The San Francisco call., 1906-09-22
TILDEN SHOOTING
IS DESCRIBED.
Prosecution Outlines Case
and Calls Witnesses in
the Vance-Simmons Trial
DEMANDS CONVICTION

The fight Of the Red Cross automo-
bile bearing the relief workers from
the Fourteen-mile House on the San
Mateo road into the outskirts OF the
city on the night OF April %, the chal-
lenges of the National Guardsmen
along the way, and the final shooting
at Twenty-second and Guerrero streets
which caused the death of Heber c.
Tilden. a well-known commission mer-
chant. We're vividly pictured by As
sistant District Attorney James Han
ley yesterday morning in his opening
statement to the jury in the trial Of
Malcolm T. Vance and George W. Sim
mons. charged with the murder of
Tilden.
Hanley traced in detail Tilden's
movements on April 22-his trip early
sn the day in his automobile to Palo
Alto, where he left his children in q
place Of security. and his subsequent
return to resume the relief work in
the city on which he had been en-
gagged since the night OF April 20. He
described how Tilden secured a permit
70 take & nurse and mis- three babies
70 Palo Alto, and how on the return
trip he and Acting Lieutenant Seaman
of the militia picked up Hugo Altschul,
a coachman, at the Fourteen lie
House. Twice during the trip from
mat point 10 LlS place WncIC the
shooting occurred the machine was
halted by guardsmen, .he said. and the
occupants of the car then began to call
out Red Cross" whenever hailed.
CALLS SHOOTING wANT0N.
we will show that the shooting
was done in a wanton and reckless
manner with an entire disregard for
human life" continued Hanley. From
this we will also show that the men
were as guilty as though they had
lain in wait for their victims. Eight
or ten shots were fired and so accu-
rate was their aim that the machine
was struck four times and two Of the
occupants were hit. Notwithstanding
the fact that the machine carried four
bright lights and displayed Red Cross
flags, no command was given TO halt
Four shots rang out. but the car kept
on going and more shots were fired.
1T was then that Tilden WIS struck.
The bullet which ended his life passed
through two seats of the car. entering
his back and passing through his left
lung as he sat stopped over the steer
ing wheel. Ny God, I'm shot he called
out. and as the machine swerved under
his hand and came 70 a stop, he leaped
from the step. staggered to the curb,
fell TO the ground, and a few moments
later was dead.
SEAMAN WAS ALSO HIT.
Another of tie bullets which passed
through the car struck Seaman in the
belt. raising a huge welt. He reeled
70 the step and fired five shots back
at the nilitiamen standing in the road.
saying: You'd better come back and
help Us. You've hit one of u.s. The
shooting has been admitted by these
men. If we prove the facts as I have
told them 10 you and as we expect to
DO. we demand that you convict these
men.
Hugo Altschul the coachman who
was riding in the rear seat of the car,
behind Tildeh and Seaman, was the first
witness placed on the stand, his testi-
lnony covering the trip from the time
he joined the car at the Fourteen-nile
House until the shooting occurred. He
told of putting the Red Cross flags on
the automobile and the lighting of the
lamps. He also declared that the shots
were fred from so near the car that he
received powder burns on his face, and
stated positively that no command to
halt had been given.
FIRING AWAKENED DOCTOR.
Dr. Albert Berger. of Hill and Guer-
zero streets. told of being awakened
by the first voliey Of shots and said that
he heard four distinct shots later He
said that he dressed and was on the
scene within five or six minutes of
the shooting and that Tiiden's death
occurred about fifteen minutes after
the first shots were fred.
During the completion of the jury
yesterday morning when the trial
opened an incident occurred which
caused q small furry among those in
terested in the prosecution. Hanley
discovered that Frank Multner, one of
the men on the special jury venire, had
been a member of the jury which ac-
quilted Jacob Steinman of the muir
der of Joseph Myers. Muitner was
closely questioned and excluded from
the jury The remaining four men Sc
1ected for the jury are Ernest UInan
of 2412 Sacramento street George r.
Gum. A II. Denny of 111S Shotwell
street and A L. Franklin Of 1924 Post
street