New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-24
MURDER OF A CASHIER.
SHOT DOWN AT HIS DESK BY DEsPER-
ATE CRIMINAL.
SAN FRANCISCO AGAIN STARTLED BY BOLD
CRIME-THE MURDERER CAUGHT-A "DYNA-
MITE BOMB" SCHEME THAT DID


by TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE
San Francisco, March 23-No crime committed
in San Francisco since the old stock gambler
Kinney shot down the millionaire John W. Mac
kay has created 90 much excitement as the
cruel murder to-day OF William Herrick, bank
cashier. Of the uptown branch Of the San Fran
cisco Savings Union. The man who killed Her
rick gave his name Bonnemant but elaborate
tattooing on his arms and breast led to MS
identification as William Fredercks a notorious
ex-convict for whom large reward has Deen
offered for nearly n year for shooting a brake
man. Bruce of the Southern Pacific Railroad last
June and also for killing Sheriff Pascoe, OF
Nevada County who was pursuing him. FRED
erlcks l.; also accused Of being an associate OF
Chris Evans. the train robber. and 1t is known
that he furnished the arms with which George
sontag made his desperate break from Folsom
Prison last sprlg. Fredercks had evidently
carefully planned his attack on the bank select
Ing an hour when he knew that only the cashier
and bookkccper were present. He counted on
rettinr about $4,000 which was in the trays. but
he didn't reckon on the determined resistance
made bv the cashier. who had pistol in ms
drawer nor on the presence OF nina OF the pooN-
keeper Melvin. who pursued him AS II was he
came near escaping as no policemen were i'll t"e
vicinity and the fugitive intimidated passers-Dy
with his big pistols.
The bookkeeper Is unable To give exact details OF
the shooting but Frederickss sstory seemed athrst'
plausible lie talked freely this afternoon ana
was perfectly cool and self-possessed lie saiu
that no nrenored 4 bottle Of alcohol with fuse
80 that +, looked exactly hk" small dyhar"'c
bo,ob This he slapped down on the counter
In front OF Herrick with a letter written III
red ink. demanding money He intended the
luM'
y there was trouble but before he could turn
Uerrick grabbed his pistol and fired straight at
him. Frcdcricks says he felt something hit hm
I'm the eye ana then he became ''ratted ana
opened fire. hitting Herrick at the hrst s"o'
He EXPRESSED no contrttion for the act
Fredercks IL a gOod-ooking young German o'
more than ordinary intelligence re VII W.
German correctly. but his English Is deiecllN';
He has had Il good education. ana mas r'du
much He has no less than sixteen hgure5 tt,-
toocd in india ink on his arms ana breast ana II
is to his fondness for these sailor decorations
that he owes his i1cntihcation When HiS'
caught IL was thought he was some treshly ar
rived Anarchist. AZ his papers c"ntalheu man nan
Anarchist documents, and ne nad 'hrea,'"eu .ne
ca ehier to blow up the bank WIN MIRO
glycerine As soon as ne was Identified. II was
seen at once that he had simply been dapolne
in this dynamite literature as CLOAK 10 MS
real plans. as hc had burglar tools In MS pos
session. lie had shown repeatedly tnat ne Is
desperate man. who would commit murder with
ont ana
ample proof of this. Herrick was popular ana
the indignation aroused by his murder led To
the gathering of 50 large crowd ABOUT tne
city Hall and ~ such strong threats 81 lynch
INK that the prisoner VIII probably De remover
L. the County jail for safety.
Frederrks Il seems. entered the branch bank
| OF the san Francisco Savings Union about 9'1o
o'clock this morning and presented 10 Her1ck:
the cashier the note demanding money ana
/ threatening to blow up the building with nitro
glycerine in the event ~ a refusal. Mr.. Herrlck
oil no q EreleriC<g a
when the latter suddenly drew revolver Hcrrick
also quickly secured revolver which was close at
hand and fred simultaneously with IN" visitor
but tho shot went wide Of It's marx. freicfl'kSH
shot struck the cashier just above tn" heart
killing him instantly. G S Melvin. the book
kcaucr. AT this stage 81 the proceedings took
shot at and slightly wounded the ASSASSIN. VINO
fled followed by crowd. loudly threatening 10
lynch him. After exciting chase Fredericks
was captured. search ~ his clothes brought
t. light a number or articles indicating An
archistIc propensities. Among them We're some
recipes for making high explosives. piece OF
fuse such as Is used - set of dynamite. TWO
revolvers a dirk knife and n burglars small steel
saw. Mr.. Hcrrick. the vot tim. Is thir,y-three '
years old and has been connected with the bank
seventeen years. Fredericks is about thrty-lve'
and says he came from Denver.
on a slip ~ paper in Fredericks's possession.
the murderer had u -. Brighton marked Tor
deatf Brighton was the man VINO turned
Chris Evans over To the oiiicldiS the last une
Evans was arrested
investigation shows that Fredericks. who is an
expert pistol shot had pinned To XIII both men
I'm the bank and then escape with the coin In the
trays When he presented the letter 10 the
cashier. and the latter threw 1t back Fred
ericks pulled his revolver and cried; stand
backr' At the same moment ne pulled
the trigger The cap snapped, which gave
Uerrck time to get his pistol Fredericks had
an extra cap and extra oyercoat 80 dnat Inc Inc
police assume that his plan was to change his
derby hat for the cap, slip off his oVercOat and
thus changed, TO escape easily