The San Francisco call., 1906-10-08
Blood-Stained Clothing Belonged
to Robert Keamey. Who Is
Not Suspected of Crime.

Just when they thought their hands
were upon the murderers of the jap
anese banker-when they were sure
that they had the blood-stained clothes
worn by the perpetrators OF the crime
on O'Farrell street, as told exclusively
in yesterdays Call-the police found
they were on the wrong trail. The clew
furnished by Zimmerman, the tailor,
which led to the arrest of a man
thought to be Robert Kearney, has
proved to be valueless. The man ar
rested by mistake is Ed Smith, a tailor,
and Kearney, owner of the garments
left to be cleaned, got them blood
stained in a fight that left him with
bleeding lips.
Kearney is a bartender living at
2169 Post street He is well known to
Chief of Police Dinan, and when he
saw the article in yesterdays Call to
the effect that the clothes he had left
to be cleaned had aroused the sus-
picions of the police he promptly re-
ported at the headquarters and ex-
planned the case. Smith has been ar
rested by Detective Ed Gibson because
the tailor indicated to the officer that
he was the man who had brought the
coat and vest to the shop.
It is through no fault of the police
nor particularly of Gibson, that
the arrest of Saturday night proved
valueless. The department, followed q
seemingly creditable clew and showed
commendable zeal in taking the course
pursued. The mistake of the arrest
was due to the tailor, Zimmerman, of
1892 Post street.
On Friday afternoon Robert Kearney
bartender, took a suit of clothes to
the shop of Heck & Zimmerman to
be cleaned. Kearney had been in a
fight and his lips were badly cut; in
fact, the laceration was so extensive
that stitches had to be taken in the
wound. Blood from the wound had
flowed into the front of the garments
When the tailor saw the bloodstained
garments his suspicious were aroused
and he did his duty by reporting the
matter to police headquarters The
man who brought the clothes was to
return for them Saturday night.
At the appointed hour Ed Gibson and
Harry Reynolds of the detective force
were at the shop. A man came into
the place, and Zimmerman pointed him
out to the detectives as the man they
were after. without parley Naoson
took him into custody and hurried him
Of Detectives Wren. According to
the police. he gave the name oi
Ed Smith and his occupation as
4 that of a tailor. He was sweated
/ but the police were convinced after q
] time of his innocence and he was lib
Grated.
Yesterday morning Kearney, the
owner of the clothes. read the account
in The Call of what the ponce had
done and, realizing that he was the
man they had been after on the false
scent, promptly went to Wren and ex-
planned.
Kearney was able to substantiate
i his story of having been injured in q
flight and at no time were has actions
questioned. Now the young man is re-
ceiving the congratulations Of his
friends for not having fallen into the
jealous hands of the police. Kearney
had intended to call for his clothins
\ Saturday night. but instead went tC
the Chutes with a friend. Had he fol
1 lowed out his original plan he would
4 have. been promptly arrested by ths
same men who captured Smith. taker
to police headquarters and subjected
10 rigid cross examination, all ot
which travail he escaped. His frank