The San Francisco call., 1898-10-09
STRANGE MIDNIGHT VISITOR
UNIQUE ATTEMPT TO EXPORT
 A CONFESSION.
The Brooks Murder Suspect Declares His Caller Weighed 200 Pounds and Assembled Sheriff
 Harrison.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAN RAFAEL, Oct. S.-The Court house ghost-the mocking, gibbering, misunderstanding ghost that has infested a cell in the County Jail and struck terror to the hearts of Weary Willies and Tramping Trilbies for four long years-has at last materialized in the flesh.
 Peter Nelson, the former deckhand on the yacht Chispa, who was arrested on suspicion of having murdered Cap tain J. Moss Brooks, is the one who made the discovery. According to Nel- son, the ghost weighs nearly 200 pounds and has a voice so nearly resembling that of genial Sheriff Harrison that, to the deckhand's mind at least, the ghost and the official sustain to each other the relation of a Dr. Jekyn and MT. Hyde.
 Yet who will believe for an instant that the removed slatee for Sheriff Of the late Democratic convention could have been the midnight visitant who made the local jail famous as possess ing a ghost cell'; who frightened Chinese so badly that he committed suicide by hanging himself in the cell with q strip of blanket; who drove an Indian from MarshalIs, insane; who
  hardly any evidence, into a confession of murder and who has caused tramps to go down on their knees and beg to be released as If their lives were at stake?
 Nelson was placed in this same ghost cell,' and he asserts that the et- fort to frighten him into a confession not only was a dismal failures but that he is satisfied in his own mind as to the identity of the Visitant whose pe- culiar method of eXtorting comics sion would have done credit to Chief Lees himself.
 You see" said Nelson. who was re- leased from prison yesterday, the first thing they tried on me was to take me at night up to Coroner Eden's and into the room where Captain Brooks re- mains lay. They had a light thrown on the face that gave it an awful ghastiy tint. I was carefully watched to see If I would make any sign, and then Sheriff Harrison said in sepulchral tones:
 Nelson, this mans clay calls for vengeance. Can you say you are not the murderer in this awful presence|
 And then District Attorney Marti- nelli clipped in with:
 Yes, purge your soul of it's black stain by telling the story of your ter rible crime
 q said I guessed I would stick to my original story, and they took me back to the ghost cell About mid night I heard stealthy steps climbing I'D on the cell from the rear. In @ mo- ment there was a fearful groan and iron chains were clanked on the steel roof of the cell. You bet I was scared at first, but I concluded ghosts steps weren't taken according to Hoyle when they could be heard. So I waited and at the next groan I was sure I had rad n the door where my voice could be heard and shouted: "'Sheriff, come down off there. You can't work that old ghost chestnut on me-
 There was silence and then another groan, but I distinctly heard the ghost crawl down and he never had the nerve to brace me again"
 So much for what may itself be only a fairy tale.
 With the release of Nelson goes the last hope of finding the murderer of Captain Brooks. The authorities have literally accomplished nothing. For some time District Attorney Martinelh has been too busy doing politics with Trustee Syiva of Sausalito to find time for such a small matter as seeking murderer, and Elk and Burke, the other men suspected by the authorities. have furnished a complete alib.
 Elk has proved by a friend named
 
 pheum Theater in San Francisco on the night of the murder and did not go home until nearly midnight. Burke was at the Model Hotel on Mission street, between Third and Fourth.
 Mrs. Elk proves by Mrs. Killion that Burke wrote the letter to Captain Cutie, asking for her husband a posi- tion as captain of the yacht, and that there was nothing strange in his know ing it at o'clock in the morning. Mate Johnson of the ferry-boat San Rafael met Burke at the wharf in San Fran cisco on the morning of the murder and told him. Burke then went to Mrs. Elk's house and wrote the letter.