The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-13
WAS MISLED BY DUNN
Further Developments in the
Case of the Oakland
Boat Suicide.
WAS HER NAME F0RsYTHE
The Man Was In Vallejo Last Night
He Has Quite
Record.

There were new developments YESTERDAY
in the case of the girl who jumped off the
Oakland ferry-boat into the bay, and left
letters behind which showed that she was
in q despairing frame of mind through
having been betrayed by one C. w. Dunn.
All the particulars as far as known con-
duce to place Dunn in a very bad light.
Everything goes to show that Dunn has
made an unenviable record for himself all
along the Pacific Coast in the same role in
which he figures in this case.
The unfortunate victim left a number of
letters, to which she had signed the name
"Nettie Chase"
That was not her name. Her right
name, according to statements made by
number of persons who profess to be
friends of the missing girl, was Mary
Elizabeth Forsythe. They assert that she
was frequently in the company of C. w.
Dunn. whose right name is said to be
Charles Dunning. Miss Forsythe came to
San Francisco from Denver, Colo. about
three years ago. She had met Cumming on
q train bound west between Ogden and
San Francisco and had become intimate
with him. Miss Forsythe, it is said, fol-
lowed no occupation in this city, but it has
been stated that she received an income
every six months-amount not known
and that Dunning benefited by this
money.
The records of the United States Secret
Service Department in this city show that
Charles Dunning. or c. w. Dunn, or
James Brooks, has been in pursuit of queer
business enterprises for some time. On
April /. 1892 he was arrested by United
States Postal Inspector Erwin on a charge
OF unlawfully representing himself as an
officer Of the Postal Service. He was then
going under the names of Dunning, Dunn
and James Brooks and had in his posses
sion a number OF envelopes on which was
printed the address and credentials of
James Brooks, at that time head OF the
Secret Service in Washington. All of
these envelopes had been printed in Oak
land. The law, however, did not reach
Dunn, or Dunning because he did not use
the envelopes to defraud the Government
as in every case he placed the necessary
postage stamps on letters sent out. He
was held in custody for a number OF weeks,
but was subsequently released for want OF
evidence sufficient TO warrant prosecution.
At the time of his arrest Dunning was
sweeper and general roustabout in st.
Mary's College. Oakland.
The following letter, addressed MIR.
Hawkins, Coroner" was received at the
Morgue yesterday morning:
SAN Francisco April u, 1895.
Mr.. HdlCkinS-SIR: Ny intentions were to
allow Miss Chase's secret 10 die with her, 'but
she left a note not only to you, but one to be
given to the man who betrayed her, l will
therefore explain who the scOundrel is. l
know not the present address OF this man, who
Is married, but his full name, as far as know,
is c. ". Dunn, and he returned q short time
ago from q trip to Honolulu, and until two
weeks ago has been visiting in Napa and other
country towns. He away with a girl one
year ago and was married at Fresno, but the
girl was not of age and her brother attempted
to kill him one day. He led Miss Chase to be-
neYe that he was a single man, betrayed her
and then informed her that he already
married. He intended to take her to Dr.
Schmidt on Market street, but she did not want
10 go. Chase is an assumed name to keep her
parents in the dark. Respectfully,
HER FRIEND L. B.
At 4O7 Mason street there lives hand
some young woman who says she is the
wife OF G. w. Dunn, the man IN the case.
When asked about her husband and his
connection with the young woman who
leaped from the ferry-boat, Mrs Dunn said:
Il think the young woman in question
must have been out of her head. My hus-
band did not care for women other than
me. He is not at home now and | don't
know when he will be home-perhaps in
week, perhaps in a month. AS to the story
that he betrayed the lady who has
given her name as .Nettie Chase, |
don't believe it, If he had done
such a thing he would have told me
about it"
Handsome Charley" has been the cogno-
men by which Mr.. Dunn or Dunning has
been known for some time. The handsome
young man has left record and is known
to have operated in several towns outside
OF San Francisco as will be seen by the fol-
lowing kilograms:
PETALUMA, CAL, April &c W Dunn, the
walter whose infelcity is reported in San Fran
cisco papers 10 have caused the suicide of Net
tie Chase from the Oakland ferry, has bad
record. He was once beaten and had several
teeth knocked out by wronged husband, and
was later horsewhipped by p woman. He was
known here Handsome Charley" Dunn
has left Petaluma.
VALLEJO, CAL, April 12-Regarding Nettie
Chase there letters in the possession OF
Coroner Hawkins that are identical with let
tiers in the possession of the Vallejo Chronicle.
This morning Dunn arrived in Vallejo on the
early boat and paid Il visit 10 this Office He
stated that he did not know the woman who
jumped off the Oakland boat, and announced
his intention of calling on Hawkins on his re-
turn to san Francisco tonight and also on the
newspaper Offices. ~ have nothing 20 say"
said Dunn, when asked 10 give his side of the
story 'The woman who took her life do not
know, but viii identify her # the body is re-
covered and 1 can do So" When shown the
handwriting of the letters he failed to recog-
nize 1t, and shook his head with surprise.