The San Francisco call., 1896-07-26
AMY HEADS STORY
GAINS STRENGTH,
Albert Stetson Probably
Fired the Fatal
Shot.
NO PROOF OF SUICIDE.
Evidence That the Dead Man
Did. Not Know His Revolver
Was Loaded.
THE FUNERAL WILL BE TO-DAY
Frederick Webster Arrives From the
East-Miss Head Tells Her Story
to the Police.
THE FUNERAL WILL BE TODAY

ment will be at Odd Fellows emetery.
Rev. DIR. Robert Mackenzie will conduct
the services. The Coroner's inquest will
take place at A. N. tomorrow.
Miss Amy Head sole witness of the
tragedy, admits, after thinking the matter
over, that Stetson may have believed the
revolver was empty when he pulled the
trigger that ended his life.
Miss Head, much distressed over the
notoriety incident to the tragedy, re-
turned from Oakland yester day, refusing,
however. to talk further on the matter for
publication. She said the story of the
affair as printed in yesterdays CALL was
correct and she had no further statements
TO make.
Autopsy Surgeon Barrett Investigated
the case further yesterday, and said: ''Dr.
Morse was correct in his diagnosis pro-
nouncing cirrhosis of the liver one of
Stetson' s ailments. found some evidences
of cirrhosis, also evidences of dilatation of
the heart. Cirrhosis would probably have
produced mental depression. 1 have con-
cluded, after considerable study and in
vestigation, that the absence OF powder
marks does not show whether the shot was
fired from a distance or close at hand. be-
cause the powder was evidently smokeless.
l shall make further Investigations to-mor-
row by firing at various distances at human
hair and tissue-paper."
The story that Miss Head said she took
the cartridges from Stetson's revolver at
the Orpheum, published in several news
papers, was denied by her yesterday; also
the statement attributed to her that she
had not seen any reporter. She was inter
viewed by THE CALL at 2:30 p NJ Friday,
after which she went to Oakland and re-
| NJ nod in ko
yesterday. She did not yesterday change
| single statement of her original story as
| printed in THE CALL.
Detective R. J. Whitaker spent the en-
| tire day yesterday in running down clews
in the Stetson tragedy. He found Miss
Head and obtained her official statement
of the events that occurred in Fred Web
ster's rooms. 235 Post street. Her state
ment corroborates every point covered in
her prior account given TO The CALL yes
terday.
The only new feature in the story told
by Miss Head is that she makes it en-
phatic that she and Mr.. Stetson were
in the Post-street rooms not to exceed
| five or ten minutes and that the shooting
occurred about o'clock, fully two hours
earlier than at first reported. The follow
ing is a verbatim copy OF Miss Heads re-
port made to Detective Whitaker and
| submitted to Captain Lees last night:
| lady friend, / attended the Orpheum, occupy
! ing IA box on the righthand side of the house.
While seated there my friend, Mrs. Summer
| field, called my attention to Mr.. Stetson and
Charley Hug, who were seated in the body of
| the audience. We saw and bowed to the gem
| tlemen, and shortly thereafter Mr.. Stetson
came over and asked us II we wanted a little
| bite after the show. Later on Mr. Stetson came
over to the box where we were seated. l said,
MI. Stetson, how are your" He said, 81 am
| feeling bad" l said, "Whats the matter with
| your You are looking bad" and he replied
| that he had been drinking hard for the past
week-drinking absinthe.
While talking to us he had his left arm on the
| box railing and his right hand on his hip, show
| ing his pistol, Seeing that he was very nervous
and drinking hard l said, 4'Mr. Stetson, give
give it to you; you can't have it," / then
| reached over, however, and took the pistol out
| of his pants hip pocket, after which he asked
theater. We consented, and he told to
meet him It the Columbia Cafe after the show.
This we did and Mr.. Hug ana Mr.. Stetson and
Mr.. Samuels met us there, the latter gentle
man remaining but short time. During our
lunch Mr.. Stetson ordered several drinks. each
time taking absinthe.
sets Frenchmen crazy and she told him it
would have the same effect on him If he drank
it. Then he wanted to buy bottle OF wine, but
we declined to change our drinks During our
stay in the cafe gave Al his pistol, saying to
him, "What do you want to carry that for?"
He did not reply, but took the pistol, which
IT,
ridges. 1 said, "Mr. Stetson, here are only
four" and he said, That's all right" and put
the pistol in his coat pocket, after which we
left the cafe.
Mr.. Hug accompanied Mrs summerfieid and
Mr.. Stetson went with me. The former couple
took the Geary-street car, corner Geary and
Powell, going west. Mr.. Stetson and started
down Geary street. told him was going to
Mr.. Webster's rooms 10 get my dog and then
would ring for coupe and he could leave me
at my home and he theE could go home. He
said he was not going home, as his folks were
all away, and told him that was just the rea-
son why he should go home. We took the
elevator in the building at 235 Post street and
went to Mr.. webster's apartments. He, Mr..
Stetson, then laid his coat and hat on the
table.
1 then went into an adjoining room and he
came back and stood in the bedroom, facing
the Post-street side. i said:
''Mr. Stetson, this is not going home," and
he raised his hand to his head, NJ the same
time saying, "This is the way am going home,
Amy" and fred the shot which killed him.
He fell face down, and the pistol dropped on
the floor. ran down to Mr.. Quay's room, in
the same building, got him out OF bed and told
him that Al Stetson had shot himself He
came upstairs with me, and, looking into the
room, room, saw Mr.. stetson lying there He said |:
TINS is no place for me. You had better SEND
for some of mis- personal friends"
then took a hack at the corner of Post and
Grant avenue and rode out TO Mr.. Hugs house
aud told him what had happened. He came
down to the rooms with me- and on our ar
rival Al was still alive, and Mr.. Hug went
uONu stdlIb anu Calleu Ut. fArrell. Inc DOCTOR
| telephoned for Dr. Tyrrell and Mr. Hug tele-
| phoned for DR.. Morse, Mr.. Stetsens family
| physician Before they arrived l went down
| stairs and laid down on the lounge in DR.. Far
| rells room, and later on DR.. Farrell came down
and told me that Al was dead and that the un-
dertaker was removing his remain to an un-
dertaking parlor.
Mr.. Stetson's condition was very bad. He ap-
| peared very nervous and told me he had had
some trouble with his railroad; that Mr.. Bull
| lock had sold cut for $4,000. This he said,
had started him drinking, and he had been
drinking absinthe for week We arrived at
Mr.. Websters rooms at 1890 O'Clock, and Al
shot himself only few minutes later.
81 have seen enough people," said De-
| tective Whitaker last night. ito convince
me that Miss Head told the entire truth
about most of the main features of her
account. l say most OF the main features,
because no one was there during the shoot.
ing bat herself Mrs. Summerfeld cor
roborates Miss Heads story, and says.
Let no one suppress facts to shield me.
Tell it all freely, l was at the Orpheum