The San Francisco call., 1903-12-17
Deadly Cocktail Was
Potion for Pawn
broker Carr.
Hotel Burglar Tries to Muir.
der Witness to
His Crimes.
Officers Handcuf Fiend Just as His In
tended Victim Was About to
Drink Fatal Dose.

1t was only a stroke of fate that
saved Nathan Carr, a pawnbroker of
5161s Dupont street, from drinking
premeditatedly poisoned cocktail last
night.
Leon D. Neate, one time hotel clerk,
burglar and Borgia by instinct had
planned to poison the one man whose
evidence would send him to the peni-
tentiary Detectives Dinan and Wren
arrested the cold -blooded criminal Just
as his would-be victim was about to
lift to his lips a cocktail heavy with
crystals of strychnine. He was seized
by the officers for a series of burglaries
perpetrated by him at the Plymouth
Hotel.
That Nathan Carr lives to tell of his
experience can be justly regarded as
miracle, and his version of the near
approach he had to death reads like
an act from one of those lurid melo-
dramas so dear to the deities of the
gallery. Had it not been for the fact
that a customer happened to enter the
store just as he had glass of poisoned
cocktail to his lips and the arrival of
tempt to quaff the deadly potion his
inanimate form might be occupying
slab at the Morgue
BURGLARIES CONTINUOUS.
For several weeks the roomers at
the Plymouth Hotel at the corner of
Bush and Jones streets have com
planned Of the loss of many valuable
articles, aggregating in value about
$1,000. Captain Martin was notified of
| the thefts and detailed Detectives Di-
| nan and Wren on the case, with in
structions to catch the crook at all
! hazards. Neate was employed in the
hotel in the capacity of night clerk,
| but suspicion was not directed to him
until last Saturday, when he suddenly
resigned his position. Since that the
| detectives had been on his track.
Yesterday afternoon Neate visited
/ the pawnbroker store OF Carr at 516h
Dupont street and disposed of several
articles, which subsequently proved to
! be some Of the plunder secured from
! the hotel. Neate was most affable and
suggested that Nathan Carr, brother
of the proprietor, take a drink with
him. AS the latter could not leave the
store Neate volunteered to go after
the liquor and purchased two cocktails
at the saloon of Ed Labordette, Cali
fornia and Dupont streets He re-
turned to the store and Nathan Carr
and Neate drank the liquor. Neate
then suggested that they have another
drink and again repaired to the saloon
for two more glasses of the same
liquor He was much longer on his
second trip and it was thought that
he did not intend to return. He finally
came back and deDosite1 the two
glasses on the counter.
URGES HIS DRINK.
He was insistent that Carr should
drink and that gentleman had the
glass of llquor to his lips when a Gus
toner came in. He LAID his gIass on
the counter and attended to his patron.
He then returned to Neate and started
to drink the cocktail. Fate again in
tervened for the young man for De-
tectives Dinan and Wren made their
appearance on the scene and foiled the
villain in his diabolical scheme.
Neate was seized handcuffed and
taken to the Hall of Justice. When
searched a bottle half nlled with
strvchnine in crystallized form was
found in his pocket, with several pieces
of iewelry stolen from the hotel. The
detectives had been trailing him all day
and had arrived on the scene at an
opportune time, as subsequent develop
ments proved.
In the excitement of the arrest Carr
forgot the cocktail. but upon learning of
the bottle of strychnine found in the
possession of the prisoner he took the
glass of liquor to joys pharmacy. at the
corner of California and Kearny streets
The druggist in charge, from the taste
of the LIQUOR, to which he first touched
his lips. and the presence of in
Vulnerable white crystals at the bottom
of the glass, stated to Carr that there
was enough strychnine in the mixture
to kill several men. The glass and its
contents were then turned over to Cap
tain Martin and will be officially tested
by the city chemist.
FATE SAVES CARR.
Nathan Carr, who is we'll known
throughout the city when seen last
evening stated that although he did not
believe in miracles he felt that fate
played a prominent part in saving his
life. He said that he noticed nothing
suspicious in the demeanor of Neate
until his return with the second round
of drinks, and then the insistence of
the fellow that he drink the LIQUOR and
Continued on Page ., Column 8.