The San Francisco call., 1899-04-23

pistols, which he thought he could find.
He failed to do so.
Cooper used to be a physician" con-
tinued Edgar, land confessed to me
that his intention while on the mid
night watch was to put knockout
drops in the coffee of the guards. The
intention was then to unlock enough
cells to let about five hundred prison
ers out and all would have escaped
over the walls"
Warden Hale summoned Edward
Morrell, who is regarded as the prime
mover in the conspiracy The man
was very defiant. He bitterly assailed
Cooper, and said the stool pigeon had
come to him a dozen times with Wild
cat schemes to get out of the penlten-
tiary, but he paid no attention to them
because he distrusted Cooper.
George Schlegal said he had made
keys and given them to Cooper. 81
Loverin admitted he had advised
Schlegal to have nothing to do with
the plans. Cooper had told him he had
a rope, knife and keys and said he had
led the others to believe he would dope
the guards. but that he intended to
follow another plan pretended con
fession was to be made to Captain Ed
gar and then Edgar and Sergeant OF
the Night Watch Ellis were to be de-
coyed into the carpenter shop on the
pretense of showing them where the
weapons were hidden. There they
were to be hit on the head with
hatchet. The guards were then to be
overpoWered. He knew nothing about
any reVOlvers.
Bullock, Gould, Chevalier, Shaw,
Roupe and King were summoned in
succession. All tried to shield Morrell
and Schlegal
Cooper was summoned last as the
star attraction, and before the board
had finished questioning him several
things hitherto unknown to any of the
prison officials came out. A sensation
was caused by Cooper saying that when
he told the Warden he had seen the
revolvers he prevaricated He was so
sure the weapons were hidden some
where, he said, he thought it would be
q greater credit to him to make the tale
strong. Cooper adhered to his story
that he had been told by Morrell that
Guard Shields had brought the pistols
into the prison, and added that Shields
also had brought in the knockout
caused surprise by saying his true
name was Harry c. Parsons and that
he held a physicians certificate.
Il made out an order" he said, "for
a quantity of chloral hydrate digitalis,
belladonna and aconite. I gave Shields
total or $40 given me by MOrrelI and
he went to San Francisco and pur-
chased the poison from Mack & Co,
the wholesale druggists, about two
weeks before we were arrested.
know he got the poison there because
the bottles were labeled. The order
was signed Harry c. Parsons, M. D.
At Devlin's suggestion the Warden
will prepare synopsis of the evil
dence and the relative degree of culpa-
bility of the prisoners and action re-
garding punishment will be taken at
the next meeting Devlin said in his
opinion Cooper should be watched
carefully in order to prevent the other
convicts taking his life. All the mem
bers thought Cooper had been punished
enough. as he is in very delicate health.
Schlegal and Morrell, as the principal
ringleaders, will be placed in the in
corrigible ward as soon as it is fin
ished.
On recommendation of Warden
Hale, during the morning session, the
final step was taken toward the con-
structiOn of a separate ward for in
corrigibles The plans are for the
construction of cells partly of wood
and partly of iron at a cost Of $114S
Professor Gardner of Cooper Medi-
cal College, who had sent in request
to the Warden that the law concerning
the disposal of the remains of deceased
prisoners be complied with, will be in
formed that hereafter such shall be the
case. The law requires that the bodies
of persons dying at a public institution
shall be sent to a medical college for
the advancement of scientific research
when provision has not been made for