The San Francisco call., 1896-04-21
Admits the Crime After the Jury
Decided He Was Not
Responsible.
AT WAR WITH ALL MANKIND
Intends to Slay and Rob Until He Re.
covers Money Taken From
Him in the Past.

OAS4N0 AANt 4Ss OhA't pa W. NAAs~A -
weeks deliberations and the hearing OF ex-
pert testimony the Jury impaneled to pass
upon the sanity of Simon Raten, the nur-
derer Of two japanese near Arno station
last month, has decided that the
prisoner is insane; and yet that there
is method in Raten's madness is evidenced
by the fact that as soon as the prisoner
ascertained beyond doubt that he would
not have to stand trial for his life he made
full and free confession OF his guilt.
Raten's innate cunning crops to the sur
face in this confession. When asked what
he thought of the verdict he replied:
81 no like him cause 1 not crazy. I
want to talk to that jury and tell him all
bout, but my lawyers SAID l must not do
it, cause they hang me. I no care, for I
could tell that jury all about it, how my
money was taken away"
"What would you tell the iury?"
"Oh, tell them all bout it."
When the direct question, "Did you kill
those Japs," was asked Raten answered:
Yes, I tell you. They say crazy but
no crazy. kill the Japs down by the
railroad track. / shoot them both with
revolver and then go away aad leave
tllclI. w dCh SO away ado lOLR UCdTu
here" and he stroked his chin whiskers,
"but cut off part of it SO they not know
me. but they knew me anyhow" and the
prisoner shook with laughter.
Raten said that when he left the two
Japs he walked TO the Rutter ranch, where
he saw Chinaman who worked for Rut-
ter. He gave the Mongol his pistol and
Winchester rife. He says he killed the
Japanese because he wanted to recover
money which was taken from him after he
had killed man named Lansing, crime
for which he served time.
"The Japanese did not take any money
from you, did they2" he was asked.
"Oh, nc" was the reply. "they no take
my money, but some one take my money
when kill Lansing, and they put me in
jail, and when they let me out, they no
give me back my money.
81 had to be tramp, and had to beg to
eat, and kill and kill till get my money.
If they give me back my money, I no kill
any more, but I keep killing till they do.
They can put me in Jail or asylum, no
care"
Would you have told the jury that you
killed the japanese If your lawyers had let
you talk to the jury?"
Raten replied that he would. The pris-
oner exhibited section of his Jaw from
which several teeth were missing. Those
teeth, he said, were knocked out when he
killed Lansing. A man owed him money
and he wanted it, and the fellow and his
friends attacked him, and he shot in self
defense.
Then he was placed in jail and his
money taken away. He again declared he
would keep on numbering people until he
got the money.
The iury's verdict means that Simon
Raten will go to an insane asylum, there
to remain until cured, and when cured, the
law says, be zmust be brought back and
tried for murder.
Physicians say 1t is doubtful if he
can be cured. If, in years to come, the
prisoner should be pronounced cured and
sent back to stand trial for murder,
the counsel appointed to defend
him would prove to the Jury
that few weeks after the prisoner
committed the crime charged against him
jury found him insane, and they will
argue with great force of reason that Il
insane then he must have been insane
when the crime was committed and was
therefore, not responsible for his acts
This being the case the opinion among
attorneys is that the verdict settles the
case OF the people VS.. Simon Raten.
| Judge Hinkson has postponed the COM
mitment OF Raten until Wednesday morn
! ing.
The reason for this is that the Judge i.
in doubt as to whether he should discharge
the jury which was trying Raten for mur.
der or continue it in force, so that if Ra ter
should be cured of insanity the jury could
take up the case just where it left off.