The San Francisco call., 1906-11-13
WOMEN GATHER TO
SEE MURDERERs.
Pack Courtroom at Hearing
of Siemsen and Dabner
Before Judge Shortall
KANAKA is DEFIANT


Feminine sentimentalists and curl.
osity-seekers, from the college girl
with books in her arms to women of
the tenderloin, fiocked to Judge Short
airs court to catch a glimpse of John
S1emsen and Louis Dabner, the gas
pipe murderers, when the pair were ar
ra1gned yesterday afternoon.
Every available space in the court
room was filled and a line of young
and old women extended along the
stairs and into the street.
When Siemsen and Dabner arrived
in patrol wagon the crush reached
Its height and the police and detectives
in charge of the prisoners had diff
Guilty in elbowing their way to the
courtroom.
Siemsen, not at all abashed at his
handouts. wore a smile. He had in
his buttonhole red carnation from a
bouquet given to him by a woman Sun
day. He stared at the women and
staggered past them like subaltern
passing to quarters after dress parade
Dabner presented an entirely differ
ent appearance. He wore sweater
instead of the new linen affected by
Siemsen, and had a look of detection
that the women commented upon.
The poor boy looks as If he hasn's
a friend in the world" said a flashily-
dressed blond with a creme -de-menthe
voice.
JUDGE CALLS CASE.
When Judge Shortall called the case
The People versus John Siemsen and
Louis Dabner' there was great crush
from the rear of the courtroom, fol-
lowed by protests and exclamations of
women striving to force an entrance
to the room.
That noise and disturbance must
stop" said Judge Shortall, and several
polisemen and detectives proceeded to
clear the passageway and restore
order.
District Attorney Langdon, Assistant
District Attorney Ward, Captain of
Detectives Duke, Detective Wren and
others associated with the prosecution
of Siemsen and Dabner sat together
Immediately to the left of the prison
ers. On their right sat John J. Greeley
attorney for Siemsen and Dabner, i'm
mediate1y upon the resumption of the
proceedings, after order had been re-
stored. Greeley arose and made an
nouncement to the court that Attorney
D. M. Duffy had been retained by the
defendants to act in conjunction with
himself as their counsel. He asked
that a record be made of this by the
court stenographer.
Attorney Ward called Detective
Wren, and after brief consultation
with him said that witness for the
people they had been expecting would
be unable to be in court because the
train on which ,he was coming from
Sacramento was five hours late. This
witness is ]. M. Holmes. a contractor,
who lives at 1907 Buchanan street, who
caused the arrest of Siemsen and
Dabner for robbery several months
ago.
WARD ASKS ADJOURNMENT.
1-Irz
saying that the case of the peo-
pie was such that 1t was desirable
to have Holmes called as the first wit
ness.
Counsel for Siemsen and Dabner
readily agreed to the adjournment, and
Judge Shortall fixed Friday afternoon
as the time for the continuance of the
proceedings.
The courtroom was cleared immedi-
ately after this announcement, but the
spectators took up positions on the
street and waited until Siemsen and
Dabner were brought out and taken
away in the patrol wagon.
Chief of Police Dinan said yester-
day that he would in future prohibit
women from visiting the prisoners and
taking flowers to their cells
I'm not going to have mush- headed
persons annoying the police by their
sympathy for murderers." he said
Hereafter no one will be allowed to
visit them unless requested by counsel
or who have other legitimate business
that warrants interviews. There's al
together too much of this sentiment at
work. and it's as foolish as it's un-
necessary"
Late last night John Sfemsen re-
ceived two letters-one from relatives
in the Hawaiian islands and the other
from a missionary society OF Oakland
condoling with him in his hour of need.