The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-14
SHOT DOWN.
A San Francisco Citizen is Killed
on the Street
By Private ROsser of the Ten
nessee Regiment.
NO APPARENT CAUSE.
Murderer is Arrested and Other
Soldiers Disarmed.
Private Emmett of the goth
Kansas Resists.
Strikes a Captain and is Put
Under Arrest.
NO APPARENT CAUSE.

San Francisco, Sept. 14.-Walter ROs-
ser, a private of the Tennessee regiment
last night shot and killed Henry Hide
brandt an emplOye of the Spreckles
market, in this city. Rosser was walk
ing up Market street and seeing the
sweetmeats exposed to view, it is al
legged, started to help himself, and was
told by Hildebrandt, who is employed
by Fink & Co, owner of the stall from
which the goods We're being taken, to
move on about his business. Rosser,
instead of complying, Immediately drew
his revolver and pointing it at Hide
brandt. fired the shot which instantly
killed him Rosser is now in the coun-
ty Jail charged with murder
When he was booked at the city
prison, he began to sober up. He
handed in q lady's gold watch and $65
in coin and asked that the valuables
be cared for. Then he wept and said
he realized his deep disgrace but claim
ed not to recOIect anything about the
shooting.
My father and mother are alive"
he said, and are living in Stevenson.
Ala. My father is superintendent of
the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis
railroad. I am a member of the Sigma
Nu fraternity and a graduate of the
Vanderbilt university and am entitled
to the degree Of NJ. D. When the war
broke out I was a student in classics,
but left school and enlisted in the Ten
nessee regiment at Memphis My
knowledge of medicine gained me the
position of steward of company B,
which position I still hold.
I have telegraphed nay father and
expect him to come to this city at
once"
Later in the evening Judge J. H.
Guerry of Georgia.. who has lately
come to this state to practice law, called
on the prisoner and rendered his ser
vices as a friend of the family and he
was accepted. He will appear in court
when ROsser is arraigned.
Eye witnesses of the affair state that
ROsser fired the fatal shot without
provOcation- He fought against ar
in the excitement, having slipped one
hand through the steel handcuff. While
waiting for the patrol wagon he is said
to have pushed the dead body Of his
victim with the toe of his shoe.
Colonel Smith of the Tennessee regi-
ment deeply regrets the Odium which
the crime has cast upon his command.
He will compel all the men to surrender
their weapons and may restrict their
liberty in the future. The regiment has
achieved an unenviable reputation
since its arrival here, some of the mem
bers having been concerned in a recent
brutal assault on a negro near the
Preside and others having been ar
rested for various OmenseS- Colonel
Smith, however, declares that most of
his men are members of southern fam
lilies of good social standing but a bad
element got in during the hasty recruit
ing necessary to increase its COM
panies from "a to 1O6 men.
The murder caused General Miller
and Colonel Smith to send out guards
to arrest drunken soldiers and return
them to camp and this work was con-
tinued until an early hour this morn
ing. The appearance of the armed
guards on the prominent streets caused
considerable excitement. Albert s. EN-
NETT a private of the Twentieth Kan
sas regiment, resisted the attempt of
the provost guard to take him from
saloon and struck the captain of the
guard a blow that knocked him down.
Emmett was arrested.
A private of the Tennessee regiment
who gave his name as James Johnson,
was arrested for discharging a pistol.
Corporal Conley of the Seventh Cali
fornia was jabbed by a bayonet in the
hands of a Washington soldier for at
tempting to prevent an arrest. There
We're several other encounters but no
one was seriously hurt.