The San Francisco call., 1905-08-22
Fruitvale Thug |;
Committed for e
Murder.

OAKLAND. Aug. 21.-Stolid and in
different, apparently the least inter-
ested of all those in the courtroom,
| John Schneider, one of the trio OF
| young thugs charged with the murder
of Thomas w. Cook, listened without
a tremor as Justice of the Peace VIII
| liam R. Geary committed him to the
custody of Sheriff Frank Barnet 10
await trial in the Superior Court.
Only once during the long examina-
tion did the youth show the slightest
| feeling, and this was just before the
| close of the hearing, when his mother
and sister, who had been present dur
ing the entire day. left the courtroom
after bidding the boy goodby. AS they
disappeared Schneiders eyes filled with
tears and he seemed to be on the
verge of breaking down, but with an
effort he regained his cOmpoSure.
Attorney Austin Lewis, who ap-
peared as counsel for the accused, Bit
terly contested the admission as evil
dence of the iron pipe clubs with which
Cook was beaten to DEATH and the cap
alleged to have been worn by Schneid-
er on the night the crime was COM
mitted But the objections were over
ruled. District Attorney ]. ]. Allen
conducted the prosecution.
The first witness called by the prose-
cution was DIR. J. III. Callen, who at
tended Cook after he received the beat
ing which caused his death. Tie doc
tor described the wounds on the head
of the victim and testified that he be-
lieved them to have been caused by
an instrument similar to the bludgeons
found near the scene of the attack He
also told of the death of Cook and of
the result OF the autopsy, which was
performed by DIR. Shannon, assisted by
Drs Crosby, Lum. Bull, Kelly and him
self.
j. II. Kleupfer, driver employed by
the Penn Oil Company, testified that on
July % he had seen George Blaker, also
charged with participation in the assault
on Cook, accompanied by Schneider, come
from Harrold's orchard, on the old coun-
ty road. carrying a piece of pipe similar
to that from which the bludgeons used in
the assault were fashioned.
Mrs. Amanda Blackson testified that on
the night the crime was committed she
heard cries of murder from the old
county road, and later heard some one
running up Sausal Creek in the direction
of Schneiders home. She was unable to
identify the defendant as the fugitive, as
she had not seen the fleeing man. She
also testified that on the day the assault
was committed she had seen the defend
ant wearing a cap similar to that found
after the crime.
Everett N Loveland, John McDougald
and Lesley Bradley, all residing near the
scene of the assault, said that just before
the hold-up they saw Schneider. Blaker
and Pembroke sitting on the steps of a
shoe store across the street from Cook s
grocery.
c. H. Cruff. "a clerk employed by the
brother of the murdered man. testified
that he was In the store when Cook took
the money from the safe on the night he
was assaulted and that the amount was
about $780, He said that he had walked
as far as the corner of Twenty-fourth
avenue and the old county road with
Cook. and had noticed two men following
them on the other side of the street. but
could not tell who they were on account
of the darkness.
Mrs. Eliza Paulson, who found one OF
the bludgeons. identified the cloth in
which the pipe was wrapped. and Deputy
Sheriff Reilly identified the cap found
near the scene of the crime
Alex Shields. another clerk in Cooks
Grocery. who found the other club iden-
titled it and told the circumstances of its
discovery.
The greater part of the afternoon was
taken up with the reading of the confess
sion made by Schneider to Sheriff Barnet
in which he told of the planning and exc
cution of the crime. Sheriff Barnet also
testified concerning admissions made to
him by the defendant and by the other
vouths accused of the crime.