The San Francisco call., 1906-11-07

Continued From Page :, Column 4.
up OF former Coroner T. B. F. Leland
about three months ago. The holdup
occurred at the corner Of Vallejo and
Laguna streets as Dr.. Leland was on
his way home. 1t was for this crime
that James Sutton. an eX-convict re-
ceived what practically amounted to a
life sentence in jail. Dabner assigned
as his principal reason for confessing
This crime the fact that an innocent
man had been convicted Of il and his
desire to secure Sutton's release.
The confession. among other things,
reveals the fact that Siemsen and Dab
ner. after beating William Friede to
death in his haberdashery shop at 1884
Market street, secured only a very
small amount of money. This detail.
Insignificant as it appears, throws
light on the desperate character of the
gaspipe murderers. and shows that
they entered the little shop Of Friede
and proceeded TO kill him without any
previous knowledge as TO what he had
in his Till or for how little the stake
Tor which they would sacrifice a life.
After numbering Johannes Phtzner
at his shoe store at 964 NcAllister
street Dabuer and Siemsen secured
about 500 Phtzner's watch. which the
police were trying TO trace through
raWnshops. was thrown into the bay
at the foot Of Fillmore street-a pre-
caution that was evidently the work
of the kanaka
AREFULLY PLAN BANK MURDER.
The murder and robbery at the Jap
anese bank was by far the most elab-
orately planned Of any Of the crimes
engineered by Siemsen. Dabner, in his
confession, tells how the gaspipe used
hy him in assaulung the paying teller.
sasaki, was secured the night before,
and describes in detail the. rig used by
them and how they got rid Of IL and
threw the police of their tracks
Mura kata, the vice president Of the
bank, was first struck down by Stem
sen in rear room. Then Sasaki, who
was busy IN the front Of the Office.
was called by them into the rear room
and struck down by Dabner. While
they were leaving the bank with the
$1,000 loot they met Siemsen's wife,
Hulda Won Hofen. whom the Kanaka
took out driving in a private rig Of
his own after driving TO the stable
where he kept il. Dabner in the mean
time diverted himself by taking one Of
the little Won Hofen children out driv-
<lrg TO the Presidio. the satchel con-
aiming the stolen money being hidden
in a sack Of oats in the stable where
Siemsen kept his rig. They divided
the money the same night in the
apartments which they rented from
Mrs Joseph Lecara at 1908 Union
street
SIGNS CONFESSION.
Duke was from II a. m to ? p. m.
getting Dabner to recite these and
other facts that are ia the full con-
fession. After he had the document
rypewritten he had il read in the
presence Of the three Dabners and had
the prisoner sign separately each of
the statements of crime.
When Dabner affixed his final sigma
ture 10 the confession his father was
a broken hearted man, and left the
station in the company of Duke and
his son Charles after looking long at
the boy in his cell. who kept his head
down and his eyes fixed on the floor.
Everything that was to be said had
been said. they had no more tears
left. and the Dabners presented pa
thetic and tragic spectacle
out in the sun Of the street the old
Portuguese asked Duke for permission
TO leave him long enough to either
telegraph or telephone 10 his wife at
Petaluma who. he said. was torn be-
tween grief and emotion and was on
the verge Of collapse from not know
ing what to expect. lie wanted to
convey some word to her that would
for the present buoy her up. he said,
and keep the news she had TO ult1-
nately face aIev from her until he
could return 3A-ie. Duke readily con-
sented but asked Dabner TO return TO
rolice headquarters again in the even
ng and be present at the reading of
his sons confession before Siemsen at
the Bush street station.
TRACED CRIME THROUGH MONEY.
Duke said after the confession that
he had in his possession record OF
the numbers on some Of the bills taken
from the Japanese bank by Siemsen
and Dabner and was able to link them
80 the crime from tracing purchases
made by the pair.
eve are loaded up with evidence Of
this kind" he said. . and would have
been able eventually 70 fix the bank
murder on them without this confess
sion.
.spart from the details set forth in
Dshrer's confession. we know how
they disposed Of all their money.
a great deal Of IL was spent on both
+re Won Hofen girls. Both Dabner
and siemsen showered these girls with
expensive presents and were con
tinually having them out automooiiing 8
snd driving. For crooks the pair lived
very expensively. and when they were
clean out Of money would let notn-
ng stand in their way to get more OF
it
Captain Duke, after the confession
had been obtained. said:
4 don't believe in cracking up
crooks and murderers and telling what
polished men they are l think TINS
has q tendency TO encourage young
IN attracted by the glamour OF crime
y their path TO Jail, but ! cannot nslp
Aer7srl1fng on the many contradictory
things in the makeup Of young Dao-
ner. Here is a greenhorn right from
petaluma. who takes part IN three
crimes that would try the nerve OF
reteran desperate. Although ne mas
broken down and confessed ne cannon
be called weak man: 10 one wno VIC
hasn't a great strain OF daring in him