The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-15
BY DESPERATE PLOTTING,
Prisoner Holland ImpIored His
Wife to Send Pistols
Into Jail.
Some Sensational Letters That
Materially Help the Prose-
CutiOn.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL,
90S Broadway. August Ia.

90S Broadway, August IA.
One of the most desperate plots ever I'M
earthed in county Jail was made known
by the prosecution to-day in the trial OF
the Holland brothers and Oppenheimer
for robbing drugstore some months ago.
The plot was discovered by Jailer White,
who made copies of all the mail matter
sent out from the Jail by the prisoners
Holland had inveigled his wife Rose into
the scheme, and had laid out course fol-
her to follow in procuring pistols which
he intended to use freely to make good his
escape from Jail.
The story is best told in the following
letter sent by Berry Holland TO his wife:
AUGUST 4, 1895
Dear Rose: was sorry when you sent my
clothes there was no date on the shirt, as
nave been living in hopes all the last week.
suppose you know as well as | do that this is
the only way can get out, and If don't make
1t this week | am good for life, which is not
very pleasant to think of, neither for you nor
for me, for ii have to go to trial it will take
all of our property to fight the cases, and even
then we are sure to go over for life after what
Ross said, and 1t seems Ike shame for us to
go to States prison when those things only
cost few dollars, and even a child
could send them in when all they have
to do is to come up and tie them on line.
in the next few days there won't be anybody
to put the line out for them and it will be all
over with us. l expected you to use part of
that money to get them with, and YOU would
have enough left to live on until get out, and
Will have some money to send you to live on
before | am out two days.
= Now you must get the things ready
to get them in the next few days-the sooner
the better. And you must try and get in to
see me as soon as possible, so as to let me know
the night so that l can have the line out. You
vNNtn
must say that Mr.. Lancaster from Berkeley will
have some money for me on a certain day and
that he wants me to make out a receipt for II to
give to you for him and whatever date YOU put
down will know that is the night you are GO
ing TO send the things in, Now, don't forget
You have diagram of the cells and wall
where am. If there amt string out of the
cell l marked down it will be out of the
other cell window in the same part of the jail
and it maybe in the cell up near the Office.
You can feel the line by running your hand
after it gets late in the night. There is no
danger at all If there is no noise made 1t is
the wall across from the mill where Alice Long
works and faces Washington street.
In postscript is the following:
Dearest Rose, whatever you do please don't
drink anything this week as long as / am here,
for they won't even let you In to see me if you
do, and want you to work for me. for you are
the only one l can trust, and they watch me
like hawk in here. You did not say anything
W ian, uOpc, WITCH you went 10 ask MIN 1Or
the tobacco. Please look out for yourself now
for if you don't you may do me more harm
than good, and am in bad enough fix al
ready. BERRY.
A few days later Berry Holland wrote
another letter containing some original
methods OF making dates. 1t reads:
Dear Rose: For fear the jailers won't give
me a note If you send 1t in will tell you how
you can let me know the night you are going
to send the guns in. If it is Tuesday night you
must bring me some round steak Wednesday
night some pork chops; Thursday night some
mutton chops; Friday night some fish of some
kind; Saturday night some raw, sliced ham
Sunday night some salt pork and dozen eggs;
Monday night piece of cheese. hope
l will soon be out of this place so that can see
you both once in while, and before long can
have you both with me in another State.
DERRY"
Some other evidence was taken, but
owing to the admission of the letters in
evidence the prosecution anticipates no
trouble in securing convictions in all cases.