The herald., 1894-12-12
The Tejunga Rancher Tells How
Both Robberies Were
Planned.
HE WILL PLEAD GUILTY
There Wore Only Two Robbsrs-Ovsr
$500 OF the Stolen Money Was
Recovered Last
Night.

Alvs johnson mas confessed. Il his
statements are true he and kid"
Thompson are guilty of trainrobbery,
and today in the superior court johnson
will, in all Likelihood. enter . plea OF
guilty.
The sensational confession WAS made
bv johnson in the Office OF the district
attorney at 8 O'Clock yesterday after
noon. There were present District At
torney Dillon, one or two deputies and
Detectives A. B. Lawson and Will
Smith of the Southern Pacific Railway
company.
The confession il said to have been
brought about through the family and
relatives of the accused from the Little
Tejunga csfion, upon whom the detec-
tiyes worked night and day in their
pIsadings for them to persuade johnson
TO confess to both robberies at Roscoe.
The family OF the condemned man, in
the hope Of saving him from the gallows.
persuaded him to admit to having ae'
sisted in holding up the train on two
occasions, and today he will be called
upon to repeat bis assertions Of guilt.
The rotations and persuasion which
caused johnson to yield have been un-
der way several weeks, but the accused
train wrecker and robber had steadily
refused to commit himself until yester-
day. He had been led to believe that
the officers already had enough evil
dencs to convict, and conviction meant
death.
Forced to make the awful admission
Of guilt, he left NO detail untold. He
went over the whole crime, embracing
both train robberies ct Roscoe, and as
he slowly and brokenly uttered his
words and sentences his whole body
shook a. If by fear. He glanced aim
lessly around the room. and anon cast
ing his exprsssionless eyes upon the
stenographer's book as one by one the
words Of guilt fell from his lips.
Johnson has not been cheerful for
weeks on account of the strain which
he wss undergoing. He became more
nervous than ever when he was called
from his cell in the county Jail yester-
day, preparatory to giving his version Of
the robberies. His long struggling hair,
reddish beard and languid eyes be-
tokensd Q prisoner OF years' confine-
ment, and il Was easily seen that worry
over his fate has changed his whole ap-
pearance in 20 short time.
It Was nearly 8 O'Clock when District
Attorney Dillon sent word 20 Under
Sheriff Swan to allow Detective Will
Smith to escort johnson to the attor-
ney's Office. The Tejunga rancher
looked more woe begone than ever when
be left his cell and walked falteringly to
the court house.
johnson was asked question after
question. and for nearly an hour he sat
and told the story of the crimee; of
how both robberies were planned and
carried out; how, in the first robbery,
Thompson rode on the train and at Ros-
coe climbed over the tender, covered
the engineer and stopped the train: q
bomb burst the door Of the express car
the robbers entered, but got little
money. That was the Oath Of Decem-
Der. On the night OF February 18th
last the second robbery was perpetrated.
johnson claims there were only two
no one heretofore has ever thought that
robbery the train was tagged.
and the train ran into an open
switch, wrecking the engine and
several cars. Pinioned between and
under the wrecked and smashed loco
motive were Fireman Masters and
August Daily, both of this city. Both
were killed. Several thousand dollars
we're secured from the express cars.
about $1,000 OF which was in Mexican
dollars.
AfteE the second rob bbery. Kid Thomp-
son went to Arizona. johnson soon
afterward shipped half of the coin to
him at Phoenix. johnson cached his
share of the Doodle Oh his ranch, where
Detectives Lawson and Smith dug it up
last night. They found 1854.
In Johnson's confession he admits
nearly all of Charles Etzler's statements
of the robbery. 1t will be remembered
that Etzler gave the whole story away,
having got the facts of the robbery from
Thompson, who talked too much for his
own good. The arrests followed.
Soon after Johnson ended his inter-
view with the district attorney and the
detectives he was again takeh to Jail,
where reporter for the HERALD saw him
q few moments afterwards. Attorney
Appel. who has always defended john
son. had the first audience with the seli-
confessed murderer, and more than
likely approved of the course taken by
his client. Appel, however. seemed dis
turbed because he was refused admit
tance to the room where the confession
was being made.
About the first thing johnson said
when approached WAS that Appel had
done everything in his power to save
him, though be advised him to make
the plea to which he had just sworn
and subscribed his name.
He said that his lips were sealed
against an open statement, but easily
led the reporter to believe that he had
turned states evidence against Thomp-
SON. By inference it was thought that
johnson swore that he and Thompson
alone committed the robberies. 1t was
easily to be seen that be had been in.
fluenced to confess. He led his inter-
viewer to believe that he told the story
of the crime in detail in the affidavit Of