The San Francisco call., 1895-12-29

IN town was ASSlStanI secretary cullen OF
the Pacific Coast Jockey Club. He had a
sack like the one stolen by the robbers.
but containing about $4,000, the receipts of
the association for that day, counting the
gate receipts and those from the book
makers, who pay $100 for each days
privilege to sell pools.
Cullen carried the sack, and as he is u
particularly careful man and observing he
noticed the drunken Middlemiss and the
kind attention of the policeman.
Right alongside OF Cullen was another
man-big, burly and of determined mien
This man, who is known commonly as
Billy" but whose real name is A. W.
Detwiler, is one of Harry N. Morse's
choice guardians of the commonwealth.
1t has been his duty ever since the
lngleside track opened to escort Mr.. Gull
len and the associations funds safely into
town. This special officer also saw Mid
dIemiss and Officer Stoddard on the car,
and he stated yesterday to CALL reporter
that the car they were on left Ingleside
fully twenty mipuJes before the robbery
occurred.
As to Patrick Welch, the red-mustached
fellow who is still regarded by the police
as the captain of the robbers, it seems to
be well-established fact that he could
not have been in the foul deal.
Tuesday night he rode into town from
the track on the same car as Charles Ste
vens and Frank McLsin. two barkeepers
now employed by Joe Parker of the Bay
District Track. This is tie night before
the robbery took place. Welch was very
much under the influence OF liquor, and
fell from the car, receiving numerous
scratches about the hands and bruises
about the body, which the police regard as
evidence that after escaping with the stolen
money he ran into untold barbed-wire
fences and posts.
The next day Welch was still drinking
heavily and at night, when the robbery
was taking place, Stevens and McLain
again saw WEIGH calmly dreaming off the
fumes of the liquor in a comfortable seat
at the Peoples Palace. Thursday morn
ing and afternoon, twelve hours after the
robbery had been committed, Welch at
tended the reopening of the California
Jockey Clubs races at the Bay District
track He was still under the influence of
liquor. and, as Stevens puts it, ''dead
broke" 1t is not likely that, as treasurer
of a gang of robbers who had captured
nearly $4,000 and who had distracted nearly
$3.50 from the sack before burying it,
he would be around his usual haunts and
asking stabe-boy friends for small loans
to buy more liquor.
As to Fred Gardiner, he Is a simple
minded lad, and his inability to enter into
any scheme where violence is contem-
plated is vouched for by Attorney George
A. Knight and Senator MCGOWAN. Both
these gentlemen know him well. There is
absolutely nothing to connect him with
the robbery, and he explains that the only
reason he and Middlemiss were out on the
beach when they were arrested is that
"Joe," as he calls his friend, was ill after
his debauch and they had taken one of
many like trips under similar conditions,
as "Joe's" only idea of good thing to
sober up on was good breath of cool salt
air.
GARDENERS two sisters from Alameda
learned for the first time yesterday morn
ing of the trouble in which their brother
found himself. They are highly respect
able young women and came over to offer
the lad what consolation they could give.
Secretary Leake, as well as other officers
of the Pacific Coast Jockey Club, is of the
opinion that the real robbers are not in
custody. He stated yesterday that the re-
ward of $1,000 offered by the association for
the capture and conviction of the robbers
still held good.
1t is likely that at the next meeting of
the board it will be decided that the book
makers at the track will hereafter have to
pay their privilege fee in at the secretary's s
Office in the Palace Hotel, instead of at
Ingleside. This has been suggested by
Captain Callundan of Morse's Patrol, who
is in charge of the policing of Ingleside.
This will eliminate big element OF
temptation to commit highway robbery
where custodians of money have little
chance to defend themselves.