The San Francisco call., 1904-02-24

Austin Hooper, the young highway
man and former convict, who was ar
rested with Charles Carson, alias
shorty" last Sunday night at San
Anselmo. yesterday confessed partici-
patton in a long list Of robberies and
gave the authorities the names Of sew
eraI criminals he claims participated in
the '9hoId-up" Of the Colonial Club in
this city on the night Of February y.
The latter part Of the confession is
discredited by the San Francisco de-
tectives, and they claim to have war
rant for their skepticism. Authentic
Information from Petaluma is to the
effect that soon after his release from
san Quentin, on January IS, Hooper
returned TO his home in that town and
remained at the home Of his mother
until Monday. February IS, three days
after the Colonial Club was raided.
Detective Wren, who interviewed
Hooper yesterday in the Marin County
prison. says the story told by the youth
is inconsistent in several particulars.
So il may be that HOoper's statement
was inspired by puerile desire 10 glOrify
world. or il might have found in
spiratiOn in a yearning to be revenged
on some Of his companions in the Sau-
saIito robbery. whom he accuses Of
having treated him unfairly.
The confession states that Hooper
and Carson were leagUed in crime with
English Dick" San Jose Blac1ie, "
Ed Fahey and a sixth man, whose
because they believe they know where
he is. Hooper says that Carson was
not in the Colonial Club affair, as he
vas not released from san Quentin
until February -.
INCONSISTENT STATEMENT.
According TO HOOper's story he joined
the gang when he left prison on Janu-
airy Is. and they all went TO Los Ange-
les. This conflicts with the report from
Petaluma- After working in Los An
Eeles, he says, they operated in Fresno,
Santa Barbara and other towns, finally
coming 10 san Francisco, where they
planned and executed the Colonial Club
hohd-up. Hooper said that he was to
have participated in the Colonial Club
robbery that night, but when ques-
toned by Detective Wren on this point
he equivocated and contradicted him
self
There are notorious criminals known
as English Dick" and san Jose
Blackie" and Ed Fahey, the latter hav-
ing served time in san Quentin. But
If the san Francisco police know Of
their recent movements or present
Wherea bouts they are keeping their
knowledge to themselves. And the
Colonial Club officers said that they
knew the men that robbed them, hinted
that the police were inactive in their
pursuit and finally put the case in the
hands of A private detective agency.
That was the last heard of one Of the
bOldest crimes on local record until
IfOODer's confession restored il 10 pub
lie notice
But that the Incarceration Of Hooper
and Carson has not stopped the prac-
tice Of robbery in this city is shown by
the police records Of yesterday, when
several arrests were made for that
crime. And none Of the men arrested
were Of the alleged gang. described by
Hooper.
The detective department seems TO be
in the shadow so far as the identity
Nl lISilon LICK IS concerned. NO
record of such an alias has been regis
tered in any of the prison books and
unless some other name can be pro-
duced the police viii have little TO work
on. Fahey however. is we'll known.
having made his escape from San
Quentin during july Of last year with
several other desperate criminals. "San
Jose Blackie" is W. p. Vroman. who
started life as a sailor. and who was
arrested in Yuba City for a safe-crack-
ing job on May ;, 1901. Fortune ia
vOred "Blackie." and while his two
companions. Phillips and Johnson. went
10 prison for fifteen years each, he
managed 10 secure an acquittaL On
August 3. 1901, Vroman was heard of
again. He was arrested in San Jose
for petty larceny and served a sentence
Of six months in the county jail there.