The San Francisco call., 1899-10-11

W NJ
MMH who engaged the police and cit
" " izens Of Alameda in desperate
combat shortly after midnight
Monday morning has been cleared away.
Behind it all is a story of a boy who was
led into crime, and after serving part of
his sentence in the State prison was given
chance to redeem himself, but despite
an heroic effort surrendered to the infu-
ences of the companions he had met while
incarcerated in the penal institution.
The dead burglar has been identified as
Bert Willmore, the companion of the Ma
Jors boys, who created a reign of terror
IN the cities across the bay about four
years ago. OF the trio Archie Majors was
killed in a battle to the death with officers
Of the law in Utah; Abe Majors is now
under sentence of death for participation
in the crime that cost his brother his life,
and Bert Willmore-the only one Of the
youthful gang who attempted to reform
lies on a slab in the Alameda branch
morgue, the victim of the cowardice of
the Chief Of Police of the Encinal City
That the lad was desperate and would
not hesitate to take a human life in his
frantic efforts to escape from the armed
force that was pursuing him, no one will
question, but when brave" Chief Conrad
fired the bullet that crushed Willmore's s
skull and ended his lifes romance the boy
was lying PROSTATE and helpless on the
ground, writhing in pain from the wounds
he had received, his revolver empty and
beyond his reach. 1t was then that the
Alameda officer stepped from cover and
displayed his nerve and bravery and sent
q bullet crashing through the skull Of
Willmore.
The police were in ignorance of the iden-
tity Of the dead man and his captured
companion until the prisoner consented TO
talk. Although the corpse that covered
a slab at the branch morgue was that Of a
boy who had participated in the robbery
of nine stores on the main street of the
city in one night, while officers patrolled
up and down in front of the doors not a
single one Of the sleurhs of the Alameda
force recognized the remains. The pris-
oner, Z. Z. Sullivan, pardoned murderer
who had been an inmate Of the Folsom
prison, revealed the identity of his unfor-
tunate companion in crime and cleared
up the mist that surrounded the whole
affair. He unfeelingly placed the respon-
sibilfty on the boy, whom he had led into
the scrape and who had been deprived by
death OF the chance of defending him
self from the blame of the distressing af-
1alr. SullVan poses as saint among sin
ners, and pictures the boy whom he lured
to his ruin as a sinner among saints.
All the circumstances surrounding the
tragedy point TO Willmore's determination
to profit by the past and endeavor to be-
come a useful and honorable citizen His
employers speak Of him in the most fiat
terlng terms. and the foreman at the cleo
trio works where he was engaged shed
tears when he learned Of his fate All
these men had given him helping hand
in his efforts TO redeem himself and their
kindliness had not been wasted until the
man who had been his companion at Fol-
som crossed his life and darkened his
future. His benefactors had warned him
against the evil that beamed from the
mans countenance, and he promised
them to shun him as he would a pesti-
lence. He battled bravely TO make good
his resolve, but Sullivan would not be
shaken off. He haunted the boy, he
pleaded with him for money and when he
got him completely under his control he
led him into the crime that ended In young
Willmore's cruel and unwarranted Killing,
A tie even greater than Sullivan's own
evil influence held the boy in his fatal
grasp. A woman adds link to the chain
that dragged the youth to his death The
Eister-in-law of his evil genius was
forced into his life by the designing Sui
livan. Love was made to play a part in
the desperate game. and when Willmore
met his death at the merciless hand of
Alameda's Chief of Police he was the
affianced husband Of the woman She is
Mrs. Eva Thomas, the divorced wife of
Sullivan's brother. She II was who in
response to a telegram from the "brave'
guardian of the law Of the Encinal an
nouncIng the death Of her lover visited the
branch morgue across the bay, and kneel-
ing beside the bier Of Willmore gave vent
to her feelings in agonizing sobs and at
tested her affection in feryent, earnest
prayer
Willmore and Sullivan left the State
prison at Folsom December a. 1898, the
tormer on parole, the latter pardoned.