The San Francisco call., 1897-08-19

out to me by the typewriter. | told him had
come from the office of the Chief OF Police,
and he said, "All right; come with me-" He
took me TO room where four little girls were
working; The oldest 16 and the Youngest 2.
Pointing TO Lily Coombs he said: 'Tnis little
girl will tell you what she saw in the drying
room, " q room 10 the rear of where the girls
were working used for drying the soap before
being sent out. Some had been there, Mr..
Curtis said, for year and some for two years
Lily theu told me about seeing the figure of
8 man in blue overalls and n checked shirt
floating IN the air in the rear part of this Dry
ing-room, and about the cakes of soap jun mp-
ing from the racks in all directions The cen
ter aisle was strewn with cakes of different
kinds of SOAP
Mr.. Curtis said he wanted me to investigate
the matter and stop the damage done TO his
soap. | made careful examination of tie
drylng-room, and as there was a door leading
TO the rear made Mr.. Curtis fasten the door
thoroughly with stick, so that no one could
enter that way.
Mr.. Curtis then took me to a place like a
stairway where there was lot OF coarse hair
used 1or packing soap ana two figures of Mex
leans, male and female which used TO be on
exhlpltlon In the window, on top of the hair
turned the rub bish over, tramped on it and
sausf1ed myself there was nobody there. Then
looked Tor wires or strings, but could not
ma any, and then got q broom and SVEN
all the cakes of soap on the floor together, and
| made the girls put them in their proper racks.
sat down to await Developments, and soon
heard a cake of soap fall on the floor Lily
sald, There's one," and went back and saw
II lying In the aisle. put it back in It's place
ana again sat down. In few minutes three
or tour Tell IN the side aisles tol owed by about
dozen. in the center AISLE l carefully exam
/ lned the room and satisfied myself there was
no one there.
/ opened the glass door communicating be-
tween the room where the girls were working
| ana the once and talked to the typewriter
keeping my eyes fixed upon the girls in the
other room. Soon heard the noise of lot of
| cakes OF soap falling and ran into the driving
! room ana saw over dozen cakes in the center
| aisle. returned to talk to the typeWrIter and
another lot fell-about fifteen altogether
saw with my own eyes cakes OF soap jump
| from the racks and shoot d dagonally several
| yards saw a large cake strike Lily Coon bs
with considerable force on the right leg near
| the heel. There were no cakes of the sauna
KIND as the one that struck her in [ he q isI q
where she was standing, and it must have
| come from some of the other aisles Thera
| was no one behind her at the time, either.
| ana, recollect, the only entrance from the
| rear was fastened with the stick.
reported at the Chiefs office what had
| seen ana returned again to the factory with
Detective Crockett and others and we all sa w
cakes OIL soap jumping from the racks was
there again yesterday afternoon with he.
teetive Egan and others and thew ali saw the
same manifestations. Didn't one of the cakes
nearly knock Egan's hat off?
! distinctly say that / saw cakas of soar
jun ping from the racks and flying in differeni
directions. Some people may cry .faKe bui
l am simply telling what saw with nv own
eyes.
l don't believe for a moment that the girls
were coached by Curtis or any one else I he.
lieve they are telling the truth.