Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1905-11-19
SUSPECT NEGRO
Of OLD MURDER
NOSE MILAN Is SECRETLY
ARRESTED
Police Believe They Have Struck
Another Trail to Solution Of
Mystery of Death Of
Woman

After two years of quiet work De-
tective Mckenzie last evening arrested
Nose McLaln, an old negro known
around North Main street resorts as
Dancing Nose" on suspicion that he
may be connected with the murder Of
Craye, who was found dead in her
room in an Alameda street resort on
the night of Aug. II, 1903.
Patrolman Sherman Baker was
called by the whistles of women in
the district, and rushed to the room
where the unfortunate young woman
lay dead. Arrests of negroes named
William Bradley II. b. Baker, Nose
McLain and a messenger known as
"Goldie" followed, but all were re-
leased.
All efforts to trace the crime to any
one of the men failed. 1t developed
later that a negro, Edward Pennng-
ton, was implicated In the crime, but
positive evidence was lacking to con-
vict Pennington.
Developments in the case brought
out by police investigation showed that
the De la Craye woman was a native OF
Paris and came to this country with
her parents when she was a young
woman In June, 1903, the woman was
in San Francisco and went to Marys-
vile with man whose name vas not
ascertained. In few weeks she quar-
relied with the man ana came TO Los
Angeles with Drouein.
Here they lived as man and wife for
several weeks at 1T Ramirez street.
Soon, however, they oft and took up
their abode at the Alameda street
place. On the night of the murder
Drouein bid her good evening" and
left Katherine 1t Fitte lived in the
room next to the one that the corpse
was found in.
During the evening that the crime
was committed the La Fitte woman
asserted that she heard no sound. Pa
trolman Baker questioned the woman
closely when called 10 the scene, as
did Captain Bradish and Mckenzie,
but she denied having heard a sound.
Find Woman's Body
At about $50 o'clock one of the wo-
men living in the place went to Mrs.
De la Craye's room and beheld the
womans body on the bed with the
forehead battered in, and evidences
about the room showed that a terrific
struggle had ensued.
When Detectives Bradish and Nc
kenzie arrived at the scene of the mur-
der they ascertained that death re-
suited from an injury inflicted by
rock, and two negroes were seen. 1t
developed that blood was on the
clothes of Pennington and McLain, but
they proved that they had cut off a
dogs tail that afternoon at the rear
OF the Basket saloon, which was near
by.
Pennington was held until his ex-
animation before Judge Austin on Au-
OtIc Of In
he was acquitted. Busby was wanted
for burglary and pleaded guilty to the
charge. The other negroes were liber-
ated because they could not be con-
nected with the crime.
Nevertheless, the police maintained
the suspicion that Pennington was
guilty. They also had a slight chain
Of evidence that the man with whom
Mrs. De la Craye had lived at Marys-
vile was in communication with Pen
nington. This they believed was the
clew, and they suspected that the man
had hired Pennington to murder the
woman because of jealousy.
Knowing that an attempt had been
made to give a false clew, the detec-
tives worked diligently. The bureau
and the room had been ransacked and
valuables and money stolen, but the
police believed that the murdered
woman whose nude body had been
found with 1ewelry and money in the
stockings, was not killed for purposes
of robbery.
Then Pennington soon left the city,
the messenger boy, "Goldie," left the
city and Busby is still doing time in
San Quentin. Only Nose McLain was
left. Some persons who were suspected
of knowing of the crime also remained.
| McLain, according to the officers, is
an opium smoker and, with the others,
OF late has thrown aside precautions.
AS the result of Detective McKenzies s
never-ceasing work on the case he as
certained that the negro was talking
among his associates about the case.
According to the police, Nose Nc
Lain maintains that he and Penning-
ton fooled the police by smearing their
hands with the blood from the dog s
tail. And when the blood spots were
found they easily explained.
The police theory, the old one ana
the new one, is that McLain either
assisted Pennington in killing the wo-
man or acted as a lookout. 1t is be-
lieved by the police that McLain and
Pennington were in the pay of a jeal-
Gus lover and silenced all others with
money.
What is the evidence against Nose
McLain cannot be learned. The old
negro is incarcerated In the city Jail
and the police will not give out any
information. The desk men say they
know nothing of his presence in jail,
but he Is there, or was late last night,
and is being held on suspicion, al
though his name is not on the books.
/