The San Francisco call., 1896-04-07
He Was to Have Assisted in the
Attempted Train Hold.Up,
but Weakened.
BRITTs STORY CORROBORATED
Lovren and Ardell Declared to Have
Been at the Head of the
RoDbsr Clique.

VISALIA, CAL, April 6.-John Haines,
the accomplice of Outlaw Dan Mccall, 81
Lovren and Charles Ardel in the at
tempted robbery of the Southern Pacific
overland train near Tulare three weeks
ago, has confessed. For several days
Sheriff Merritt and his subordinates have
held the secret of the conspirators, and
the evidence against the men who planned
the raid, ending in the killing of Mccall
ana the wounding of Officers Daggett and
Reed, is complete. The officials had not
given the confession publicity for reasons
of their own, and it was not until Saliva
tion Army member told the story tonight
that it became known that Haines had
weakened.
Haines was Salvation Army member,
and until month or six weeks ago was
known as an earnest worker for the cause.
| About that time he became intimate with
Lovren and Ardell, the proprietors of the
Deadfall saloon, who are now in jail on
charge of having planned the attempted
hold-up and supplied arms, ammunition
and masks. Haines became ready tool
and he was to have accompanied Mccall
on the trip which ended in the outlaws
death but at the last minute, after Haines
had supplied Mccall with giant powder
with which to blow up the safe in the ex-
press-car, he deserted Mccall He now
gives as the reason for having weakened
that he feared treachery on the part of
Lovren and Ardell and wanted nothing
more to do with them.
Haines' confession corroborates the
story oj9bie Britt, who betrayed the plot
to the ,orities. In an interview with
CALL correspondent. held two days after
| the tragedy at Tagus, Britt said:
About two weeks ago he (McCall) told
me that everything was arranged; that
Lovren and Ardell had everything COM
pleted and the prospect for rich job was
in sight. Mccall, Haines and myself
never conversed on the subject at the
same time. Sometimes Mccall and Haines
would talk over the scheme. Haines and
myself often talked about it, but not as
much as Dan and me. L never spoke to
Lovren and Ardell and to no other person
but Haines and Mccall. 1 understood that
the men in town would watch the move
ment of the Sheriff's men.
ION last Tuesday afternoon-the day
before the robbery-Dan drove over to
Haines' place to talk with Haines and see
if he was still in the mood to stand in on
the proposed robbery. On his return he
seemed to be put out. and said they did
not have an opportunity to talk. 1t was
not long before Haines drove up to our
cabin with giant powder. Mccall and he
had long talk. After Haines' departure
Dan told me that Haines would be on
hand.
''That night Dan went to town and
brought out the shotgun with him. We'd
nesdav noon the two six-shooters were
brought out. Between and on the even
ing of the attempted hold-up, some one
brought out the rifle. Dan met them in
the field near the gate. Dan was over
joyed at the news he had heard-just
laughed and danced around. Then he be-
came i'm mpatent and concluded that Haines
would never come"
According to Britt, Mccall waited as long
as possible for Haines and then left in
company with Britt to board the overland.
Britt deserted him at Tulare, and Mccall,
left alone, but undaunted, attempted to
carry out the programme arranged by the
conspirators.
Captain Jennie Barnhart of the Saliva
tion Army corps here is satisfied at last
that Haines is guilty. She and her soldiers
refused to believe him guilty at first
Haines joined the army here about the
second week in January and was sworn in
on February 6. For nearly a month he
remained faithful and attended regularly,
though he lived about eight miles in the
country. Then he changed in his actions.
He seldom came to the meetings and his
heart was not in the services. On the Sum-
day before the attempted robbery Haines,
his wife and eldest daughter took part in
the army street march and the services in
the barracks. On the very night of the at
| tempted robbery he hitched up and drove
over to Tulare, distance of nearly twenty
miles, to attend Salvation Army jubilee
in that town.