The San Francisco call., 1897-04-06
THE DOUBLE
APPEARED
TOO LATE
Sensational Story Follow
ing on Buffers De-
parture.
PLANS OF ESCAPE OUT
LINED.
A Quondam Brother Named
Reardon Mentioned in
the Plot.
SOME LETTERS THAT TOLD
ALL.
Their Resemblance Said to Have
Suggested a Desperate Chance
for Liberty.
SOME LETTERS THAT rOLD
ALL.
Their Resemblance Said to Have
Suggested a Desperate Chance
for Liberty.

The man from Cloverdale who when ar
rested on Drumm street on Friday night
March 26, for being drunk, gave the
name of John J. Reardon, was one of the
most interested spectators at the Pacific
Mail dock Saturday when Butter, the
Australian murderer, was escorted on
board the Mariposa by Marshal Baldwin
and Deputy Marshal Gallagher.
1t will be remem bertd that on the
morning after Reardon's arrest mis- ex-
traordinary resem blance to Butler startled
Detective Balm bridge and Corporal Gel
mann when they saw him standing among
the "drunks" in the City Prison.
The two officers were so amazed by the
RESENT blance that they took Reardon to
Captain Lees office. and the captain nearly
fell off his chair with establishment. think
ing that Butler had by some unheard-cf
means escaped from the County Jail.
Chief Crowley was equally surprised and
others who saw Reardon accosted him as
Butler.
Reardon appeared to willingly consent
to sit for his photograph, and laughlngly
asked the favor of having a copy, as he
had not been photographed for many
years. He never called for it and he had
Reardon said he was born in Ireland in
1884 and came to this country when
boy. He fought through the war and
ultimately came to this coast and worked
as Iongshoreman about ten years ago.
Then he went to the country and had
been there since.
When arrested he gave his age as 40, and
he certainly looked more like 40 than 90.
When this was pointed out to him he was
confused for a moment and then re-
marked that he mad taken good care of
himself. Another thing was pointed out
TO him. He gave the name of Daniel
Reardon when arrested, but next morn
ing when asked what was his Christian
name he said John j." He was again
confused when told he had given the
name of Daniel and put it off by saying
that he was drunk and didn't know what
he was doing.
Detective Bainbridge, whose remark
able faculty for remembering faces is so
Invaluable to the department., has re-
marked several times since that. notwith-
standing Reardon's name and nationality
he must be a blood relation of Butler.
And according to Reardon's own con-
fession Balm bridge is right.
Reardon and Butler are brothers, and
their true surname is Ashe, Butler being
Richard Ashe and Reardon John J. Ashe
Behind that is the story of a plot con-
cocted by the Australian murderer to
make his escape from the City Prison
with the assistance of his brother, aided
by the extraordinary resemblance between
them.
gentleman of the utmost integrity,
but whose adherence of notoriety pre-.
vents his name from being made public,
is the authority for the statement of the
relationship between the two and the de
tails of the plot.
II was anxious to get a last glimpse OF
Butler" he said to CALL reporter yester-
day, land went down to the Mail dock
Saturday afternoon.
II had read the story of the two Dro-
mios in THE CALL about week before
with the picture OF Butler and his double
While walking around l noticed a man
standing aloof from the crowd with roll
OF blankets strapped across his back
~ took a good look at him, and his re-
markable resem blance to Butler at once
struck me and jumped to the conclusion
that he was Butler's double.
my curiosity led me to speak TO the
man, and l asked him if he was waiting to
have look at Butler. He replied that he
was, and | commented on his resem blance
10 the murderer.
"'You were the man that was arrested
for being drunk and the policemen thought
was so like Butter aren't you, asked,
and he rather reluctantly admitted that
he was the man.
ave cbatted for few minutes and as I
found him an interesting talker 1 took
him across TO a saloon and we had three
drinks He drank whisky and had beer.