The San Francisco call., 1907-02-05
WOMAN CLEARS UP
MURDER MYSTERY

In Grant Middleton, bedmaker by
occupation, now recovering in the Bush
street prison. from a two days. de-
bauch, the police feel confident that
they have the fendish murderer of
Claud Young, the young Englishman
who was beaten to death i'm the Ferry
House In East street last Saturday
morning.
Middleton was arrested yesterday
morning on information supplied by a
woman calling herself Mamie G. Davis. a
lodger in the building where the crime
was committed. Fred Gentosa is still
being held because it is believed that
he knew about the crime
The. Davis woman told the following
story to the police yesterday:
] was eating in the restaurant beneath the
rooming house late Friday night. Middleton and
Gentosa came in. l knew them both, but they
were not friends of mine Middleton had plenty
were SO per week and / wondered where he got
the change. He had some gold pieces. Middleton
bought lots Of drinks. This was about O'Clock
When | said that was going to my room
Middleton got deathly pale The room was
mitted He urged me me to stay. but | refused.
when / had closed my door Behind me Middle
thought I heard a noise as Of some one choking
In the next room. l listened. The sounds
ss R WAS % wnsoT anS the pp ees en h
drawn. The room dark.
The sound of the gasping nearly sickened me
and / asked Middleton what 1t was. He said
that he guessed one was sick from too
much booze" He kept on urging me TO return
to the restaurant and have another drink. which
did. 1t was about o'clock that morning
when / went TO bed.
| left Middleton and Gentosa in the restaurant
and have mot seen % them snsT Of was sl
and then / shut myself in my room, frightened
Proprietor Hesse found Middleton
dead drunk in his room Saturday
morning The door was locked apd
Middleton had the pass key. Gentosa
could not do any work in the rooms
until the key was recovered, so Hesse
climbed through the transom. securing
the key and discharged Middleton. The
bedmaker reeled out of the house
Middleton secured a room at the Tre-
mont House and there he was later
taken into custody yesterday morning
by Detectives MCGOWAN and Braig.
The circumstantial evidence of the
woman is sustained by the discovery
of blood stained linen in the room that
had been occupied by Middleton.
collar fngermarked with discriminating
red, a handkerchief with sinister GRIM
son spots and other articles of wearing
apparel give grewsome evidence of the
tragedy enacted in room 81 when Claud
Young met his death. These pieces of
evidence are in the hands of the police
and an analysis will be made to make
sure whether the spots are blood stains
or not.
Proprietor Hesse still maintains his
confidence In Gentosa, who he declares
is a good boy. He admitted yesterday
that Gentosa and Middleton had been
constant companions for over two
months He stated that on Friday
night Middleton was accused by guest
of picking up change out of a $50 gold
piece which was given the clerk to
pay small bill.
Middleton was arrested at the Tre-
mont House on Third street and was
accompanied at the time by a Greek.
who said that Middleton had volun-
teered to help him, a stranger. in find
ing a room. The Greek was allowed
to go after having been closely ques-
toned. The detectives did not take his
name.
The statements of Mamie Davis supply
the motive for the crime. She declares
that Middleton was broke" early in
the evening. Early in the morning he
had gold.
Mamie Davis figured about two
months ago, in shooting scrape in
Oakland She had a quarrel with Ar
thur Mayors. plumber, who, it was
claimed. shot her. She sustained a
slight flesh wound in the left arm.