The herald., 1894-03-24
DESPERATE FREDERICKS.
The CrOwning Act of His
Career of Crime.
He Murders a San Francisco
Bank Cashier.
The Foul Deed Prefaced by Written
Demand for Money.
Being Refused He Shot tho Cashier
Through tho Heart, and Was
Himself Wounded Pursued
and Captured.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
SAN Francisco, March ga man
went into the branch bank Of the San
Francisco Savings Union, which is situ-
ated at the corner of Market and Polk
streets, about $3.50 O'Clock this morning.
He presented written demand for
money to Cashier William A. Herrick.
The demand was refused, whereupon
the desperate murdered the cashier and
fed, but was captured few blocks
away. The note presented to the muir
dered cashier reads az follows:
Mr.. Cashier.
SIR:-After considering my deplorable
condition, am convinced that this life
ia not worth living without liberal
means, and therefore l am resolved to
make more ons effort to sell-help, to
sustain my miserable existence. Should
you not comply with my demand, l am
compelled to employ my last remedy,
bottle Of nitro-glycerine, and to bury
myself under the ruins Of this building,
blasted to everlasting nothingness.
Yours respectfully,
A DEsPoNDENT MAN.
This note was penned in red ink and
at the bottom was rudely sketched
skull and cross bones.
After glancing at the docume Mt the
cashier returned it to the man with
skake Of the head. The man quickly
drew 6 revolver and fred, but his al M
was bad. Herrick seized his pistol,
which lay beside his desk. The cashier
and desperate fred at each other almost
simultaneously. The former missed,
but the lRtter's second shot found ia
mark, the bullet passing into Herrick's
heart As the murderer turned to hee,
Bookkeeper Melvin drew a pistol and
sent number OF bullets after him, two
of which it was atteSward discovered
took effect.
The assassin was pursued from the
scene by large crowd Of people, among
which was q quartette of police officers.
The fugitive jumped into q wagon and
drove up blind alley, but he WAS go
hotly pursued that he WAS forced to
abandon this method OF eecape and
lump over fence into vacant yard,
"IYlo 10 ""s vaptured
saiibsr ptISfoRisE,l RiElapbTt bsTt fln OF caftfidkes
and dirk knife, razor and fuse. such
as is used to ignite dynamite.
He was taken to the city prison. He
gave his name as Fred Bonnement, and
said he came here from Denver
last week. He had been seriously
wounded by Melvin's bullets, one strik-
ing his temple near the eye, the other
lodging in his left shoulder. 1t was not
long before the police recognized in their
prisoner a desperate criminal, for whom
the authorities throughout the state
have been searching for some time. He
proves to be none other than the noto
rious Fredericks, an ex-convict, who was
at one time confederate of the bandit
Chris Evans.
He killed Sheriff Pascoe of Nevada
county, He subsequently killed South
ern Pacific Brakeman Benjamin Bruce,
and is the man who supplied the arms
tc George eontag and his com mpanions at
the time they made their futile attempt
to escape from prison. Fredericks' last
victim, Cashier Herrick, was 35 years of
age. He resided in Oakland.
The murderer, when accused by the
police of being William Fredericks, ad-
mitted his identity, saying that he knew
it was only question OF a short time
when it would be discovered.
The prisoner is slightly built man
about % years of age.
II had been planning that raid for
two years." he said. II wanted money
and that was the only way l knew to
get it. l looked about among all the
banks and selected the one on Market
street because it was less guarded than
any of the others. knew that only two
men worked there. When l went into
tine place had bottle in one hand and
was smoking Cigarette. l handed a
note to the cashier and told him that
unless he did as 1 ordered | would blow
up the bank, at the same time showing
him the bottle to which fuse was at
tached. told him the bottle
contained nitro-glycerine, but there
was nothing il it except alcohol.
He read the letter and went over
to drawer. Instead Of giving me the
$4,000 that l told him in the note
wanted, he commenced shooting at me.
One shot hit me in the right eye and
another in the side. | fred at him then
in order to save my own life. l aimed
at the hand in which he held the pistol.
The first time that | pulled the trigger,
the cartridge did not explode. cannot
remember how many shots were fred.
Then ran up Market street, through
some alleys and hid under house. |
was unable to move, l was 80 tired,
DoStNon any pyo "an UuIuluk Auu my bluo
hurt"
Although he Processes to feel great
pain, Fredericko is not badly hurt, His
eye is cut by splntered glass and the
bullet which struck him in the breast
did not enter the flesh.
Fredericks denies that he ia
the man who killed Sheriff Pascoe OF
Nevada county, and also Benjamin j.
Bruce, the Central Pacific brakeman.
He admits that he furnished the
arms end assisted George Sontag to
break jail at Folsom prison.
II would not have shot at the cashier
if he had not been 30 bull-headed and
fired at me, continued Fredericks. II
had intended carrying the whole thing
through so quietly that there would
have been no pursuit. After l got the
money l expected to make the cashier
and his assistant 60 iato their yault,