The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-22
Letters Declaring His Innocence
Carefully Prepared in
Advance.
A STRANGE THEORY EVOLVED.
Officers Believe He Sacrificed Himself
to Make a Jail.Break
Possible.

VISALIA, CAL, June 21.-Charles Ar
dell, charged with completely in the at
tempted train robbery at Sagus on March
Is, has failed in his attempt to cheat JUS
tice. When DR.. Patterson left the Jail at
midnight he said the prisoner would re-
cover from the effects of the morphine he
had swallowed. Several hours later the
physician was aroused by a messenger,
who summoned him to ArdelI's cell. He
found Ardell in heavy stupor and SEEM
ingly dying. Then change came, and
this afternoon the prisoner was out Of
danger.
ArdelPs jail companions claim that the
morphine WAS passed in to Murderer John
Howard, now at Folsom under sentence
of death. Howard did not use 1t, but hid
it away for the benefit OF future occupant
of his cell. Ardell was occupying this cell
and claims to have found it,
Sheriff Merritt is still of the opinion that
the attempt at suicide was to create public
sympathy or to enable Josiah Lovren,
Claude Armstrong and Walter Talmadge
to make break for liberty. At the time
Lovren cut his throat in an attempt to
end his life Armstrong, Talmadge and Ar
dell were released from their cells TO
render assistance. Last night when Rus
sell, the guard, answered Ardell's call
these prisoners pleaded to be let out so
that they could walk Ardell around, while
Haley, another deputy, could go for a
physician, but Russell was not to be
tricked Then Lovren raved at every
body.
The officers believe that Ardell took the
morphine and then gave the alarm, know
ing that physician could easily save his
life if he arrived at once Unluckily for
the schemer, the doctor could not be
found for over half hour, and Ardell was
all but dead. No one believes that Ardell
really intended to cross the river to the
unseen shores If he did offer himself as
sacrifice TO permit his companions to
escape, he suffered for few hours in order
to derive what benefit would accrue from
| the letters protesting his innocence, which
he had written and deposited where they
would be found when his call to the guard
was answered. If Ardell wanted to die,
why did he ''sing OUT as soon as he had
swallowed poison?
When ArdelI was brought from his cell
to the main office last night he noticed
that Obie Britt was there and requested
that Britt go out. Britt did not at first
understand, but on Ardelrs requesting
him the second time, he withdrew.
The cells around the corridor are occu.
pied by Ardell, Lovren, Claude Armstrong
(the leader of the so-called Forty Thieves
of Traver), now under sentence of four
years for horse-stealing and awaiting an
appeal to the Supreme Court; Chun John,
Chun Cheon and Chun Joe, charged with
completely in recent murder, and Walter
Talmadge, under two sentences of nine
years each for completely in the notorious
hog-stealing cases and also awaiting an
appeal to the Supreme Court.
Talmadge was one of the principals in
the Mokelumne grant fight. About eight
years ago he settled near Delano on a
timber claim. He afterward moved to
Tulare City. For years the late Will
Smith had him under surveillance, and in
1898 ex-Sheriff Kay and Will Smith ar
rested Talmadge and Joe Foster for hold
ing up the Southern Pacific agent at
Goshen.
As a general rule these prisoners never
go to bed early, but stand for hours at the
wickets talking to each other. Last night
was the exception, all retiring shortly
after o'clock.