The San Francisco call., 1901-10-15
PLOT To KILL
RICE EXPOSED
Coronsr's Jury Accuses
Four Suspects Of
the Crime.
William Buckley Identified
as the Man Who Fired
the Shots.

That the said George W. Rice, 40
years of age, machinist, 1858 Twen-
tieth street, came to his death at the
City and County Hospital on October
13, 1901, through shock and hem
orrhage from gunshot wounds of a5-
domen and chest inflicted by certain
parties known to the police as Will
liam Buckley, Thomas Moran, Charles
Donnelly and Edward Duncan; and
from the evidence given we charge
the same William Buckley with hav-
ing inflicted the gunshot wounds that
caused the death of the said George
w. Rice, and we charge the said Will
liam Buckley with the crime of muir
der; and we further charge the SAID
Thomas Moran, Charles Donnelly
and Edward Duncan as accessories to
the crime of murder.-Verdict Of Coro-
ner's jury in Rice inquest.
The shadow of the gallows loomed up
oplinously in the Coroner's office yester-
day when Walter J. Piatt and his 14-year
CID daughter walked down from the wit
ress stand and placed their hands firmly
upon the right shoulder of William Buck
ley tC identify him as the man who bru
tally murdered George w. Rice at the in
tersection of Twentieth and Howard
streets last Friday evening. This dramat-
ic scene was rendered necessary by the
order of Harry Hutton the regular attor-
ney for the Pacific Coast Sailors Union,
who refused to allow the prisoners Buck
ley, Donnelly, Moran and Duncan, to
stand up for the purposes of Identification
or to give their names to the Coroner.
Mr.. Piatt was the first witness called.
His story was to the effect that when the
car on which he was riding stopped at
Twentieth and Howard streets at about
six minutes before o'clock last Friday
evening man who had got off the front
dummy began clubbing Rice. After the
sixth or eighth blow Rice fell to the
ground on his back. AS he fell the man
who was clubbing him stepped back and
the man who had been on the front dunn
my stepped to the front and fired four
shots into the body of the PROSTATE man.
Man With Club Identified.
Can you identify the man who did the
clubbing?" asked the Coroner.
Yes answered the witness.
rs he in this room?
Yes"
prisoners. In obedience to request of
the Coroner Moran rose to his feet:
What is your manner" asked the Cor
oner.
Don't answer it, Moranr" said Attor-
ney Hutton. These men are not here for
the purpose of furnishing evidence against
themselves"
Iii obedience to request from the Cor
oner the witness placed his hand on Mo-
rams shoulder. He afterward did the
same when Identifying Buckley the
shooter
The witness, continuing his testimony,
told how he had started to chase the MUIR
derers. but had been recalled by the
scFgams Tr1jn at 81 ms tb Ibrlsdemgd daagnter M tier
witness, corroborated the testimony of her
father. She saw Buckley on the dummy
in front of her. and had good look into
cheek, was clean shaven and wore a light
Fedora hat, grayish clothes and tan shoes.
AS soon as Rice fell to the ground Buck
shots from a revolver into the body of
Rice, who was lying on the fiat of his
back.
rs the man who fired the shots present
in this room?'' asked the Coroner.
You realize that the life of man may
depend upon your testimony"
Il do"
Then place your hand on the man who
did the shooting
The little girl walked down to where
Buckley was sitting and placed her hand
on bis shoulder
II have made no mistake sir" she said
to the Coroner. II am positive that that
is the man..
Policemen Tell of Pursuit.
Police officers Charles w. Brown and
Frank A. Lycett told how they got into
buggy at Nineteenth and Howard
streets and pursued Buckley, whom they
overlook on Seventeenth street, between
Folsom and Harrison. The prisoner was
could hardly speak, but managed to say
that he running to catch a car on
Harrison street. No cars were running
on Harrison street within three blocks
and a half of that point Buckley denied
all knowledge of the shooting. Fifteen
minutes later on the way to the County
Hospital he said that he had been at the
scene of the shooting, but had not taken
any part in it; that he and two or three
others had gone out to see what he sup
posed would be a fist fight. but that it
because he didn't want to take any part
in it. When they brought the prisoner
before the dying man Rice said Il think
be sure about it; don't give me the worst
of It" Then Rice said that he was not
positive that Buckley was the man, but
he looked like him.
A large number of witnesses testified to
the facts of the murder in confederation
of that of Mr.. and Miss Piatt They all
agreed that the murderer wore a light Fe-
dGga nat tan shoes sv and faded graysh
Buckley as the murderer, but the other
witnesses could not be positive.
The statement made by Buckley impli-
eating himself and his companions in
conspiracy to do up a scab' was mar
rated by Detectives Ryan, Fitzgerald,
Bailey and Graham, Sergeant Duke
and others. From this statement it ap-
pears that the conspirators met in Ma
loneys saloon at Brannan and Zoe streets
and Buckley was informed by Duncan
that they were going out ito get scab,''
that they boarded a Howard-street car on
which Rice was riding and that two
strangers were of the party. The shooting
was done by a man with a black derby
hat, one of the strangers. Buckley ran
away after the shooting. This statement
is contradicted by all the witnesses, who
swore that the shooter wore a light Fe-
dora, and Buckley's hat was identified
positively by several witnesses While
they were telling about the murderer's
hat Buckley placed his hat under his
knees and was trying to get it under his
chair. when Sergeant Duke took possess
sion of it and placed it on the Coroner's
desk.
There was much satisfaction expressed
over the verdict. A charge of murder was
placed against the prisoners.
M. H. DE YOUNG BUYS