The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-21
INVADED BY HAWKSHAWS,
Detectives Gather at the Capitol
in Pursuit of the Ko-
valev Reward.
Captain Lees Claim Apparently Finds
Favor With the Board of
Examiners.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, Jan. 20.-The
Governors Office greatly resembled an old
time bull-baiting pit this afternoon, and
at times war seemed imminent. That old
veteran detective, Captain Lees, figured as
the principal, and a number of amateur
Hawkshaws and their attorneys as the
other actors, and the cause OF the trouble
was the reward offered by the State for the
arrest and conviction of the brutal muir
derers of Mr.. and Mrs. Weber in this city
over year ago. and for which crime Ivan
KovaIev, in his lonely cell at Folsom, Is
suffering mental agonies that bid fair to
rob the gallows-tree of his fruit.
Captain Lees was decidedly out for that
reward. He needed it in his business, and
put up a strong case to prove that he had
fairly earned it and intended to have it !;
and it appeared that the memb ers Of the
board were inclined to recognize the claims
of the veteran. Although the matter was
not decided. there is little doubt but that
the money will go to Lees.
A broad smile gained conspicuity when
in the examination OF Captain Lees he
said: 81 only get S150 per month, ;"
and yet it is said that some
persons with but $3.50 per month pay as
sessments on nearly hall q million. The
chief of detectives had all his testimony in
typewriter manuscript, and in answer to
questions he would invariably answer,
ITS all in the paper" At first he was
very non-committal, but as his ire arose at
the impertinent questions of attorneys
and amateurs he gradually relaxed his
taciturnity until eventually he narrated a
thrilling story of how criminal is tracked
to his doom, from the discovery of the
first thread of evidence to the clang of the
iron door on the convicted wretch.
THE Sacramento police had their minds
so imbued with the idea that Shy Red
was the murderer that it was useless to
monkey any more with them, " said he,
$50 | concluded to run the thing to earth
without any Of their assistance. l had no
outside help. | needed none From the
finding of the watch | had the matter well
in hand. There was a Russian who gave
me valuable infor nation, but his name
has never figured in the case on account Of
the vindi ctiveness OF his countrymen.
"Who was that man?" interrupted At
torney Soule, who represented one of the
claimants. For one long minute Cap
tain Lees was speechess at the audacity of
the question, and then he gasped: None
OF yorr business, sir; that my business"
ooh then you refuse to answer"
mo, | don't; but the law does. Section
1881 gives me the right to protect the
name of a witness and I'll do it. Bennett
was never any use to me in the case" he
continued, land don't deserve penny"
Didn't l inform you about Stevens ?"
interrupted Mr.. Bennett. Didn't you
tell me to arrange a code of signals with
Cody there and bring Stevens to the Cafe
Royal because he wouldn't go near the
police. Wasn't l to accompany Stevens,
and when | met Cody to raise my hat and
scratch my head? ?"
Never! You never made any such ar
engagements with me, retorted Captain
Lees.
Nor did you with me-" interrupt
Detective Cody, and then matters got de-
cidedly warm and there was talk about a
lie and denial Of the impeachment, and
eventually Lees arose to his feet and said
Gentlemen, the publication of the re-
ward saws, for arrest and conviction. l
arrested Kovalev, | convicted him, and l
am fully entitled to this reward
And then the meeting adjourned, to re-
sumo operations tomorrow, when other
claimants will be heard