The morning call., 1893-03-14

Touhill was a singularly handsome young
fellow, his features being Of the Grecian
type and he always dressed in perfect taste.
He was looked upon as one oil the Dess-
dressed men on Market street and was one
OF the coterie of youths who delighted in
showing off their fine points In front OF the
Baldwin.
Two years ago he Quit work and since
that time il has now been discovered that
he had been connected with some of the
most daring burgiarles in the city and
suburbs, aSsoeating with well-known East
ern crooks.
Tie marvel is that young man, well
| connected. well educated and an expert at
his trade. and with the best of home intiu-
enceS, could descend to lie OF crime and
an association with burglars and murderers
And this IS all the more astounding from
the fact that jhe had been paying MS ad-
dresses to young lady Of excellent family
TO whom he was shortly to be married.
Captain Lees had been suspicious OF him
for some time and for the past six weeks
| ten of the cleverest men on tile force have
been watching his movements and the
movements of his cOnfederates.
When the captain went to Oakland on
| Saturday evening he identified the body OF
| the dead burglar as that of Touhill, but he
| had his own reasons for keeping the ldenul-
! ficati0n for the time being to himself.
On Sunday afternoon he and two OF his
| staff went t0 the residence of TOuhil's
mother on Hyde street. He told Mrs. TOu-
| hill that he had information there was some
| stuff hidden in the house and he would have
to search for 1t,
He went upstairs with one of his men and
made his way to the attic Close down to
/ the caves in the front part of the attic he
found two gripsacks, and on opening them
he was gratifed to find six of the nine seal
skin cloaks which were taken from the
store Of Lachman & Steinfes, 129 Mont
GOmery street, on the night Of February 2S
last
In box he found a large quantity of fine
silk underwear and other fancy goods, the
proceeds of the burglary at Joseph ROsen-
berg's store, 30 Gaary street. on February s
last and at w. e. Hayes store, 1903 Polk
street.
In the bottom OF the box was an envelope
Mr. j. H. TeoghpH.
Personal.
Personal
Inside the envelope were certificates of
$50 shares of the California Electric Light
Company, indOrse1 and negotiable.
The stock belonged to ex-Sheriff W. Nc
Mann. and the captain had an explanation
OF burglary that had bothered him for over
two years.
On the night of January 81. 1890, Mr.. Nc
Mann'S office in his coalyard. corner of Pa
citic and Washington streets. was burglar
ICED. The safe was busted" and S205 in
gold coin and the certificates uf shares
stolen.
1t is thought that this was the first burg
larry in which Touhill was Implicated after
he quit working at the jewelry trade.
Captain Lees also fOupd an unsigned deed
executed by Robert Harold Elliot in favor
of William Allen Sedwick. in which, for
the consideration of S45, 600, he transferred
a piece of land on Ellis aud Taylor streets.
There were also some letters from an
attorney named Jones in connection with
the sale. 1t is supposed that these docu-
| ments belong 10 another burglary not yet
unearthed.
When Captain Lees and his assistant came
down from the attic with the "spoiP and
the family learned what 1t was they were
overwhelmed with grief, and the scene was
most heartrending one.
They had not the remoteSt suspicion that
the idolized son and brother was a criminal
of the most desperate character and a mur-
derer and knew nothing of the articles
found in the attic, which had never been
used for any purpose since the family had
been in the house.
Entrance TO the attic is obtained through
hole in the roof Of n bathhouse on the
under floor. and 1t Is presumed that Touhil
had brought his punder home after the rest
OF the family were asleep and placed it in
the attic.
Besides these burg aries CAPTAIN Lees
states that Touhill had a hand in others.
among them the burglary of kurlhuke IL
Trauer's grocery-s 113S Sutter street.
when the cashbOx was broken open and
robbed of Its contents.
The detective staff have been on the alert
for the burglar who was with Touhill dur
Ing the burglary at Oakland last Saturday
mOrnhg.
Captain Lees knew that one of TouhllPs
associates was a well-known Eastern crook,
Louis b. Matheny While at Oakland on
Saturday evening he ascertained that two
men answering the description of Touhill
and Matheny had been seen on the Oakland
cars on Friday, and one of them was carry
ing gTipsack which evidently contained
their tools. This Information was got from
the conductor of the train, who said he
could Identify the men.
Matheny was located in a cheap lodging
house at l03 Broadway, room g. and yester-
day afternoon Chief Crowley, Captain Lees
aud posse went 10 the house. 1t was sur
rounded by the posse and the Chief and
Captain Lees made their way to room 6.
where they found the man they were look
ing for. lie made no resistance, but quletly
accompanied them TO tho City Prison,
where he was booked for burglary and
murder
Three men were left at the lodging-house
as Matheny had been occupying the room
temporarily with an other man, and the police
wanted to get hold of him also.
Captain Lees says that Matheny comes
from Auburn. Ind, and his father is said TO
be DR.. I. j. Matheny, 26 South Main street,
of that city.
He first came under the notice of the po-
lice here in March, 1889, when he was ar
being pickpocket At that time he was
photographed, but he has not altered much,
the only change being in his muSta che,
which he has shaved off.
Captain Lees in writing TO friend In the
East On March 4, 1890, for particulars about
Matheny and confederate named Eddie
Moran. alias F. w. Othnger. said: "They
were arrested at Los Angeles in September
last with burglars tools in their possession
consisting Of sale drills, braces, clamps.
atR funn in u.aIv h1ah
they had thrown away. The people were
unable to hold them, as they could not
prove they ever had possession of the tools.
They were discharged and went north.
They are Eastern men and have been COM
ing to and going from this city for the past
two years"
Matheny was last seen by his friends
here on December q last, but he was seen
on OFarrell street by detective about six
weeks ago.
Captain Lees is satisfied that Matheny
has had a hand in most of the nurglsries in
the State within the past three or four
wears.
1T has been ascertained that he came
across from Oakland on the first boat Sun
day morning, and yesterday afternoon the
police found lot of wet clothes. which he
is supposed TO have worn at the time of the
burglary on Saturday morning.
lie Is gentlemanly in his depOrtment and
an entertaining cOnversationalist
Matheny was taken to Oakland last night
by the Chief of Police aud an officer. In
tue roam OF friend to whom he had in
trusted the articles the police found n seal
SKIN sacque and boa, and acme handker-
chiefs aEd poeketbooks that had been stolen
from HAYES store. Matheny's friend did
not want to keep the goods. and asked an
acquaintance what he should do with Them
The reply was. Throw them into the bay
This advice was not taken, but another
friend was consulted and he gave informa-
lion oil The matter to Captain Lees.