Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-06
WURTZ SILENT
AS TO GRIMES
ACCUSED CLERK SAYS He
TRIED TO SURRENDER
KNOWS NOTHING OF SUSPECT
HELD IN OHIO
Former EmpIoye Of Title Insurance
and Trust Company Presents
a Sorry Spectacle In
City jail

Robert A. Wurtz, alleged defaulting
clerk of the Title Insurance and Trust
company, slept In the upper tanks OF
the city jail last night.
Wurtz was returned to this city from
Fresno, where he was arrested on
Wednesday, Detective George Home
having gone for him.
The prisoner appeared in sorry
frame of mind when he was taken into
the detectives office to give his per-
sonal record. He was nervous and i'll
at ease and appeared greatly worried,
but explained later that this was be-
cause of the fact that he had heard
was i'll and he had not been able to
learn her condition.
After he had answered the usual
questions as to his name, place of
birth, residence, etc., Wurtz asked that
the newspaper men be brought in that
he might issue a statement.
OF his alleged crimes he refused to
say anything, stating that he did not
think 1t would be fair to the company
or to himself to say anything at all of
the charges against him until after he
had talked. with officers of the COM
pany and his attorney.
Tried to Surrender
"I left here on the twentieth of Aug
Francisco. From there I went to see
a friend of mine in Mariposa county
and then went to Merced. From Mer-
ced I went to Fresno and there tried
to surrender to the chief of police, but
he refused to take me, and the next
day I was arrested by detective.
81 spent four days In Fresno before
/ was arrested. When I left here 1
was drunk and had bee> trunk for
three days. 1 am not usually a heavy
drinker, but periodically I drank TO
excess.
"I read of my going away from Los
Angeles in the San Francisco papers
and then when l read of my arrest
in Byron, o., made up my mind to
come back and face the charges
against me. / am glad to get back.
Glad that am here, and will start to
work right away to get matters
Strengthened out That is all care to
say at the present time, and all that
ask is that the newspapers will treat
me fairly and not exaggerate the mat
ter any,
Wurtz was asked about the prisoner
arrested in Ohio, and replied that he
knew absolutely nothing of the man,
had never heard of him and could
throw no light on the matter at all.
"It is a peculiar coincidence, but I
can tell you nothing at all about the
Ohio prisoner" he said, except that
he is not me. I am here and he is
there and there is now, never was and
never will be any connection estab-
lished between us.
"I have no idea who this eastern
man is and merely from curiosity
would like to have the matter ex-
planned"
At Merced and Fresno Wurrz was
drinking very heavily and was on the
verge of delirium when he was ar
rested at the latter place.. He stated
that drink had so crazed him. that he
was not responsible for his actions
there, but said that he was on his way
back to Los Angeles and came as far
as he could with the money he had.
When he got to Fresno his money
ran out and all that he had was the
small amount he had secured from the
Southern Pacific company on the re-
fund of the unusued portion of ticket
from Merced to Bakersfield.