The San Francisco call., 1908-07-20
GASPIPE SUSPECTS
ARE NOT GUILTY
Men Held for Murder of Ala
media Watchman Freed
After Examination
Father Begs Son to Tell Truth
Despite All, but He Main
tains Innocence

ALAMEDA, July 19.-James A Dyer
and William Jantzen, who were taken
into custody by the police on suspicion
that they knew something concerning
the gaspipe murder of Henry Bangs,
night watchman at the Pacific Coast
borax works at the west end, were re-
leased this afternoon by Acting Chief
of Police Albert Kamp following
searching examination by Policemen c.
E. Keyes, AL Huff and Deputy District
Attorney w. H. l.. Hynes. Both men
accounted satisfactorily for their where
abouts from Friday evening at O'Clock,
the time that Bangs went on duty. to
o'clock Saturday morning, the time that
the watchmans battered body was
fonud by Frank Matcovich.
Henry Jantzen, father of William
Jantzen, was present while his son was
being questioned and in a dramatic
manner appealed to the young man to
tell the truth, exclaiming:
William, for Gods sake and for my
sake, If you know anything about this
killing say so. Tell the truth and tell
it all. 1 would rather see you dead
than to have you lie about this affair
if you were in any way mixed up in the
murder of this man
The younger Jantzen told a story
that was considered straight by his in
quisitors and which was in many de-
tails corroborated by the story told by
Dyer. According to Jantzen's statement
he spent all of Friday night in Ala
media after having refused to go to
Oakland at the invitation of Dyer. The
latter said that he had been given $40
in the evening by his mother to have
the coin changed, but that he had spent
some of the money in saloons. Dyer
testified that at about 10 o'clock Friday
night while he was under the influence
of liquor he walked across the Webster
street roadway to Oakland, that he Wis
tied several saloons and cheap theaters
in that city and that he started to walk
back home yesterday morning about 2
o'clock While on the way to Alameda
Dyer said that he was overtaken by an
automobile in which were three per-
sons and that he was given a ride to
the west end. He then went to his
home, he asserted. and in order to eX-
plain why $3.50 of the $40 was not in
his possession lied to his mother and
said that he had spent it with Jantzen.
1t was this story that Dyer told to his
mother and which she repeated to the
detectives yesterday that caused the
police to take Jantzen into custody.
With the release of Dyer and Jantzen
the police are working on other clews
that may lead to the detection of the per-
son or persons who murdered Bangs. The
detectives StlI cIlng TO the theory that
the crime was committed by some indi-
vidual or individuals who knew the
night watchman and who were familiar
with his habits and with the interior
of the borax factory building. The
theory that the murder might have
been perpetrated by tramps is secuted
by Acting Chief of Police Kamp.
"I am almost convinced that Bangs
was killed by some person or persons
who were acquainted with him." said
Kamp, and who knew something about
his hours of work, his habits and who
was familiar with the inside of the
borax company's building. We are also
quite certain that Bangs was murdered
some time between 8 o'clock and S:20
O'Clock Friday evening. We do not be-
lieve it probable that Bangs would have
permitted any tramps or strangers To
enter the building, as he was very
strict in keeping persons he did not
know away from the factory 1t is
likely that Bangs was killed by some
one for the purpose of robbing him, and
1t is also likely that he may have been
murdered by some one with whom he
had a personal row"
Bangs body was removed from the
local morgue to an undertaking parlor
in Oakland. The funeral is to be held
under the auspices of the Danish broth
erhood, of which Bangs was a member