The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-09-22
"ALICE HAS GONE"
What DR.. West Said to
Annie StaIey.
THE GIRLS CONFESSION.
An Important Link to the Chain
of Evidence.
HEAD POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED.
DR.. West Is Charged With Murder,
and Gives an Attorney Munifi-
cent Retainer.
HEAD POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED.

An important link in the chain of evil
dence that the police have forged around
DR.. Eugene F. West of 1872 Turk Street tor
the murder Of Ada Regent Gilmour. the
CoIusa milliner, was added yesterday
afternoon.
Chief Crowley was satisfied that Annie
Staley, the girl who is engaged to be mar
red to the doctor, knew all about Miss
Gilmour's fate. Her defiant attitude when
brought before him and in:errogated on
Wednesday afternoon only strengthened
the Chiefs belief. and he felt convinced
that when she came TO fully realize the
gravity of her position she would be in a
more plant mood
Yesterday morning she was visited in
the City Prison hospital by j. \. E. Viii
son, the well-known criminal lawyer. who
has been retained to conduct DR.. Vests
defense. He instructed her to maintain a
discreet silence, assuring her that upon
such a course depended her own safety
and that Of her affiaDced, the doctor.
It was thought that this interview with
the attorney would prOlong the time when
she would see that ii was to her advantage
TO make clean breast of what she knew.
But it came much sooner than was ex-
pected.
Early yesterday afternoon Detective
Bohen, who, with Detective Ross Whit
taker. is still working on the case, paid a
visit to Miss Staley in the hospital After
talking with her for some time she made
a confession or rather statement winch has
afforded the utmost qualification TO Chief
Crowley, as it confirms his suspicion re-
garding her knowledge of the fate of the
unfortunate milliner from COluSa.
1t will be remembered that Miss Gimour
disappeared from her room al the Elmer
House on September 2. leaving no trace
whatever behind her. Miss Staley's state
ment removes any doubt as to where she
went that day. The girl went to Dr..
Vests surgery on Turk street to meet
an untimely death.
Miss StaIey acted in the capacity of a
nurse for DR.. Vests patients and her
statement to Detective Bohen and another
witness is in effect as follows:
ION Saturday, September 9 when
called at DR.. Vests surgery or Turk
street as usual. l saw a girl lying on the
lounge in the back room. which was used
by the doctor as a consultation and Oper-
ating room. She had apparently Just I'M
deTgOne an operation.
81 observed that the girl was brunette,
and | particularly noticed that she had a
depression in the forehead, just above the
bridge of the nose.
81 saw her there every day from Sep
TENDER to the following Friday. l used
TO comb out her hair every morning and
help her in making her toilet.
''She was a very pleasant talker. and
taught me how to do crochet work.
II asked her what her name was and
where she came from, but all | could get
out of her was that Der name was Alice
and that she was milliner.
while she was there her trunk was
brought to the doctors surgery, and |
used TO take from II clean underwear and
other things.
when | called at the surgery on Satur-
day. the 9th. the girl rad disappeared.
asked the doctor Where is Alice?' and he
said. Alice has gone.' l naturally thought
she had gone with her friends. The doc
tor told me TO go away, as he wan ted t.
thoroughly fumigate the place, and did
not return for four hours.
About two DAYS afterward the girls
trunk also disappeared.
Nothing more was said between us
about Alice till the fact OF head being
found in the water off Sausalito was re.
ported in the papers.
''Woman-like l had been wondering as
TO the sudden disappearance of Alice, and
l asked him if the head could belong 10
her. He told me that l should not talk
about such things and to hold my tongue. -
Not only does this statement account for
Miss Gilmour'S whereabouts from the
time she disappeared from the Elmer
House on September 2 till her death, but
1le ~fof,, . a
for her trunk and where it was taken. The
prebab ility is that the girls letters also
found their way into DR.. Vests hands and
have also been destroyed by him so that
their discriminating contents might not be
used against him.
AS Chief Crowley had obtained what he
desired, he gave instructions to release
Miss Staley from custody.
Detective Bohen again went downstairs
to the City Prison Hospital.
WELL" remarked Miss Staley, raising
her head slightly and with show Of in
difference.
The officer conveyed the welcome news
that she might dress for the street and &c
home.
No emotion was shown at this announce
ment. She only said good-by to the ma
tlous biou up oOitlo u HeT D6lOBRlURS III q
bundle and walked out with them under
one arm. The detective accompanied her
to the street, where she left him quite as
pleasantly as when she entered.
II have nothing to tell you," she said.
just as she was about to leave the prison.
This is just what expected. You know
Chief Crowley said | would not be long
here. Really | never feared anything be-
xNoo 9TH
Detective Bohen regarded the dismissal
as matter of course.
I'VE bad nothing against the woman. -
said he, ''Oniy in cases of this kind it is q
good thing to have all the accused's friends