The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-04
STORY OF THE M'CASLINS
The Pair Are Said to Be In This City at
the Present Time
The San Francisco Police Are Trying to
Suppress Evidence the Woman
10 Said to Possess

The Examiner of Wednesday last con.
tanned story in which it was made tc
appear that the police of San Francisco
are bounding Lille McCaslin. who was
once Lille Merritt, and who has been fol
long time well-known woman of the
half-world of San Francisco.
"a. H. McCas in and Lillian McCaslin,
his wife, charge that Policemen Anthony,
Gibson and Wells seek to drive them out
of the state by threats of Imprisonment
and persecution in order to prevent their
testifying against Alice Andrews. The
McCaslins got out of Jail yesterday on
bail, ;" says the Examiner.
"Lillie McCaslin used to be Lille Mer-
rift. The police say she is procuress and
that since she was taken from the disrep-
utable house she married so as to be free
to live the life she had chosen. They say
she has been instrumental in causing the
downfall of several young girls and is
making regular business of this sort of
thing.
The other side of the story is the state
ment of Lille McCaslin's friends. They
say her husband is an honorable. respect
able, hard working young fellow, and that
since his marriage the girl has been true
and decent that she has never been a
procuress, and that her arrest is all part
VI u COilSIlId w u tIlO VI pOuCtIlcu VIII
desire to secure the dismissal of the
charges against Alice Andrews, the
woman from whose house Lillian Merritt
was taken.
The charge against the McCaslins came
up for hearing before Judge Conlan yester-
day. He heard the evidence and took the
matter under advisement.
The police testified that Mrs. McCasln
was OF bad character; that her reside nee,
the Blanco House on Fourth street, was
disreputable place. and that she had har
bored in it Minnie O'Neill,a sixteen-year-
old .E girl; o,N.,,,. .+orv u.. t,..,,o.
Caslins had been her friends, that they
had taken her in and cared for her, and
that she was to be married as soon as her
mother would consent to James Hall,
fellow workman with McCaslin.
"McCaslin and his wife say they have
been prosecuted by Policemen Anthony,
Gibson and Holbrook-not Charles Hol-
brook, the secretary of the Humane So
ciety, but his brother. McCaslin met his
wife on the street while she was on her
way to prison and accompanied her. At
the Jail he was accused with her. AT At
torIley Reeds request the bail of the Nc
Caslins was reduced to $50 from $780,
gentleman who is now resident of
this city, but who was formerly living
in San Francisco, and who knew the
woman then as Lille Merritt. stated yes
terday that he has noticed the pair on
Spring street several times during the last
two days, and it is his opinion that the
two are now on their way E st.
McCaslin made statement in court to
the effect that Anthony, Gibson and Hol-
brook are determined to prevent his wife
from testifying. against the Andrews
woman. They have prosecuted her, he
says, and it is in spite of them that my
wife has been true square girl ever since
our marriage. Minnie O'Neill was a
homeless girl and we helped her. She is
Hall, who is very fond of her The girl
who was with my wife in that place has
been coaxed away to Portland in order to
keep her from testifying. They offered
my wife passes to Portland on the same
proposition. LIB E~I t.t