New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-28
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
EMANUEL CHURCH MURDERS - LORD
DOUGLASS ESCAPADE-GEN-
ERAL MOVIES.
!nY TELEGRAPH To THE rRI8uNE.l

lnY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNEl
San Francisco. April 2s.-The great criminal
mystery. which has interested san Francisco Gar
more than any crime that has been committed
here for twenty years. is almost as great mys-
terry as il was at the outset The police have
established a strong circumstantal case against
young Theodore Durrant. out II Is no stronger
than the evidence against Lizzie Borden, on
which a Jury refused to convict. The fatal error
Of the police was in neglecing to search the per
sons and premises of four or five men who had
ready access 10 Emanuel Church and who were
known 10 hav, been in or around the church on
tn. DAYS the two girls were murdered. Instead
they confined most Of their work to making out
q case against the young medical student. His
preliminary examination has been going on all
the week but no new or startling evidence has
baon secured. 4 great effort has been made 10
connect the pastor. the Rev J. G. Gibson, with
the crime. The attorney for Dr~rant has tried
10 show that certain innocent acts Of the
preacher have a sinister meaning. but thus far
nothing has been developed 10 prove that Glib
son knew anything of the terrible deeds that
desecratcd his church. Gibson is an Engshman
who has been in this State for six years. He
served as pastor OF churches in Chico and Red
Bluff and his reputation there above re-
proach. He consented to preach at Emanuel
Church for $1,000 year. but has never received
moro than $500. He appears to he a man below
the average capacity. and his failure to investi-
gate certain suspicious circumstances just before
the discovery Of the crimes is attributable to
mental dulness rather than TO any guilty knowl-
edge mis- part.
The cscapade at Bakersfield of Lord Sholto
Douglas son of the erratic Marquis OF Queens
berry has caused much comment mere. me
voung fellow appears 10 be good-hearted but he
lacks strong common sense Like many sons Of
titled Englishmen, he fancied that he could carry
on a little love affair with a variety actress IN
country town without attracting attention, but
he found that the girl accepted his atter-
tons as genuine. and had no idea that he was
condescending when he talked Of marriage Prob
2bly the action Of his friends in having him ar
rested for insanity was the wisest course, for it
brought home his folly to him. Lord Sholto is a
type of many young Enghshmen who have been
sent to California TO try their hands at fruit
ranchng There are colonies o: the rich English
mems sons at Riverside. Pomona, ontario.
Bakersfield and many other places in Southern
California and at Pen Kyn and Newcastle III
Northern California. About One-third Of them DO
well: the others. who lack self-control waste
their time and substance in dissipation, ana on
their return as prodigals condemn the country
that offered them competence for honest work
The conviction OF old Professor Sanders, Of
Fresno County. Of forgery puts temporary end
to a case which has puzzled may detectives.
Sanders has lived for years on ranch in Fres-
no. He was formerly a school teacher ana IL
was his hobby when ne began ranchng 10 gather
ornamental trees and shrubs from all quarters
of the globe and plant them on mis- pace Not
far from his ranch the 3OOO-acre farm OF
William Wootten. an Englishman. eighty years
old Sanders contracted with WOotten 20 buy ms
~anch and asserted that he got the purchase
money from one Knausch. The day he sald ne
paid for the ranch Wootten disappeared along
with Knausch, who is believed TO be myth;
Careful search failed TO reveal any trace OF Oh
Wootten Sanders was arrested, but as a muir
der charge couldn't be sustained. he was tried
for forging WOotton's name to check Whlch
he cashed. Whether Sanders murdered Wootten
is something which will probably never be
cleared up.
The Harbor Commissioners are eager TO de-
pose the architect. \. Page Brown. who drew
plans for the new ferry depot They charge that
he received $4,000 for this service ana Tor IN
spectiOn Of the foundations. which are now Sald
t. be faulty. Brown did not supervise the work
OF the contractors and it is for this failure 10
perform his duty that the Commissioners desire
to Dust him, as we'll for his action in drawing
$50 900 as fees for inspecting the superstructure
when not one stroke Of work has been done on IT,
The death Of Jerome b. Cox this week recalled
q tragedy of twelve years ago when Cox shot
down the millionaire Charles Mclaughlin. The
shooting was the climax OF twenty years OF iti-
CATION over q railroad contract, winch IIi!ppN-
ershed Cox. but which had made no sensible
effect on MCLaughlin's wealth. Maddened by
three successive reversas by the Supreme Court
after the lower court had given judgment in his
favor, he called on NJ cLaughlin and in a quarrel
| over the debt shot him Cox was acquitted and
obtained about One-third Of his claim.
Ex-Congressman \. j. Warner is here. and,
after visit TO his brother in SonOma County. he
proposes to organize a mass-meeting in this city
in favor Of free coinage. Warner thinks BIZ
1netallism will be the leading question in the
next Presidential campaign.
The Half Million Club Of san Francisco, which
went down TO Los Angeles to participate in the
Fiesta made this week tour Of the Southern
cities and up through the San joaquin
Valley, accompanied by Los Angeles representa-
1iveE The plan is to visit all the chief cities in
the State and thus bring about closer trade rela-
tons between the two sections of California.
Heavy rains yesterday IN all except the south
ern counties came just in time 10 insure a large
weld Of grain and fruit. The country had be-
come very dry and this rain will be worth large
amount 10 California farmers. 1t will DO no dam
age TO any fruit except strawberries.
There will be large accessions to the Republi-
cans in the southern counties at the next cleo
ton. because OF the hard experience OF orange
growers with Democratic legislation This year
Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardlno coun-
ties had an enormous crop Of fine oranges. Flori-
Ga lost nearly It's entire crop. But the tarif 50
paralyzed business that the demand for oranges
fell off and cheap Cuban and Mediterranean
fruit was imported IN such quantities that Cali
fornia growers failed TO get prices that would pay
for TRANSFORMATION except for the choicest navel
varieties The seedlings DO not pay 10 pick. Hence
the los; 10 southern California will be heavy.
BID BLENDERS At A HORSE SALE.