different detectives, the
listeners were not prepared to accept Chief
TOmpkins' statement with the seriousness
with which 1t was apparently made.
There are not lacking indications bearing
out the belief that the police are very &C
lively engaged following an entirely new
lead. Indications pointing to the direction
OF this lead are. however, sadly lacking.
To all inquiries the Chief keeps saying:
Nothing; nothing at all" Yet be keeps
working, consulting and directing. His men
keep reporting, and the unusual police ac-
tlvity remains undated
Late last evening, In an interview with
CALL reporter. Chief Tompkns did admit
that certain clews were being followed and
that certain persons were under police sur
veiliance, but here his conmunicatlyeness
ended.
An old San Jose detective put in an APP
pearance yesterday afternoon and after con-
sultation with the Chief was formally en-
listed in the small army OF searchers now
securing the country for the robbers aud
their booty. He had clew Of his own con-
ception to follow, he said, and was quite
sanguine that il would lead him to success.
lie WAS very particular about the reward
aud was only satisfied after Chief Temp
kins had repeatedly assured him that the
reward was sure aud safe and would to
certainty be paid TO the person who should
run the robbers and treasure to earth.
There is a growing belief that the robbers
have escaped 10 San Francisco and last
evening, upon his return from Oakland,
Captain Lees put several extra men 10
work on this end Of the case.
"a great many clews have been brought
to us within the past few days" said Cap
tain Lees, "but though we have run them
all down thoroughly, they have come to
nothing Almost every hour some one
comes in TO tell US what he thinks he knows
about the robbers or their whereabouts.
We mean to follow every cew given, though
many OF them are wild enough"
In Oakland there is still great deal OF
public interest manifested in the case. and
more than ordinary vigilance of the police
will probably keep this interest alive for
some time yet, though there are no new de-
VelOpments.
Detectives Shorey and Holland followed
an interesting elew yesterday that may
eventually prove Of much service in unray-
cling the mystery.
Mr. Lewis, Broadway pawnbroker, had
had rather a peculiar business transaction
with two men few days ago. Decoration
day, at o'clock in the afternoon, two young
men came into his place and purchased a
Smith & WeSson and Colts revolver One
of the men wore light mustache and both
appeared to have abstained from the luxury
Of q shave for an undue period.
Twenty dollars was the price OF the re-
yolyers, but only Part Of this sum was paid
in cash. The other part was made up in
the exchange of two tin covered trunks.
a slsnw- zfv.rv - v~
and would have need Of the weapons. One
of them handled his revolver with great
dexterity, SAYS Mr.. Lewis, as though he
were no stranger to the method OF getting
the drop" on man.
When the exchange had been agreed upon
the pawnbrOker hired an expressman to 20
after the trunks.
Expressman Eyers, who hauled the trunks
from Il house on the north side of Thir-
teenth street east OF Wood, tells his story Of
the occurrence as follows:
when Mr.. Lewis hired me TO go after
couple Of trunks, he pointed out young
man who, he said, would tell me where to
go. The young man was about 10 give me
the address, when he changed his mind and
concluded to ride with me. lie wore soft,
black bat, dark-coloTed flannel shirt and
hadn't been shaved for several days. His
clothes were dark.
"As we rode along he told me that he had
traded the trunks for two revolyers. He
and two others were going out in the mines
where guns were needed more than trunks.
IL was a one and half story house. We
went upstairs where the rooms were empty
and got the trunks. ! saw woman down.
stairs but did not get a good look at her.
We put the trunks In the wagon and the
young man rode back with me- He told me
he had paid Sl2 90 for one of the trunks,
that lie had just come from the East and
that he would remain in town for week or
two before going mining"
Inquiry at the house in question de-
veIoped that the trunks were supposed to
belong 10 a man named Fox. who had lived
there a few weeks. About 10 days ago he
moved. telling the landlady that he was
going TO San Francisco.
The landlady's story does not tally with
the eXpressman's. She says the latter came
there alone AMI told her he had been sent
for two trunks She supposed he had come
for FoX's trunks and told him where 10 get
them.
Detectives Shorey and Holland are still
working on this elew Chief Tompkins
thinks 1t is good one, and means TO have it
followed to the end
Moreover. Superintendent WAGNER says
ne was at the foundry all that day, but that
he did not see ellison there, and is quite
certain that he was not there.
The thiTd-man theory Is growing, and not
a few are ready almost TO wager that the
whole job was engineered by none other
than that prince Of highwaymen, 'Dink"
Wilson.
The fact is being pointed out that the ter
ritory operated in by the robbers on Satur-
day is but mile distant from the Log Cabin
Bakery and the electric power house, which
were so successfully operated by the Hedg-
peth gang. No man knows the lay If The
land Ia that vicinity better than "Dink"
Wilson, and the job itself was as skilllully
done aud as audacious as Wilson's best
work.
Wilson, too, talles In description with
the "third man" seen in the buggy by Fred
Adams. There may be something In this
theory. At all events the police are pom