The San Francisco call., 1903-09-04
POLICE BELIEVE
MEN HAD FIGHT
Little Faith Placed in
Stories Of Bowers
Suspects.
Many Persons Will Testify
at This Mornings
Inquest.

The police have come to the conclusion
that the whole truth has not yet been
told In regard to the meeting between
Patrick Lervey and Martin Bowers when
the latter arrived home Unexpectedly
from Mare Island and found the former
visiting Mrs. Bowers. The woman, Ller-
vey and Mrs. McCaIlum of Portland, Or
all agree that there was no serious trou-
Bile. The neighbors assert that there was
Saloon-keeper Follis has ccme forward
with the information that Bowers was
informed by Harry Walsh that Mrs
Bowers was keeping company with Ler-
vey. Bowers Immediately left his work
on Friday night and came home to find
Lervey at the house The evidence is
conflicting to what followed. Some
say Bowers did not show his displeasure
and other say that there was a fight be-
tween the two men.
The next day Bowers partook of the
ham from Goetjen's grocery and fell into
an illness from which he never recovered.
Immediately after his death Lervey went
to the Bowers house and remained there
until the day of his arrest. The police
feel that a knowledge of the events fol-
lowing this meeting of the two men will
go far to solve the problem of Bowers
taking on.
The statements of Mrs. Bowers and
Lervey in regard to what happened that
night are somewhat conflicting, although
both deny that there was fight. Ler-
Vey has told many falsehoods that it
was no surprise yesterday to learn that
he could play cards and that he could
read his own name on the laundry bun
dies which were left for him at FoIlis'
saloon.
Mrs. Harry Bowers stated last night
that she had seen her sister-in-law give
the sick man some white powder She
did not know what it was at the time She
says that she has heard that arsenic
comes in that form. The chemists found
that the arsenic in the dead mans stom-
ach was arsenious acid. This poison is
a white powder.
None of the attendants in the saloons
in which Mrs. Bowers was in the habit
of drinking in company with Lervey will
say that they ever heard any conversa-
ton in regard to the poisoned bridge
builder. Lervey and the woman were
quite affectionate and she generally paid
for the drinks.
The District Attorney stated yesterday
that he thought he should question John
Cunningham again to ascertain why he
attempted to show that he was the friend
of Bowers instead of admitting that he
was intimate with Mrs. Sutton.
The Chief of Police and the District At
torney are confident that the ham pur-
chased at Goetjen's grocery was poisoned
with arsenic by Mrs. Bowers. They do
not believed that she was sick, too, as she
has stated. Both say that they feel that
they have enough evidence to secure a
conviction although the detectives are
still searching for corroborative circum-
stances. Charles True has told the Chief
of Police that he was present when the
bridge builders watch was given to Gun
ningham and that the circumstances were
as told by Mrs. Bowers.
A B. Loomis of Portland, Ore a !
nephew of the suspected woman, arrived
in San Francisco yesterday and visited
his aunts in the city prison. He says
he will remain here until after the pros
pective trial.
It'll STORY T0nAX