The San Francisco call., 1908-11-05
HUSBAND DRUGGFD
BY WIFF'S AFFINITY
Mrs. c. R. Bright Accuses R. c.
Blake of ChIoroforming and
Robbing Contractor
Put Sleep Pellets in Coffee to
Insure Mans Slumber While
Couple Schemed

OAKLAND, Nov. Am astounding
tale of woman's infatuation for
man who posed as a friend of her hus-
oand-an infatuation which led her
10 drug the husband at night in order
that he might not be disturbed by the
clendestine visits of her lover, to steal
from him repeatedly at her lovers sug-
sestion, and finally TO admit her lover
10 her home at dead Of night and as
sist him to chloroform her sleeping
husband and rob him of a large sum
OF money, was related to Captain of
Detectives Petersen today by the
woman herself. Mrs. c. R. Bright OF
20l7 West street.
The tale was told as a sequence to
the arrest, at the instance of Mrs
Bright's husband. OF r. C. Blake, son in
law Of Michael Hallahan, local politi-
elan, who is in the employ of the state
! board of harbor commissioners in San
Francisco
BLAKE Is ARRESTED
Blake was arrested last night after
Bright, according to reports which have
reached the police, had searched for him
with loaded revolver for several
hours Detective McSorley located
Blake and placed him in the city prison.
/ Today Bright expressed an unwilling
ness TO prosecute the man whom he ac-
cuses of robbing him and alternating his
wife's affections, and for a time 1t
looked as though the captive would
I have TO be released But this afternoon
c. j. Stoval of the National cash regis
ter company visited police headquarters
and accused Blake of forging his name
TO a check for $3.50
Following this. accusations were
heaped thick and fast upon the sheul-
ders OF the man in prison, and the po-
Ar.~n -
forgery If Bright persists in his re-
rusa2 10 prosecute him. After StovaI
had made his charge George Smith, a
twelfth street druggist, also notified
the police that he had a forgery COM
plant to prefer against Blake. Later
II was discovered that Blake, who was
formerly secretary of the local aerie OF
Eagles, was dishonorabIy expelled from
the order for an alleged shortage in
his accounts The police have been in
formed that Blake paid up his shortage
10 the Eagles with money loaned him
by Bright, who is a contractor.
In the room with Mrs Bright when
she made her confession this morning
were her husband. Blake and Captain
Petersen. Blake denied the truth of
the woman's accusations against him in
their entirety. but he made the strange
offer to repay the stolen money in in
stallments to Bright IL he were re-
leased.
WOMAN MAKES CONFESSION
Mrs. Bright's confession to the police
was made voluntarily after a conference
with her husband. who agreed that he
would prefer no charge against her.
She acknowledged first that she had
been on intimate terms with Blake for
considerable time, and that he had
frequently endeavored to prejudice her
against her husband. In order that
he might visit her without fear of in
terruptfon, she said that Blake secured
pills containing powerful opiate, tell
ing the druggist who sold them to him
that he wanted TO give them to a rela-
tive who suffered from sleeplessness.
Mrs. Bright placed one of these pills
In her husbands coffee on several
evenings when she was anxious that
he should sleep soundly, and she de-
clared that they always had the desired
effect Each morning when Bright
awoke, after taking one of these pills,
he complained OF headache. Twice,
Mrs. Bright declared, she took money
and jewelry from her husbands pock-
cts at night
BLAKE DIMES WITH WOMAN
Monday night Blake visited her and
was dining with her when her husband
returned from work. Bright greeted
him pleasantly and the two left the
house together. When they We're out
side Blake told Bright that Mrs Bright
had stolen a diamond stud belonging
TO Bright and sold it to secure money to
buy a pair of shoes. The reason for
this accusation of theft against tbe
woman with whom he was consorting
has not been revealed. Then Bright
left his companion and went down
town to hire some men. When he re-,
turned home he found his<wife. as he
thought alone. Mrs. Bright, however.
told the police that Blake was in the
front room at the time.
During her husbands absence she
said that she and Blake concocted a
plan to ehloroform her husband upon
his return and take his money Blake
secured bottle Of the deadly anes-
thetic. Then he secreted himself in the
front room until Bright had returned
and retired. The contractor had with
him sl47-50, which he placed in his
trousers pockets. The trousers he fold
ed up and placed under his pillow.
HUSBAND Is CHLOROFORNED
After he had retired Blake took her
handkerchief, saturated 1t with chloro-
form and pressed IL over Bright's nos
trils. AS soon as the influence of the
drug was made apparent by the change
in the sleeping mans breathing. Blake
pulled the trousers from under the
pillow ana look the money. Then to
make 1t appear that a burglary had
been committed, Mrs. Bright threw the
trousers into the back yard and opened
the rear and side doors. When Blake
had departed she went to bed in the
front room.
She says that she met Blake yester-
day in front of the Orpheum theater
and he gave her $40, declaring that the
amount which he had secured was not
as great as they had thought. She says
that Blake expressed surprise that
Bright had recovered from the chloro-
form, saying that the dose was enough
to Kill a horse.
When Bright discovered his loss he
first reported to the police that his
house had been entered by burglars.
but after further investigation his sus-
pic!ons were directed upon his wife.
and he finally accused her. Then. de-
claring that he would never live with
her again, he moved his personal ef