The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-14

DO IHt avenue, last night on suspicion OF
having murdered her 2-year-old IL
legitimate child, John Richard Gray, by
administering q dose of carbolic acid. A
quarrel with the father of the child,
which resulted in the separation Of the
couple, added to the fact that there were
too many mouths to be fed, is believed TO
be the motive for the revolving crime
The father Of the child, Wilson Gray, is
the accuser Of the woman. and had he
not reported the matter TO the police 1t
1s probable the death would have passed
as an accident.
Yesterday shortly after noon DR.. H. A.
Niemeyer reported TO the Coroner's office
that q child had died from carbolic acid
poisoning at III Parker avenue. He had
BEEN told that the baby picked up bot
tie containing the acid in the yard and
swallowed the contents. Believing the
statement made him by the mother, he
gave it to Deputy Coroner Sullivan as he
heard it. and the body, at the request OF
D. the family, was allowed TO remain at the
o house. DR.. Zabala viewed the body last
night, and as there seemed to be no evil
dence of anything but an accident. was
satisfied that it was not necessary to per
form an autopsy.
While the Coroner's officials were in
vestigating the case Wilson Gray, a
teamster for David Dillon, presented
himself at the O'Farrell-street station
and informed Sergeant Burke that he be-
Heved a murder had been committed. The
sergeant notified the Chief of Police, and
he with Detective Graham went to the
home of Mrs. Adams TO ascertain the
truth of the statement made by Gray.
From the Investigations they made and
the evidence they secured they came TO
the conclusion that Mrs. Adams had
killed the child. The woman was placed
under arrest and the body OF the babe
was taken 10 the Morgue.
Mrs. Adams, who lives with her father
John Tyrrell, has been separated from
her husband, John Adams, for some time
About three years ago she became mt
mate with Gray, and the two lived TO-
gether at the house of her father A
child was born TO them, and they con-
tinued TO live as man and wife until with
In the past two months, when Gray LETT
hsr-he claims because she took money
from his pockets at night.
The vou1an's version OF the separation
IS that Gray would return home drunk,
and she would take possession of the
money until he sobered up This, she
claims. angered him and he threatened
TO shoot her. ,-. c,-o,-
on his return from work last night cray
found the following note: Come up ana
see YOUR child. He IS dead AS ne hau
not been on very friendly terms wiz - 1i.e
family he suspected the note was ruse
and determined TO notify the police. 10
Sergeant Duke he confded the history OF
his mast relations with Mrs. Adams, ana
said he feared TO go to the house alohe
, lest he should become the victim OF Ioui
play. He said he did not believe the paDy
1-as dead but stated that If the contents
~ the note were true he felt certain that
the child had been murdered by It's notn-
er In support of this statement he toto
the sergeant that Mrs Adams had Wlshed
20 get rid of the burden and once talked
Of putting II in some home A trlT1e over
q month ago, he claims, Mrs. Adams told
him that the boy had found q bottle OF
carbolic acid. which she had taken away
from him She at that time made the
threat that If the child found the bottle
again she would let him swallow it.
To all appearances the case seemed
=r71relv an accident and no evidence TO
supDort the claim Of murder was visible
Every member of the family told a
straight story. but when closely cues
.+foned nv the police several contradictory
statements were made. The mother said
that shortly before noon she heard the
how CRYING in the back yard. She TOOK
him into an clubhouse, but soon brought
him out, closing the door after her- On
the sand in front Of the place she saw
bo+t1e but thought nothing Of It, Re-
t,,-1tng 70 the house she prepared to do
eorne cooking when she heard the child
crv again, and on going out to ma the
cause found him lying at the bottom OF
+hA stairs. apparently in great agony, with
the bottle in his hand. She took him into
the house, and neighbors, who were callea
IN thought the child had spasms. MISS
Tana Kenney. who lives next door, smell
cd the acid and it was not until she re-
.,oarlxed this that the mother thought 10
+ei1 that the child had been holding a
I,o+.la which. when she picked him up,
Che threw over the fence. After some
lime DR.. Neimeyer was summoned and
"a few moments after his arrival the paDy
was dead. ;.
exnlajned bv Harrison Tyrrell, the 10
gear-oId brother Of Mrs. Adams, and the
T,oIice believe from his manner that he
was coached on the story. Harrison says
d. that on last Saturday, while playing with
Albert Blair, the child OF neighoor, the
fa++er found the bottle in vacant lot
near his home The Tyrreu boy claims
that young Blair remarked, THAT is a
GOOD bottle" Harrison picked the bottle
I'm he saws. and put it in his pocket. La
fer he placed It in the cellar of his home,
and after that hid 1t behind the clubhouse.
According to his statement the bottle.
which is a half-pint whisky flask, con-
famed scarcely a tablespoonful of liquid.
Nearlv a teaspoonful remained in the
flask when taken possession Of by the
police.
The statement Of Harrison Tyrrell is
contradicted by Albert Blair. The latter
claims that he cid not find the bottle
didn't see the Tyrrell boy find it. and, in
fact, had never laid eyes on it until 1t was
in the hands Of TIE police. He told his
story 10 Sergeant Duke apd Detective
Graham in a straightforward manner
which differed greatly from the parrot
like story Of his playmate.
While the statements made by MRS.
Adams and her brother did not have the
air OF truth about them, and were con-
Trajectory at times, the police found no
absolute evidence until they examined the
outbuilding. When the door was opened
any lingering belief in the minds Of tho
officers that the woman might be telling
the truth was dispetiod. There was
strong edoT Of carbeite sctd, which re-