The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
SAYS COLLINS WAS KILLED
 BY A WOMAN "Indian Pete" Garcia Tells of the
 Murder. Accuses the Person Who Has Passed as His
 Wife. Declares That She Slew and Robbed the Aged Car
 penter. SAVING HIS OWN NECK. Admits That He Helped to Dispose of the Body and Spend the Vic- tinl's Money.
SAVING HIS OWN NECK.
Admits That He Helped to Dispose of the Body and Spend the Vic-
 tinn's Money.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 15.-"Indian Pete" Garcia, the alleged murderer of Charles Collins near Santa Monica, has made confession in which he asserts that the woman who has passed as his wife killed Collins. The confession was made by Garcia at the County Jail to-day, in the presence of Sheriff Burr and Chief Jailer Kennedy.
 The story Garcia tells is plausible, but it must be remembered that If Garcia can establish it's truth it saves his worthless neck. Ever since Garcia s arrest an effort has been made to pre- vail upon him to tell the story of the crime, but until to-day his lips have been sealed. He has now unbosomed himself and insists that the woman who calls herself Mrs. Garcia commit ted the deed.
 Garcia claims that last Friday night Collins came to the shack where Garcia was living with the woman and that all three proceeded to get drunk. They drank a gallon of red wine and were soon reduced to state of lunacy. They sang and caroused for some time, and finally old man Collins, in his drunken way, began to make love to the woman, who was the most intoxicated one of the three. Garcia did not object, and the woman and Collins had long con- versation. In the meantime Garcia improved the shining hours by con- suming more than his share of the red wine.
 At length the woman and Collins told Garcia they intended to go away and remain for the evening. Garcia claims that they departed and that in short time the woman came back alone, with an ax upon her shoulder, remarking that she had done the old man up.'' Garcia says the woman then took the ax and washed the blood and hair from the steel. After she had done this she passed him a gold piece, say ing:
 Here is twenty for you" At the same time she rattled some more money in her pocket, saying:
 ''The old man had lot.'' Garcia admits that he then went with the woman to Collins body with the intention of burying it. It lay in a great pool of blood on the sand dunes. The corpse was badly multi lated, and in trying to arrange it so that he could cover it with sand Gar cia says that he got spattered with
 
 the murdered man proved to be too difficult so they finally returned to their shack and left it lying on the sands, where 1t was found the next day.
 Garcia was arrested while spending the dead mans money. The woman was present while Garcia was relating this tale to the officers, and, consider ing the nature of the revelations that were being unfolded, she took re- r markedly little interest in it. When Indian Pete" as Garcia is known, had concluded his story she arose from her chair and said:
 'It is all lie. Pete and Collins and me were all together that night drink ing. Collins went away and Pete and me went to bed. That's all there is to it. I don't know who killed the old man. I didn't"
 All efforts to prevail upon the woman to confess availed nothing. She refused to accuse Garcia of the crime and as resolutely denied knowing any, thing about 1t herself Tn several par ticulars she denied the story of Garcia. She said that they had other drink besides the gallon of red wine The officers are inclined to believe that the confession of Garcia is the truth. Sheriff Burr is of the opinion that the woman committed the actual crime, but that Garcia assisted her in planning it and in carrying the plan into execution.