The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-22

ana Epperson came to my place about
they began quarreling. Then they went
10 lot near by and had a scrap, Epper-
son coming out ahead. They again stepped
INTO my saloon and drank together, and
the next thing l knew both were on the
moor, Epperson on top. l went and sepa-
rated them. When Epperson told me that
ms .JuguIar was cut L placed him in a
chalr and Gilligan walked out. l did not
see any weapon. A few minutes after
pacing him in the chair he died We did
not think, at first, that he was very seri-
ouSly hurt; The wound is only about an
men long, but it did the work.
tof an + f6ilort, II is said, was made to OBJ
appeared at all anxious, and Epperson
died unattended. His body was at once
Sergeant Scanlan afterward asked
Du1er as to who had telephoned for the
patrol wagon. Some one had telephoned
Receiving Hospital" said the Sergeant.
and that his assailant was being held y
D4ier did not remember. The officer then
called Duier's attention to the bad rep
utauon OF the Office saloon, remarI1ing
that Cronin had also been murdered near
the place. 81 don't care If there is a man
its none of my business" The once
saloon was formerly run by Fat" Hig-
gins, who recently transferred his inter
est to. Kennedy and Duier. The police
regard the joint as one of the most no
torious in Alameda County.
Inc hangerS-On at the saloon showed
their contempt for the officers by Yelling
and cheering gleefully when they saw
them leave without their man. During
failed to material lie. There appeared to
be every reason for the police suspectfng
that an attempt was being made to de-
Jude them.
An inquest will be held probably next
Thursday night. An eXamina ton of the
body revealed but one cash, the one sew
cut and about half an inch long Some
one had placed absorbing cotton over the
411,1 tie ~.
neck.
Epperson was a native of London. Can
ada, aged 81 years. From letters found on
his person it is judged that he had evil
IDENTIFY regarded Granite, Mont, his home.
One of these letters was signed by Rose
Epperson,' presumably his wife, written
at Granite. Another letter is from Police
man Jack Sherry of the Oakland force
and relates to a racehorse, Texarkana, in
which Sherry, George Bowley and de-
ceased were interested. In small note
book was found jotted down the expenses
for keeping of the horses TeXarkana and
Bessie Lee, and these items were written
beneath an apparent firm name of Sherry
& Epperson.
AS to the antecedents of the deceased.
all kinds of rumors are heard. By some
Epperson was regarded a dangerous man.
Recently he was mixed up in a fight at
the Ingleside track and came out with his
right middle finger bitten off. Wfthal his
reputation seems to have been unsavory.
James Gilligan is said by some of the
officers at the track to be an inoffenSive
fellow and one who never sought trouble.
He Is regarded by some as being simple
minded, and all agree that he was under
Epperson when he made the fatal plunge.
He has acted as valet to jockeys and as
horse-rubber, and has never been in
trouble before. 1t is said that Epperson
has a record of having taken two human
lives during his career.
The killing of EpperSon is the third
murder that has made the Emeryville
track notorious. Two years ago Deputy
Constable Denny Cronin, a man of fam
-e1,xN fe.3sl 10 hA ra1)
James Bryan lad who is now in San
Quentin. Some time later j. II. Raeside.
a mason, was discovered on the railroad
track at Emeryville horribly mutilated.
An investigation showed that the man
had been murdered before being placed
on the track, but the murderer was never
found.
Gilligan, the slayer Of Epperson, was ar
rested late last night at his home, 1413
Baker street. Policeman Aitken saw him
emerging from his home, and accosting
him he asked him If his name was Gill
lig ss4n,r ~. sr,,,iro,v exclaimed c,ui-
gan. MY name is Murphy"
Recognizing him from the description
given of him by the Oakland police, Ait
ken told him that he was wanted at
Il guess the jig is up" replied the muir
derer. you've got the right man this
After admitting that his name was Gil
ligan, the slayer of Epperson extended his
hand as If anticipating that the officer
was about to place the irons on his wrist
He was then handcuffed and taken to the
City Prison, where he was booked en-
When asked for his version of the trag-
edy Gilligan, who is only % years of age,
said: The cutting was the result of row
Epperson and l had last summer in Butte
City, Mont. He was beating an innocent
stable boy when interfered He then
started to assault me and in the struggle
when we met last evening l was with
a stable boy named Tommy Brennan. I
| Ix-f no into 1.-Two -
take him to the train, as he was anxious
to return to San Francisco to see some of
his friends. AS soon as Eppinger saw us
he walked up to us and with an oath
dragged Brennan away from me. I ex-
postulated with him, when he struck me-
| knocking me down AS 1 lay PROSTATE he
body. A prize fighter. who is known as
Spike Sullivan, thinking he. intended to
tuncture and dragged Epperson away
from me. l walked into the rear room of
the saloon to wash the blood off my face,
when heard Eppinger declare that I was
no good and that he was going to lick me
every time he met me. There was small
| knife on the shelf in the room. and pick
| ing it up I determined to defend myself
| As / emerged from the room Epperson
started after me, evidently. intending to
and stabbed him in the neck. I then ran
! from the place and took the first train
for this city. Knowing that the police
| would be after me, / went to my home on
Baker street to bid my mother good-by
and then attempt to leave the. city Just
as I was emerging from the house I was
surprised to find a police officer waiting
! for me. first tried to deny my identity,
| but as he seemed convinced that | was
/ the right man finally admitted the truth
| am sorry for Epperson, but as he was
determined to do me had to protect my
/ Gllligan will be taken back to Oakland
| to-day.
.Anakesis cures Piles. nothing else. Sam
J pie free. Address Anakesis, New York =