The San Francisco call., 1898-04-06

Out in Laurel Hill Cemetery is a newly made grave. To-day the fresh sod will be torn up and the casket re- moved, by direction of the police, for they are working on a mystery as deep and dark as was ever brought to their notice.
 The silent occupant of the grave was known in life as. Vidal Messa, or Ger vantes, and the breaking into her last home is done in order to clear away, if possible, the mystery of her death.
 Murder is the theory the officers are working on and should this theory be correct the case will prove one of the most sensational in the criminal records of the city.
 The scene of the tragedv-if such 1t is-was laid in the heart of the Latin quarter, localit- that has yielded all too many such mysteries, the central figures being people of the lowest type.
 Vidal Messa had been a familiar figure to the denizens of Hinckley and Pinckney alleys, both in the shadow of the gloomy old County 1ail on Broadway. Fat, no longer fair and on the seamy side of the half-century mark, the woman made her home at IS Pinckney street, together with Hans Nelson, her companion and confiden- tial agent. He it was who nursed her through many hours of suffering when she lay gasping for breath from ire quent attacks of asthma, while each day he made the rounds of the dens of vice that belonged to her and levied on the occupants the -tortionate tribute demanded bv his istress, but one de- gree removed from the shame into which they had sunk
 Faithfully Nelson performed his duties, and steadily the woman's DOS sessions increased. Property in other parts of the town in less despicable locations passed into her name and un- ceasingly grew the store of gold cred ited to her in bank. The little .1g that invariably hung at her belt always con- tained several hundred dollars, while costly jewels sparkled on her puffy hands and at her deep-lined throat.
 She had a passion for costly attire, and the closets of her Pinckney street home contained no less than forty-six dresses, including heaviest satins and brccades, and at least a dozen tri- umphs of the milliners art
 While she suffered greatly at times from her malady, Vidal Messa never believed herself to be in danger and the simple remedies supplied by her faithful friend, Nelson, invariably re- lieved her in a short time.
 For nearly four years Nelson had served Vidal as friend and protector, when to his astOnishment one day last month she disappeared. It was on the Fist, two weeks ago, and she did not return that night. The following day, however, Vidal walked into the Pinckney- street house and announced to Nelson that she was married-hao married one Florentino Cervantes.
 Mrs. Cervantes did not appear to bc as happy as bride is expected to be and later when an acouaintance called upon her she burst into tears. and sait she did not know she had been mar. ried, that she had no recollection of thu ceremony having been performed, bu that Cervantes and some of his friend! had induced her to drink heavily and il was while she was in that condition that the ceremony must have taker place.
 She told Nelson that they had pass ed that night at 636 Vallejo street, be tween Montgomery avenue and Stock