The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
DUNCAN'S HISTORY WAS LEFT UNTOLD To Reporters He Admitted Sey-
 eraI Robberles HAD HOPE TO LAST HOUR He Told of the Standard oil Company Safe Robbery, Jut stoutly
 Claimed He Never Com
 mtted Murder.

l privately advanced as to ' ny cerlah persons thought Duncan innocent and so told officials connected with the prosecu- tion.
 To the writer Frank Duncan told many things in confidence which were not to be printed until after his death. From the moment he was first arrested up till the hour of his death Duncan stoutly maintained his innocence of the murder of Policeman Kirkley. He even claimed that he had never seen Kirkley and never saw Adams Until he was brought before him for Identification.
 "Of course there is no use for me to tell you that I have not been connected with robberies," said Duncan one day while discussing the first trip of his gang to Birmingham.
 At Standard Oil Office.
 T was at the robbery of the Standard Oil companys safe that night, but I did not see old man Clayton shot. was out near the front. The men were drinking that night, and but for that don't think the old watehman would have been shot. 1 both drinking heavily, and we had been at the Peerless saloon some little time before going down to the Standard oil place. We were very much disappointed in that haul, as the Standard oil people had deposited most of their funds before we cracked the safe. I believe we only got about $1OO and some papers,"
 From the time the gang left the Stand ards office until they reached the city the men were not together, according to Duncans statement.
 "Now the honest truth about this mat ter" said the crook, lis this We all separated soon after the job was done and came around by First avenue to our rooms over Gelder's restaurant. When got there Fay. Edwards, West and sheeney Bugs were there. Presently we heard firing down the streets and l re- marked that some of the boys were in trouble. West said that he was going to see what it was, but the rest of us decided to light out. We went down about the yards and stayed around there until daylight and then came back to the union station and bought tickets for Chattanooga where we were caught. l don't think that Miller had any inten- tion of meeting us there, as he knew we would sooner or later be caught. He was nabbed by accident at Anniston, be- ing taken for tramp"
 In Florida.
 Duncan never admitted robbing or att tempting to rob the bank at Traveres. Fla. where he was caught, neither did he deny it. His whole mind seemed to be on the affair at Birmingham. He said one day, however, that he was operating in Florida for the purpose of raising a stake with which to take his wife and sail for South America.
 Frank Duncan was an intelligent fel- low, but was a natural crook. He seemed to have no compunctions of conscience whatsoever about cracking safes and fre- quently laughed about some of the inci- dents that had come up in his unlawful profession He took life as joke and as a rule was of happy, jocial disposi- tion. He was absolutely devoid of fear and had no respect for a man of coward ly disposition. He always took special | tective Ahms at the jail in Florida. He seemed to hate this detective with all his soul. He said the man had gotten into his confidence because he Duncan) had helped him financially and other wise. Duncan says that Ahms frequent ly stayed at his house and partook of his hospitality only finally to turn him ur and get part of the reward Duncan says that while in Florida he went under the name of Jim Ward.
 Theory Advanced.
 A theory advanced by a well-known man, who has had considerable experience with criminals, as to why he believed that Duncan did not kill Policeman Kirk ley is interesting. He says that short, heavy set man who belonged to the Mill 1er-Duncan gang had come to him for assistance. The man said that he was broke and wanted to get to Memphis.
 "Now I had known this man before" said the citizen, land as had loaned him money before I let him have enough to buy ticket. He then told me about how the police had treated him in some other town and swore awfully against the police everywhere. I have reasons to believe that he belonged to that gang and that he knew that some kind of a rob- bery was going to be committed. heard afterwards that he went out and got a stake from Miller and Duncan and was prepared to leave town. Many persons have told me since that they be lieve that this man is the murderer oi the two policemen. That he came out o the alley just ahead of the policemen an. their prisoners and seeing who they haC as prisoners fired on them. Miller joine, him and also began firing It was thi heavy set fellow who left the overcoat according to belief of persons who hay, discussed the matter with me. Of cours this Is only theory and makes no diff ference whatever. Detectives have neve been able to locate this man since tha, time. He was known to all the old de tectives and was sometimes used b, them in tracing stolen booty
 The above is given as an instance O. the many theories which have been ad yanced to show that Duncan did no commit the crime for which he wa. anged.
 Did Not Tell All.
 Duncan undoubtedly never told all that 1 he knew about the operations of hii notorious gang Until he last moment ht , had hopes of being saved and many oi those who were his frequent visitors +t,x.1~ +t,at +bic Lant hfr, frorr, fa1Iino aI