The morning call., 1893-09-24
VESTS FULL CONFESSION.

VESTS FULL CONFESSION.
The story of DR.. Vests confession has
at last been told In all of its details.
The only two witnesses to the dramatic
scene-Mr. Gilmour. father of the mur-
dered girl, and Mrs. Lee Austin, the
young woman's friend-consented last
night to tell for the first time all that oc-
Cured last Monday night in the dingy lit
tie operating-room of the doctors office, at
132 Turk street. They described every
detail of the terrible interview from the
moment the bereaved father confronted
the doctor and charged him with the mur-
der of his child until the accused man
=. held up his hand to heaven and took SOL
emn oath that he had told the truth and
nothing but the truth. Every word and
every gesture were recalled from the be-
: ginning of the interview until the doctor
:. assisted the weeping and heart-broken IA
ther and fainting friend out of the house
in which the unfortunate Addie Gilmour
breathed her last.
During the recital of the story Mr.. Gil
mour could not restrain his great grief,
and several times, as he recalled, one by
: one, the incidents of that night, he broke
down entirely, and his deep sobs were
ptiful to hear.
The story itself is like chapter from a
tragic romance. and were it not that every
one knows it TO be terrible reality there
is much in it that would be looked upon as
creation of a disOrdered Imagination. 1t
will serve to throw new light on the char
acter of the man who now lies in prison
: cell charged with the commission of an in-
then confessed under the seal OF solemn
j.. oath. The story is best told in Mrs. Aus
tins own words, Mr.. Gimour being pres
ent and cOrrobOratiDg all that she related.
Our first VISIT to the doctors Office, -
she began, was on Thursday night Sep
tember IA. Emma Gilmour. Miss Allen,
my husband and myself went to the house,
and il was agreed that Emma should 60 In
and make inquiries for her sister, as she
was in possession of the letter from Addie
stating that she had gone TO DR.. West for
treatment. Emma went in but returned In
few minutes and told US that the doctor
denied any knowledge of her sister. I felt
instinctively that something was wrong,
but at that time none of US had a sus picion
that the poor glrl was dead. Our only OBJ
ject was to find her and take her back
home. There she could be nursed back to
health by loving hands, and her parents
and her friends would never be troubled
with the knowledge of her one misstep.
But 1t was not to be.
'On Friday night | visited the doctor
again, in company with my husband, and
begged him TO give some information about
the missing girl. On that night he ad-
mitted that Miss Gilmour had gone to him
for treatment, but said that he knew
nothing of her whereabouts. By this time
we were all becoming very much alarmed,
and at the earnest solicitation of Mr. de
Jarnatt and Miss Allen / visited the doc
tors Office again on Saturday night l
attempted tc arouse mis- better nature, and
called upon him to pity the grief OF the old
father and mother if he had spark of
manhood In his nature. He then told me
that Adde had gone to him for treatment
Tor female complaint, but that she had
only been at his office a short time and had
then gone to 80 Turk street. He said.
however. that il L would return on Sunday
night he might be able to tell me more
about her.
Il went back ON Sunday night" con-
tinued Mrs. Austin, land was introduced
by DR.. West to Miss Howard. This
young woman told me the story of how
she had seen Miss Gilmour on the Oakland
boat, and her surmises as to Adde'S prob
able suicide L was now thoroughly con-
vlnced that there had been foul play. NV
husband shared my suspicious, and when
Mr. GilmOur arrived from Colusa on Mon
day morning we told him all that had been
done. He insisted that another visit
should be paidto DR.. West, and prevailed
upon me 10 accompany him.
When we arrived at the DOCTORS office
on Monday night the front room was
crowded with patients waiting, | suppose.
for consultation. Although there were
30 many ahead of me, DR.. West took me
into the middle room. where the operat
ing-chair is, and asked me what wanted.
/ asked him if he was willing to see the
father of Addie Gilmour and give him
some news OF his missing daughter. He
seemed very much agitated. but denied
F.. that be bad anything to tell. l attempted
TO work upon his better nature, and used
every argument in my power to induce
him to see Mr.. Gilmour. He finally con-
sented. though reluctantly, and Mr.. Gill
mour was shown into the room"
At this point the thread OF the story was
taken up by Mr.. Gilmour and, save for the
interruptions caused by the old mans
grief, the dramatic incidents of the sue
ceeding scene were rela led by him.
"When l asked him for news Of my
child" said Mr.. Gilmour. 'he told me he
had nothing to tell. endeavored to per-