The San Francisco call., 1908-09-02
MARSHAL LIPPT TELLS
STORY OF FINDING BODY
Gives Details of How He Became
Suspicious of AhI-
Stedf

The story Of the capture of Alstedt
and the detective work which led to
the arrest OF the suspect was told yes
terday by Deputy Marshal Lippi, who
vas placed in charge of the inquiry
Immediately after the discovery of the
clothing of Mrs. Donohue and the day
before the exhumation OF the body.
Lippi was formerly chief of a detective
agency which bore mis- own name and
his work in the Donohue case has won
TIE cosnmendation Of Captain of De-
teetiYes Petersen Of Oakland and of the
other officers concerned in the investi-
cation.
shortly after Mrs. Donohue disap-
peared 1 first began TO think that Ahl-
stedt or Arkell. might know something
about the mystery" said Lippi The
entire scene Of the crime was on my
regular beat and / knew both Mrs
Donohue and Ahlstedt very we'll My
attention was first called to Ahlstedt
by seeing him prowling around at night
and later this suspicion grew keener
when the neighbors began to talk of
his doings. l knew nothing definite
against the man, bat / did not think
that he was all that he appeared 10 be
and suspected that he might have
criminal history
II was the gossip of a woman which
caused me TO link him with the Dono-
nue. affair- She said that he had been
IalkIng so much about it and had said
50 many queer things that she felt
sure he knew more than he would tell.
shortly before Mrs. Donohue disap-
peared, this woman said, Alstedt told
her that it would not be long before
Mrs. Donohue would go away a long
Instance. He was talking about her he
Ing a flirt, and said:
GU mark my words. Mrs Donohue
Is gong 10 disappear before long
did not make much of the Woman's
suspicious at the time, but thought
would cultivate Ahlstedt's acuuaint-
anee. went around to mis- house to
Talk 10 him and he showed me through
ms howell He proudly pointed out his
arsenal of guns and said he was not
AFRAID OF anybody ever doing him an
injury
! am not afraid of man. God or the
devil he said to me, and I must saw
that I thought he looked it.
W aen the clothes We're found I de-
tefmlned 10 probe to the bottom nv
suspicious that Ahlstedt might have
had something to do with the matter
ana 1 MADE inquiry around the neigh
porhood about him. / found that he
had watched Mrs. Donohue systematic
ally and had been seen following her a
number Of times. I learn from Mrs
vera, Mrs. DonOhue's friend. that she
had heard window tapping on the night
OF the disappearance, and from Mrs
Ahrenstahl ] learned that she and her
son Alec had twice seen Mrs. Donobue
that night once leaning against the
shed and later running across the moor
ms satlsneo me that the woman had
met with scul PLAY
Il then recoffapfad tbof oL... -
time OF the night that Mrs. Donohue
mad disappeared had heard suspicious
noises around the furniture factorv
premises. and / mentally located the
BODY exactly where il was found later
mad worked all day and night on
li.e case. and when finally got to bed
after midnight / could not sleen for
fear that Ahlstedt might fee. knew
lively. ''iN
he next morning when the body
was found said to the foreman of the 1
furniture factory:
n o,, I've z? got the man that did this work.
Mt1 prlng him down here and oues-
sss 80. III lie consented and inme- !
elf1eiY went over. TO Ahlstedfs house I
Ahlstedt was working in the front eSs- '
den a nd he paled al the sight OF me 4
want you 10 come down TO the
~ .lIliit ~ aIe factory i said to him. I
te.Af-..Ag Ou- n little Wifhnr1@ ]
e. word he laid down his shovel sn5 (
. came me along lie did not ask why We
wanted him. ~ we
" hen we got him to the furniture
NlOrF MARSHAL Carey and uvsalf cues
.Ioned him closely. We did NOT aSc,,sa
MN OF the murder. but asked him abo,,t
Isls NOV ements that night He SsSd
ithat ne mad been at home asleeo snd /
pretended that he was Surprised 81 oI,r
inquiries. Finally we turned him loose
70 see II ne would view the body v-hfcb
vas then being dug np outside tho 1
factory instead of going around 10
home iishh pack
Il then told Marshal Carey. that 7
tnought that the man should nor he
alioNeo Al sarge and suggested that We
o1Sht 10 lock him up. Carey agreed |
Win me, and l went back after him
AS J. approached Ahlstedfs ho1,se
saw him peering in my direction
through the lattice work of the norcb
When came up close he suddenfv ha-
gan 70 fix the vines.
We want you again Arkeu' I said
10 him. HIS face went pale as desft
and could see his lips ouiyerine sr.d
like TO go into the house to gef nv
coat was all he said. He secured ~
garment and then started to omen tbs
door TO his garret den.
No, said J. You'd better come alono
just as you are / know now that ba5
Trouf Efshfu-