The herald., 1895-05-07
Great Story of CircumloCutory
Movements
WANDERINGS OF TWO YEARS
How He Made Mr.. Charles EtzIer's
Acquaintance
A Long G-Winded Narrative In Which There
Is Not a Word Of the Roscoe
Train Robbery

~ AhSAhPooh sAioi 10 ioPioAy
that stage now when the attorneys en-
gagged upon both sides will have an oppor-
tunity to do some slight of mind business
before the jury, but the case is already
forejudged in the minds of those who are
at liberty to express their opinion--a
conviction is certain. When the case was
resumed yesterday Alva johnson was re-
called for further ross-examination.
He admitted that ne had fabricated
some of the testimony given formerly by
his family and that the motive for which
that had been done was to establish an
alibi in his favor. He reiterated that
when he started to tell the truth on Satur-
day he had done SO without an after
thought, and that he had detailed mat
ters Just as they had occurred.
Charles Etzler, the informer, was also
recalled. He denied that he had ever
assumed the name of Parker. When he
and Thompson left Johnson's ranch there
was 10 understanding that either he or
the prisoner should withdraw the box
with coin from Wells, Fargo Co. s office
at Tempe, Arizona. After the Mexican
money had been withdrawn from it's re-
ceptacle it was deposited with a business
house at Phoenix, and the receipt made
"KiS" Thompson. The prisoner some
times called him Leslie, although he had
never told anyone that he had such a
given name.
recalled, and he denied that he was inter
ested in the conviction of Thompson by
reason of expectations in any of the re-
wards offered.
This closed the case for the people and
the defense called Mrs. Alva Johnson and
l,1,r ,x,k
very interesting. After some time spent
in arguing concerning the admissibility
of some very unimportant documentary
evidence. the defense called 'Kid"
Thompson to the stand.
Immediately there was great craning of
necks and cooking of ears in the uncom-
fortably hot courtroom. Most people
present had expected that the attorneys
for the .Kid would not call him to
testify As soon as they heard his name
they fell into the oher extreme that he
was willing to tell everything in spirit
of remorse.
Kid Thompson had evidently been we'll
coached, and from the start took his
hearers on a tour of circumlocution which
included many interesting "reminiscences
of travels by day and by night on the
roofs and brakebeams of cars, etc. but not
a solitary word about the Roscoe train
robberieS.
There were two versions as to the date
of his birth. said Mr.. Thompson, but he
personally favored that which made 1871
responsible for that remarkable event.
Then skipping from his childhood days
to matters more modern he confessed
that he arrived in California on the last
day of July, 1898. lie favored Lucky"
Baldwin with his work for IA couple of
months, and then went to work for Alva
johnson at his ranch from October, 1893,
to March, 1894 But Alya couldn't pay
him, and he took up the excelsior"
route again.
He went to Arizona thence to Law
renee. South Dakota, where he remained
till the 4th of June. His fate next sped
him to Wyoming, where he labored six
months on stretch. His next position
of trust was in the employ of the govern
ment OH the Crow reservation. Thomp-
SON failed to say what he did to the
Crows.
BY and by he was in Washington state.
and not long afterwards at Sacramento,
Cal. From now on his excursion is of
the most composite kind. He pays his
way, then he hoofs il, again the blind
all the time, and presumably he finds
himself near San Fernando, only nine
miles from his ex-employer Alva John
sons ranch, who owes him money for
hard work.
lie had met Charles Etzler, whose true
name. according to Thompson, is William
Sidney Parker along with another gen.
teman Of the road named Jake Murphy,
and who since all these proceedings has
preserved the strictest incognito, at
Bakersfield. Near San Fernando Thomp-
son left the comforts of brakebeam to
take that nne-mile constitutional to
Johnsons ranch, and Mr.. Etzler, who
was little short in the jump for the
beam, finding the train rapidly gaining
distance before he could manage to grasp
a rod, volunteered to act as his escort.
The pair GOT to Johnson's in about three
hours, but it was dark and everybody
asleep. In order to disturb nobody's
sleep they retired to hay stack and
slept the sleep of the just.
Mrs. Trogden's talk next day put it
into Etzler's head that everybody there
believed in Johnson's guilt of the train
to Thon. pson that he was going to crowd
Alva for some of the money. Minnie
Phillipi Johpsons stepdaughter, had
gone to town to fetch her father, and wit
ness and his partner slept most OF the
day; Wton ,,v, o,,.o hs told rbor,nson in
answer to his dunning queries. that he
had neither job nor money. and tnat he
could not pay him. He showed up 40
cents as his entire capital, but he prom
ised that he would try to raise the wind
in Los Angeles.
lut lOllOWlIR InOiHluS iIO lhuO
town with Etzler andJ Johnson in spring
wagon. That was the last he saw of the
latter until fetched back again from Ari-
zona by the minions of the law. Mrs.
Johnson gave him $S, all she had, at the
wood and feed corral. week later he
met Etzler at San Gabriel.
A freight train-that providence OF poor
travelers-came along and the merry
march Arizonawards commenced. Etzler
and Thompson parted company at Gila
Bend, but met again some time later near
Phoenix, whers the reunion took place
while Thompson sat in the back end OF a
wagon and Etzler became sick while
herding band of burrOs.
They went to Tempe, and one morning
Etzler handed him a letter advising that
there was a box for the recipient at the
express Office. Thompson inquired what
il contained. and Etzler replied that it
was compass and chain, which he was
going to soak" Later they had row,
in which the prisoner knocked down
Etzler, and they separated for good.
Thompson had bought SIS horse with
money advanced him by a man named
Tupper and on il he travelled down the
Gila river 100 miles.
IL Detec tive Will Smith told the truth
about his travels in the Arizona desert in
search of Thorn pson. the latter was Of the
opinion that Mr. Smith was going due
east while he was travelling in a very
westwardly direction.
The rest of his narrative was devoted
to describing his arrest by five cowboys.
and his final landing in the Maricopa