The record-union., 1893-12-30
TOM EAGAN Is TIE MAN.
Arrest of the Slayer of Charles
Berg.
lie Denies All knowledge of the Shoot
ing-Hfs Pistol and Cloth
ing Found.

shot so wantonly on Thursday morning,
died yesterday, and the man that did the
shooting is confined in a cell IN the City
Jail.
The latter good result is due to the Wig
ilance and industry of Officer George Ma
ley, who deserves the thanks OF the COM
munity for running down mysterious
murderer so speedily, especially when
there were but two or three persons IN
this city who could recognize him If they
saw him, or who had any idea what he
looked like.
But Maley was confident he knew who
the murderer was, or rather that he could
identify him, and he had several persons
on the lookout for him.
About haIf-past o'clock last night one
of these men met Maley and Special War
ner on K street and told them. he believed
the murderer of Berg had just entered
saloon on the south side of the street, op-
posite the Metropolitan Theater. The of
fcers went there, and Maley saw at
glance that the suspect was the man he
was after, and he and Warner at once
placed him under arrest.
under the influence of liquor, but walked
along all right until near the City Jail,
when he became so very drunk that he
could scarcely walk.
He asked Maley several times what he
wanted with him, and told him that if be
was not an officer he would ''go him
one." He is a powerful man, but the of
fcers managed him so adroitly that he
made no open resistance.
Henry Kemp, the man who was with
Berg when the latter was shot, and who
was also twice shot at, was at the police
station at the time and at once identified
the prisoner as the man who did the
shooting.
The prisoner said his name was Lynch,
but Jailer McManus recognized him as
one Tom Eagan, whom he had known for
many years, first as the driver of a de-
livery wagon in San Francisco, and some
years ago as a stoker in the employ of the
fire department. He was discharged
from the department by Chief Engineer
Sullivan, for getting drunk too fire.
quently.
Chief Rodgers and Captain Simmons
attempted to get statement from the
prisoner, but the latter acted like man
who had been on protracted spree, and
could not or would not give intelligent
answers to questions asked by the Off
GERS. He did, however, deny that he had
been out of his room for several days,
and was cunning enough to insist that his
name was not Eagan.
The prisoner is a young man of good
appearance. He was quite well dressed
when arrested, and officer Maley says
he had completely changed his clothing
since he saw him the night of the shoot
ing. He is a brother of Mrs. George
Rider, and had been left by herself and
husband to look after their rooms at 403
X street (up stairs) during their absence
in San Francisco.
It will be remembered that the shoot
ing took place about o'clock on Thurs
day morning, in front Of the door leading
to Riders rooms. The man who killed
Berg said he roomed up there, and was in
the act of trying to unlock the door,
when he suddenly Strengthened up and
shot at his companions, whom he had in
vited only minute before to accompany
him to his room.
Kemp had close call, but escaped with
a bullet-hole in his hat, while poor Berg
was shot down, and again shot after he
had fallen. The general supposition was
that the murderer had left the city, but it
would seem that he managed to enter the
building and has probably remained in
side until last evening.
The shooting was apparently the act Of
an insane person, and those who were in
the Lafayette Saloon when Eagan was
there, just before the crime was COM
mitted, say he acted in a very eccentric
manner.
Some persons believed that if the man
who shot Berg should be captured he
would try to Justify his act by claiming
that Berg and Kemp had attempted to
rob him, or something OF that sort, but
Eagan denies all knowledge of shooting
at any one. When Kemp said last night
that he was the man who shot at him
Eagan became furious. and would have
jumped upon him had not the officers re-
strained him.
Officer McManus says Eagan was al
ways quiet, peaceable man when sober,
but crazy and violent when in liquor.
The officer was surprised, however, when
he discovered that Eagan was the man
identified as the murderer.
At late hour last night officer Maley
hunted up Police Judge Buckley, and
procuring a search-warrant, went to the
Rider residence and searched the prem
ises, with the result that he found in
Eagan's room the clothing he wore on the
night of the shooting. also 41-caliber
Colts pistol with four cartridges exploded
and two intact.
Captain Simmons and ex-Officer Frank
Rider accompanied Office Maley when
the search was made.
The latter has again shown himself to
be one of the best and most sagacious
officers that ever wore the star of Sac
ramento policeman. He has never been
concerned in any police scandals, and
bears an excellent name. While as gentle
and modest as a blushing maiden. he is
stranger to fear, possesses the strength
of giant and is a terror to the roughs
and toughs.
He was one of the first to reach the
scene Of the shooting just after the fatal
shot was fired, and Immediately returned