The San Francisco call., 1905-02-12
SUICIDE THEORY
WELL GROUNDED
Soldiers Fine Istol Under
Plank in I'll &Caye Where
Herbert Smith Was Shot
LANDLORD SAW WEAPON
Wounded Man, However.
Makes Strong Denial That
He Fired to Take Own Life

The revolver with which Herbert
Smith, baker, is supposed to have been
shot, was recovered by soldiers yester-
| day afternoon from the cave in which
the man had remained in wounded
condition nearly ninety hours. The po-
lice are Inclined to adhere to the theory
of attempted suicide. but the shell from
which the bullet that entered Smiths
head was fired is missing.
Smith was discovered in an appar-
emily dying condition by soldiers from
Fort Miley Friday afternoon. He was
found in cave near Lands End, with
bullet hole in his head and a badly
diScolored eye. The wounded man was
at once taken to the Fort Miley Hospi-
tai, and when he was sufficiently re-
vlved he made a statement that he had
been in the rocky recess since last
Tuesday afternoon. During this time
he had been without food or water and
In condition of semi-consciOusnesS In
accounting for his predicament Smith
says that while enjoying a walk on the
beach he was held up by two men and
When he resisted one of the robbers
shot him in the head. He says he was
robbed of $22 and dragged to the cave
where he was left for dead.
Detectives Silvey and Coleman took
charge of the case as soon as it was re-
ported to police headquarters and spent
yesterday in an investigation They
learned that Smith was an ex-soldier
and recent arrival from England. He
mad been employed. for a short time in
a local bakery. He resided with the
family of Robert Collins at 92S Jackson
street and left his room during Tuesday
morning for the purpose of visiting the
Cliff House and beach. He was met at
the beach soon after / o'clock in the
afternoon by an acquaintance, Albert
Howeth, and when the two parted
Smith said that he was about to visit
Sutro gardens.
Yesterday afternoon Sergeant King
and Private Paul Ament of the Twen-
ty-fifth Coast Artillery searched the
cave for the pistol. Nothing was found
In the part of the cave where Smith
was lying when discovered, but in the
back of the cave some distance from
the entrance the weapon was brought
to light from beneath a plank. 1t was a
cheap pistol and contained only three
unexploded cartridges. The mystery
is what became of the empty shell
from which the bullet that may have
injured Smith was fired. 1t could not
be found in the vicinity, but an expert
on revolvers told the detectives he is
certain the weapon had been recently
discharged
Robert Collins. with whom Smith
has been living, says that Smith had
a pistol. Smith denies this and saws
that he possessed no firearms of any
sort since he was discharged from the
British army, in which he served in
South Africa during the Boer,> war.
Collins thinks that Smith had a re-
volver wrapped up in an old sweater.
but he is not prepared to swear that
the one found in the cave is the same
weapon. Smith SCOTS the idea of
suicide, but the detectives are con-
vinced that he attempted to take his
own life. He says that he intended TO
ship for Liverpool within a few DAYS
and had no reason to wish to die. The
patient has been removed to the Cen
trail Emergency Hospital and from |
present indications will survive his in
juries.