The San Francisco call., 1896-04-06
They Would Read Well in a
Novel by De Boisgobey or
Gaboriau,
BUT DON'T FIT IN REAL LIFE.
The Head of the Detective Bureau
vouches for Riley's Honesty, but
Has Detained Him.

The story in Yesterdays CALL of the dis
covery by Private Detective Henry Kline
of the identity of the Franklin burglar
created great sensation.
1t was declaration that if Kiine's story
be true the police had not only failed to
discover the identity of the burglar killed
by Butler Miller III the Franklin house,
but mad been actually duped by one of his
pals, who was presented by Captain Lees
private secretary with a suit OF clothes,
and by another admirer with pair OF
shoes and a hat.
Captain Lees advocated the charming
French theory, which would make excel
lent material in the hands of Gaboriau
or De Boisgobey, that it was not possible
for the dead burglar to have got into the
Franklin residence without the co-opera-
tion and connivance of Butler Miller; that
he was decoyed into the house and killed
by Miller for the purpose of making the
butler hero in the eyes of his master.
The theory went on to the effect that after
having murdered a poor, inoffensive tramp
in cold blood Miller deliberately shot him
self in the neck in order to furnish evi-
dence of the terrible struggle that had
taken place.
This is very easy way of wiping a
crime off the slate. 1t involves no further
work on the part of the detectives and fills
the world with wonder at the astuteness
of one greater than Vidocq. But the
Coroner's jury happened to be composed
of matter-of-fact business men. They
were not jugglers with fine-spun theories,
and they actually believed that the bullet
which entered Miller neck not more than
an inch from his jugular had been fired by
the dead man. and they rendered q YER
dict accordingly.
Every reader of THE CALL will remem ber
the murder of Miss Harrington on Ellis
street about year ago. The murderer
was never found. Captain Lees had a
theory in that case also, but the testimony
didn't fit it. The theory. however, wiped
that crime off the slate and allowed the
detective department to repose in peace
If Kline's story be true, the dead bur
glar was identified at the Morgue by more
than one of his associates. Mr.. Kline
sticks TO his statement. Last night he
gave the following additional version. He
said:
al carefully looked over the articles in
the newspapers every day for the leading
criminal topics, and my attention was
attracted by the peculiar theory set up by
the police as to Miller's alleged double
faced work. l accordingly went to the
Morgue for the purpose of viewing the
remains of the man who had been so sim
pie as to be made victim OF the butler S
game.
~ L
OF man whom l had met at a meeting of
the Salvation Army a short time before,
and to whom / talked about his soul. |
had also seen him several times around
the streets. From what I knew of the
man, l at once doubted the correctness OF
Captain Lees theory duplicating Miller.
Having received point or two from per-
sons who had known the dead man, ]
entered upon an investigation of the case
Captain Lees was told of the identified.
tion of the body in the Morgue as Pitts.
burg Jack and he appeared at that time
TO believe that the Identification was cor.
rect. After further investigation l dis
covered the Intimate association of the
deceased and the two men as narrated in
yesterday mornings CALL.
"These facts l laid before Captain Lees
and he laughed at the proposition. He
insisted that no two men whatever were
seen about the Franklin house on
the night of the shooting, and that there
vas nobody there but that damned
butler to use his own words. He insisted
that Pittsburg Jack was nothing but q
harmless hobo, and had never served time
in any penitentiary.
I
about the matter he said that he would
wire TO the East and make inquiry about
the dead burglar, but up to the Goth O,
March he had heard nothing in reply. as
understand, and as / believe, he claims tc
have learned from old-timers here that
there was no such man in Jefferson Citv
Missouri, If 1881 and 1885.
Notwithstanding this denial time and
investigation will show that sPittsburo
was there and that he was the man killed
by Miller. / have learned that Pittsburo
Jack drifted into San Francisco about fou,
months before he was killed, and was seen
and recognized here by more than one
man who knew him and his two comnan.
ions as well. Hayes arrived here abop,
the same time. lie has record bach
East, and that published in THE CALL i.
correct. Riley lives in this part OF the
country. He has been under arrest sew
eral times, but was never held so far as
have been able to learn.
These three men were chums, and ha6
been together for days before the a,
tempted burglary. On the night on whicl
'Pittsburg was killed they were not II
their accustomed haunts, and upon their
temperance after the affair Riley ant
Hayes explained the reason for Pitts
burg's' absence.
No, they can prove no alibi. The sa