The herald., 1898-10-24
NJ IS NEWS TO him
D. ]. GRIFFITH DENIES BEING A
FoR0ER OR A BURGLAR
HIS MYSTERIOUS ACTIONS
Explanations Are Contradictory-The
Detectives Think He May Be
Fugitive From Justice

| CuK1ClVo ETOm uSC1Co
| In the person of the man who claims his
name is d. j. Griffith the police think they
have a mysterious and an important pris
oner. In any event, Griffith has been acting
very strangely ever since his arrival in Los
Angeles, and at least two of his escapades
are of a criminal nature. He was arrested
Saturday night at River station on charge
of forgery, and yesterday he was positively
| identified by a woman as the man she had
discovered in her house on Friday afternoon
who, she thinks, stole 80 from her purse.
When Griffith was approached at the sta
tion by the detectives and John Schneider,
proprietor Of the Arcade Depot saloon, on
whom the forged check was passed, he rec
ognized Schneider and started to run away,
but was caught after short chase. Inc
attention of the police had been called by a
| Herald reporter to the strange movements
of Griffith since last Thursday. The man
had originally gone to the Hollenbeck hotel
and registered as D. j. Griffith OF FL Paso,
Tex. On Friday he telephoned that he had
been seriously injured in a runaway accident
and would not use his room any longer. He
sent messenger boy for his belongings and
had them removed to the Chicago lodging
| house at l42 South Main street. At this
place he paid days room rent in advance
and said he was going out to attend the
atrical performance.
During his absence Herald reporter
he was informed of the visitor, but was
not told his business. He seemed greatly
disturbed over the information and quietly
| took his valse and. left the house. lie
turned up at the Arcade Depot hotel short
time after leaving the Chicago house and
registered as George H. Morris. He re-
manned until Saturday, and then in paying
$3.50 on him. Schneider soon learned that
the check had been forged and caused his
arrest.
Yesterday one of the detectives recalled
the circumstances of a robbery of Mrs. +.
A. Law of 956 Buena Vista street, which
had occurred on Friday. On that day Mrs.
Law thought she heard noise in her bed
standing in front of the bureau drawer, in
the act of opening the receptacle. When
she demanded his business he replied that
he wanted furnished room. Mrs. Law
feared that he had robbed her, pulled open
the drawer and, searching her jewel re-
ceptacle, discovered that nothing had been
taken She then bethought herself of her
pocketbook which had been in reticule
hanging on the doorknob. She opened this,
but as soon as she did the visitor turned and
ran from the house. He hurried across the
street, ran down the embankment to the
Southern Pacific yards at River station,
and, hailing a driver of wagon, was taken
aboard and driven toward the city.
Mrs. Law was requested to call at the po.
lice station and take a look at Griffith, as
the description she had given Of her visitor
who she thought had robbed her of So, which
was found missing from her purse after his
departure, was similar to the appearance OF
the prisoner. As soon as Mrs. Law saw
Griffith in the detectives room she re.
marked
That is the man who came to my house" !"
Il guess You are mistaken, family OBJ
jected Griffith, and this was all he said. The
woman and several neighbors were able to
describe the appearance of the visitor Of
Friday, and in all points he agreed with
Griffith. Griffith is feet inches in height,
weights about l25 pounds, has heavy
brown mustache, blue eyes and hair turned
prematurely gray.
lice station by Herald reporter yesterday
afternoon. He ascribes his conduct to
drink, but on the point of the forged check
his memory is a perfect blank. Griffith
claims that he is native of Central Ohio,
and the son Of wealthy parents, who are now
travelling abroad. He became estranged
from them through his habits of drinking,
and although he took the Kelley cure it ap-
parently had no effect in helping him. For
Ell Paso, Texas, and came here Thursday
with S420, the remainder of $4,000 which he
had secured from the sale of three horses.
He claimed that he had been on a pro.
longed spree, which had lasted from one to
three months, and his mind had become at
times partially deranged FROM the effects.
The reason he had not remained at the 1ol
tn,h hNnr Aol1, hany Ion L,k ia
he had spent large sum Of money on fast
women Thursday night, and not being able
to. keep up appearances decided to seek
other quarters. He claimed to have been
frequenting the society of fast women, and
gave as his reason for renting the room in
the Chicago lodging house was because he
desired to take woman there. The cause
for his sudden leave taking had been due t.
his distatste for the lodging house. He had
no woman to take to his room, so he had ne
further desire to remain. Regarding the
check transaction with Schneider, he
claimed that he knew nothing, and as to
the claim of Mrs. Law, he positively entered
denial. On the point of his identity he
was positive. He claimed that his correct
name was Griffith but declined to give the
name of the city where his relatives lveH.
The mans story would be improbable
throughout were il not that. he. bases the
cause of his strange actions to the influence
of liquor His appearance does not indi.
cate that he has been on an extended de.
bauch, however. The officers think that
he is clever crook His manner is much
above the average, and his appearance is
quite prepossessing To do him justice, he
neither looks nc, talks like criminal The
detectives think that he is fugitive from
justice, and will make every endeavor to as
certain who he may be- He was charged
with forgery yesterday, and will be arraign-
ed in court this week