The San Francisco call., 1899-10-10
Lees Finds a Valuable
Witness.
STORY TOLD BY J. w. WINTON
SAYS LEWIS AND MURPHY
WERE ON THE MARIPoSA.
The Former Told Him He Had a Big
Job On-Sovsreigns Stolen Be
fore the Alameda Reached
Auckland.

C1iss e Police Lees yesterday secured
Information which he claims viii prove
-E great value In uuraveInig the ravs-
-er- sErro --111g the robbery on the
steamship Alameda last May. when q box
containing 5000 sovereigns was stolen
from the scrCCgrOou Of the vessel on the
trip from Sydney, Australia. TO this port
The nan who furnished the Chief with
r-ls valuable information IS J. W Win
t9-, the ventCi-oCuist. now playing an
engagement a. the OCpheUm, who arrived
C- the City q Peking from Honolulu
TIE story told BY Wintoa fully explains
certain matters thaE have al along puz-
ed The police, and clearly establishes the
---1ec1cc Or the man Lewis with the
sang which the Chief has maintained
t---- tLs first committed the roboery.
--11 sailed from san Francisco Tor
A-cA-a-1 on Apru 2 on the steamer
Lz--rcsa- and Lewis, who travelled IN
-zr The name Of Murphy, was a fellow
passenger. Lewis had known Winton in
Australia and was known oy the latter
came quite co11ts1tla4 and iItlInAted
C-zLL-y that he had some LntLg on that
would pan out big
Z you knew what : know he told
vv-r-on con6deutiaIIy, you wouldn't be
working those dummies for living,
referring 70 the lay figures used by the
mats ali right an on 70 your
same replied W.ncou, but don't make
--v LIVING that way
Lewis was rolling IN wealth on the voy-
age over and as he was drunk greater
part cE Tie tine -5 gave the mate l5qv
slvsretECs 10 keep for him Win-1n also
noticed that Lewis spent hours each day
il close -C--E- -1or win SleecaSe pas
z=-Ee- ard y Esn asked by Chief Lees 10
describe the man gave a detailed CeSCrlp-
r.- az the member CL the gang who was
known in SaL Francisco by the name Of
L-.Gy. but whose real name Is Murphy.
Thar was JUST the Information the Chief
zs AFTER. as tr establishes the identity
II --= -N1 members or the gang Who
were passengers or the steamer on that
TrErc1r also says he saw Cooper, alias
Who Is serving four Years sentence II
Mexican prison for getting away with
20. from a bank IN The City Of Mexico,
On -l= Aa--pCSa Just before the vessel
IeEts
Another sacr in connection with the rob
berry according 20 Chief Lees that has
-.- been published heretofore IS that the
box 1t s0Ee-=ig1s was stolen between Sgd
-=- and Auckland This couCs1Ci0u Of the
lC-e- IS based on Information Furnished
On the ALauedl. He went into the strong
room T-e1 the steamer was three days
counted the boxes containing the soVer-
=-ECS- He counted them three times. and
rlere were twenty ---lr5. here sClLi
have been thirty. although the boy was
unaware 5f that fact. Chtzf Lees knows
where Cook IS. and can produce min al
any time The robbery was not discoV-
cred e- -le officers OF the steamer Until
V----- -Lrea DAYS q Honolulu
The NartPcsa arrived at Auckland on
Nay j. and the Alameda left Sydney On
Nav IL arriving ar Auckland on the 18th
giving Lewis and Murphy plenty Of time
% arrange -1r receiving the stolen gold
Z has also been learned that the lock on
--= door Of the steamers S-rOCErOOu
could be removed and replaced without
removing The seal. But while these facts
ara important in providing cIews 20 the
perpetrators Of the robbery the identity
~ the robbers themselves Is yet & uys-
-=rv- Chief Lees IS greatly encouraged bv
-1= information furnished By Wiuton.
however. especially the suggestion made
t- the latter thar Lewis is in all proba-
h-lLrT somewhere in Western Australia
The exact Whereabouts OF Murphy. or
E-0dy IS not known. but the Chief an
-e-ra-es E-rIe trouble IN locating him
when wanted