The San Francisco call., 1908-07-22


that had the case not been bungled
in the first place by the Examiner the
crime might easily have been Ies-
tened on the guilty persons
TRACES CRIME TO RUFF
As startling in its details as any in
cident OF local criminal history is this
second confession. In it John Clau-
danes not only tells of his own part
IN a deliberate and premeditated at
tempt to commit wholesale murder, but
by his allegations lays the charge OF
guilt at the doors Of his brother, Peter.
his friend Felix Pauduveris, and last
but not least, Abe Ruef.
CIsudianes' second confession was
obtained in its original form last Fri
day night after the prisoners Gu
piditv had been excited by the prom
ise Of a 81 900 reward for information
which would clear the mystery sur
rounding the dynamiting cases. This
was added to by a supplementary con-
fession made in District Attorney
Langdon's Office on Monday night,
when the prisoner was sweated for
nearly five hours by Langdon, Burns
and Detective Thomas Murphy. Yes
terday afternoon he was taken again
TO Langdon's office, where the original
confession. taken down in shorthand
as he gave IL. was read to him \ few
transcript and Claudianes then az
fixed his signature 10 the incriminat-
ing paper.
Claudianes' second confession differs
in essential particulars from that
which he made prior TO his arrest 10
davs ago. II is not an incoherenG
rambling story like the first but
connected and apparently straightfor-
ward account Of the diabolical dy-
.r, 10 adj
had a part He charges that Abe Ruef
was the man who conceived the idea
OF doing away with Gallagher, ana
that il was under Ruefs orders that
the attempts on Gallagher's lie We're
made. He admits his own participation
in the plot but says that his brotneT'
Peter. was the man who lald the oy-
Mantle and lighted the fuses whlch
caused the explosion at the Schenck
home in Oakland and which later De
stroyed Gallagher's houses at ADAMS
point.
The prisoner does not, Of his own
knowledge. connect Ruef with the plot,
but states that when he asked Peter
who was furnishing the money the iat-
ter told him il was Ruef. Felix Pau
duveris. the Greek padrone who has
long been a political henchman ana
tool Of Ruef. is, according TO CIaud-
from Ruef and made the arrangements
FOR the carrying out Of the murder plot
bv the CIaudianes brothers. According
10 CIaudianes' latest confession Gal
lagher was not the only one scheduled
TO suffer, the scheme Of wholesale muir
der including a plan TO bring about
the death OF Rudolph Spreckels' Spe-
ciaI Agent Burns, Assistant District AT
torney Heney and Managing Editor
. h.
ASsAssINATIoNs PLANNED
Poison. bombs and slungshots were
the instruments TO be used In the
assassination schemes, Claudlanes de-
cIares. He tells OF discussing the plans
at length with his brother, Peter. OF
helping Peter to prepare for the dyna-
hitting Of the Schenck home. and Of the
retainer offered himself and Peter by
Felix Pauduveris for the carrying out
OF the dastardly work. Pauduverls,
he declares. had many conferences with
Abe Ruef and planned the details. Tom
Gibson. chief OF detectives for the
United Railroads. was the man, Claud-
lanes says who hired the four thugs
20 follow and harass Special Agent
Burns when he was first working on
the dynamiting cases and Gibson also
held q conference with Ruef in the
Office OF George Keane.
Claudianes now says that he did not
FIRE the dynamite bombs himself, but
that after helping Peter to plant them
he went TO Oroville, and there heard
from Peter that the scheme had been
carried out The second dynamiting. he
says, was carried out by Peter alone.
IN his first confession he told Of execut-
ing both these crimes himself, and even
went so far as TO trace his own move
ments, not only in the vicinity of the
Schenck home, but also in the vicinity
OF the houses at Adams point. Now he
admits that he knew nothing OF the
latter explosion beyond what Peter told
him. AS he led District Attorney Lang
don over the ground at both places, his
second confession materially weakens
his first in this regard.
CARRIES DYNAMITE
The prisoner has also revamped his
tale OF the meeting with q neighbor Of
the Schencks near the latter's home at
midnight one night He says now that
he was carrying a basket containing
the dynamite aSd that Peter was near
at hand when he himself was ap-
preached and warned away. He was
drunk. he says, and seeking a place to
sleep and pad little attention to what
Peter did afterward- In his second
confession he also omits any mention
OF llQllE Lne dynamite at OlIoI6nl
times, as told in his first statement.
Special Agent Burns asserts that the
second confession has been corrob-
GRATED in every respect. so far as 1t
has been possible TO check 1t up with
out the capture of Peter Claudianes
and Felix Pauduveris. The second con-
fession was made Friday night after
John Claudianes had been paid $3.50
and promised $3.50 more as a reward.
the final payment to be made IL his
story was borne out by investigation.
District Attorney Langdon refused yes
terday TO say whether immunity had
been promised.
One feature, even apart from Claudi-
anes testimony, which tends TO con-
meet Felix Pauduveris with the case, is
the fact, now known TO Special Agent
Burns that IL was from Pauduveris
that Peter Claudianes received the
money sent him while he was in Reno
1t was learned in that city that he
telegraphed and telephoned several
times to San Francisco for funds, and
by tracing these messages it has beer
found that the money was forwarde ed
10 him by Pauduveris.
LAWYER MENTIONS RUFF
The second confession was kept as
secret as possible. Even Claudianes