The San Francisco call., 1905-03-23
Bending Efforts to
Locate Buggy of
Highwaymen.
Hints of a HoId-Up
Given by Convict
in Richmond.

down to a hard dig for the brace of
highwaymen who held up John E. DAILY
and Frank K. Roche at Siege crossing
Monday morning and stole $4,000 in
transit from the Central Bank to the
Bank Of Richmond to meet the Pacific
Coast Oil Company's payroll. Sheriff
Barnett of Alameda County is equally
busy In the work. The Oakland police
are lending a hand and the Central
Bank officials are likewise in the line
OF pursuit with Pinkerton detectives.
Many theories that have been ad-
vsnced concerning the robbery have
been worked out and disposed Of
Clews have been run down and leads
have vanished under close investiga-
ton. The most satisfactory informa-
ton that has reached the authorities
since they began work on the robbery
is that contained in the narrative Of
Miss Mabel Perry. who from her home
al Assem5lyman Harry Els residence
at Siege saw the operations of the rob-
bers as she gazed through a pair of
field glasses Her statement furnishes
important cOrroborative evidence as TO
the crime, and best Of all. Miss Perry,
in the event the highwayTnen are cap
tured- viii be able to testify as to their
identity, so closely did she note their
movements.
GLASSES ARE TESTED.
Tests were made to-day at the Els
residence of the glasses Miss Perry
used The examination was most sat
tsfactory, fully bearing ont the young
Womans story as TO the definiteness
Of her view Of the men. The lenses
brought objects at the scene OF the rob-
berry so near that there was no trou-
bic in making out with distinctness
everything in the sweep Of the glasses.
Miss Perry repeated her story to-day
and explained in more detail how she
became the witness in so remarkable
q way to the robbery.
Her reluctance TO make il public was
understood and appreciated by Sheriff
Neale, who said be had made sufficient
investigation TO confirm thoroughly his
belief IN its truth The Sheriff added:
After had been sent for by As
semblyman Els on this matter, l made
a careful investigation OF the surround
ings 10 satisfy myself that Miss Perry
could have seen everything at the
crossing, as She explained. / tried the
field glasses and saw for myself that
without any difficulty Miss Perry could
have made the observations she says
she did make.
1t was a bit unfortunate that there
were no men folks at the Ellis place at
the time TO advise with Miss Perry and
her mother as TO what they should do
IL the women had appreciated at the
instant what was occurring the chances
are they would have given an alarm
that would have led to the robbers
capture
NEAIlE VISITS SAN FRANCISCO.
Miss Perry's recital so fully bears
out both DAILY and Roche that 1 have
eliminated completely any doubt that
might have arisen at the outset of this
case as to the entire truth of their
statements So far as DAILY and Roche
are concerned have at no time made
a statement or a comment that could
be construed as affecting their status
IN the case. But in a robbery of this
character II is merely a matter of
clean-cut police work to give attention
10 every possibility until one has been
satisfied either Of its truth or its
falsity."
In connection with the Richmond
end of the robbery comes a story that
two months ago c. Henry told II.
Fitzsimmons in a saloon at that town
that big haul of Oakland money
was shortly to be made by two guys"
Henry was sentenced last Friday in
San Francisco to fourteen years i'm
prisonment at Folsom penitentiary
The authorities are investigating the
connect any two men with the posi-
biiity Of being implicated in the rob-
berry
Fftzsimmons. who is saloon
keeper at Richmond, denies that Hen
~ ever spoke to him concerning plans
OF robbery. He knows Henry, who
had worked at the oil plant Henry
is In Jail in San Francisco.
Story after story of possible identi-
ties Of the robbers has been passed to
Barnet, to the bank people, to the DO
lice, to DAILY, in fact to every one who
has gained public attention as directly
engaged on the case. Rumors of men
having told Of big hauls shortly to be
made are current gossip in police cir
cles. But with the most painstakfns
effort every one Of the stories is run
down. Much of the work of the au-
thorities has been directed to the hunt
for the missing buggy. the one which
was seen by DAILY on Railroad avenue.
and was traced as far as the county
line on the trip toward Berkeley nv
the fleeing robbers. Every effort 70
date has failed to uncover the rnvste-
rious buggy. That to a great extent.
Sheriff Neale admits, holds the kew IN
9 the case The buggy was probahIv
driven as far as the corner Of HopLins
street and San Pablo avenue. If NOT a.
far as Hopkins junction with Sacra
mento street, not far from where Dalv's
DuSSe v dS recovered Il. u. Anderson
a West Berkeley expressman found to
day black slouch hat lying on the
roadside on Sacramento street Soma
distance north Of the place where the
DAILY rig was standing. The hat was
vioe-brimmed, high crowned and IN
general appearance answers the de-
scription of the hat which was worn
by the stout robber who attended TO
Roche This hat was shown 10 naIv
and to Roche. Both agreed that II
fitted the description Of the highwav-
mans hat They were not willing 70
make positive identification. but were
satisfied with its appearance
HAT is .SCRUTTNIZFD
The hat was size 7k. with ITnited
Hatters' Association label in the inside
II was devoid Of special marks Of iden-
tification. In general ii was such a
hat as is worn by stocknaen and min
ing men in the West. The style Is
typical of the cattle and mining coun
try.
The surmise is that the robber dur
ing his fast drive lost the hat by hav
frnr~ ~ nff Id