The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-31
THE ALIBI STORIES.
Newton Roberts and Lamont Throw
Doubt on Smythe'S State
nent,
WHut lntertSt c0uIu MISS EU
yards haUe to SUGAR fGlselyf
At this point court adjourned until

In THE CALL of yesterday was published
the substance of some information given
by Miss Mae Richardson, daughter of Mrs.
Mary Richardson of Oakland, which, it
was thought, might furnish slight clew
to the identity of the author of the Rich
ard Smythe statement.
The Oakland dispatch said that Miss
Richardson recollected a Mrs. Roberts liv-
ing near Elmhurst who had been superin-
tendent of a Band of Hope in Philadel-
phia, and she added that Mrs. Roberts
husband had been working on a ranch
near Haywards.
The use of the name "Richard'' by
Smythe had been considered significant,
and because of Mrs. Richardson's Band of
Hope work he had used the name of that
lady very prominently in his statement.
And in that statement, by which an alibi
was to be proved for Durrant in the La
mont case, Smythe gave his residence dur
ing March and April as "about one mile
from Haywards," with the mysterious in
formation in parenthesis that the 'partic-
ular house and place" were "to be desig-
mated hereafter"
The CALL secured an interview with Mr..
Roberts himself yesterday, which tells its
own story in the following:
OAKLAND, Oct. 3O.-Newton 81. Roberts.
who was referred to by Miss Mae Richardson in
L. resides
Orchard avenue, about half mile off the
San Leandro road, near Elmhurst. He was
greatly surprised that he or his wife should
have been in any way connected with the Dur
rant case.
blanche Lamont has never been in our
house." said he last night, "and as far as we
are concerned the name was never heard until
we saw 1t in the papers that such girl was
missing from her home in San Francisco. We
have resided here for about year and came
! here from Haywards. have worked about the
! vicinity all summer and have never been out
OF the county. Ny wife was former Philadel-
phian and had q Band of Hope there.
"She has one here and does much such work
1t was in this way she met Miss Mae E.
Richardson about nine months ago. I do not
see how any one could have referred to her in
| this matter. She read Smythe's alleged testi-
| mony, but never for one moment did she
| dream the woman referred to was meant to
represent her But see plainly how it might
! mean her. although il it did there was no
! foundation for it.
There was a man named Robertson, who
! lived near Haywards and worked about on the
/ ranches. He left his wife about six months
ago, 1 believe. They were quite intimate with
| my wife, and knew of her being superintend-
ent OF the Band OF Hope in Philadelphia Ny
wife had her join the band here, and tried TO
secure him, as he was in the habit of drinking
Smythe in his statement had had con-
| siderable to say about his wife knowing
Blanche Lamont in Rockford, Ill. He
! wrote:
| I first met Blanche Lamont al a Methodist
ohuloh 0u !Wentletn or IWenty-frst street,
| out at the Mission, shortly before Christmas
| 1894, on Sunday morning. was introduced
| by my wife, who had known her since some
| time in 1892. My wife first met Miss Lamont
| in Rockford, Ill. Ny wife was there visiting a
sister, and remained about six months I
| don't know how often she saw Miss Lamont
! there, but whenever 1 have seen them meet
here they have always been extremely friendly
Ny wlfes sister was an intimate friend Of
Blanche Lamont, and they wrote to each other
| after Miss Lamont returned to Dillon Mont
and also after she came here -
| An inquiry was at once wired by TUE
CALL to Hon. James Lamont of Rockford
ILL.,. the uncle of Blanche Lamont. His
reply shows Smythe's statement to be a
fabrication. Mr.. Lamont telegraphed this
answer:
| GO ROCKFORD, H., Oct. 80.
can't hnd out anything about Smvthe or
t tsa VIII ferret out if possible. What i,
not here in 1892. She was here from Octoba a.
| 1888, TO June, 1890. JAMES ItMoNT >