The San Francisco call., 1908-07-17


last year of the latter's reign as boss
Of San Francisco.
When Captain Forrest was ap-
preached last night by a representa-
tive Of The Call he became reticent.
but admitted the truth of the state
ments attributed TO him. He would
not take the responsibility of repeat
ing them positively. however, saying
that he was not sure after all whether
John CIsudianes had told him this OF
whether he had heard OF il through
some third person.
PETER WITH "FELIX"
George Peters, a Greek, proprietor Of
the North Shore chopnouse In Water
street. Sausalito. also knows both the
Claudianes brothers intimately, and
until a week ago Peter Claudianes, who
is now so badly wanted by the local
officials, was staying at his place Peter
was there for about week in company
with Il man who was known as Felix,
and Peters asserts that during their
stay they dined regularly in his res
taurant. always seeking a secluded
corner. cOnversing quietly together in
the lowest Of tones and always ceasing
TO talk when waiter neared them.
'.FeliX" is described as man about
5 feet inches. wore dark mustaehe
and thin from recent sickness, and was
also known to Fred Linsley, Sausalito
manager for the Wells-Fargo company.
lie disappeared from Sausalito at the
time Peter left the town.
CLAUDIANEs' MOTHER COMING
Mrs. a. Claudianes of Chico viii be
questioned today by District Attorney
Langdon and Special Agent Burns. An
agent from the district attorneys office
visited her yesterday at her home in
Chico and induced her TO make the trip
bn dpraHrTpn a
first. but later consented to take the
night train and will reach this city
this morning. Through her il is hoped
10 locate Peter Claudianes and TO gain
a more thorough knowledge Of the re-
cent movements Of both her sons and
of their local history and connections
Through some mysterious channel
John Claudianes yesterday succeeded IN
retaining an attorney, and ii is prob
able that steps viii be taken in his
behalf today TO secure the fling Of
formal charges. Ever since his arrest
he has been held in detinue in the city
prison, with the exception of few
hours Wednesday, when he was taken
10 Oakland and Went over the ground
of the dynamiting a second time, and
no one has been allowed TO cOmmuni
cate with him in his cell. Late yester-
day afternoon, however, he was visited
by Attorney J. W. Scott, who has been
secured as his counsel, and after an
interview Of about 20 minutes, at which
the Greek consul was also present, Scott
left the prison.
DECLARES HE is INNOCENT
i have had q short talk with Claudi
anes," be said, " and he still declares
that he is absolutely innocent. 1 have
not determined whether l will bring
habess corpus proceedings or not but
/ may take some action tomorrow"
1t is significant that Scott is an at
torney in the office of Frank p. Deer
ing whe was one of the attorneys who
signed the protest against the criti
cism that was directed at the judges
OF the court of appeal following the
reversal Of the SchmitZ case. This
protest upheld the action OF the higher
court in freeing the grafters, and many
OF the signers were men closely allied
with The interests of defendants in the
variOfss graft cases. Scott refused yes
terday TO state in what manner his
services had been secured, and when il
was pointed out that his client had been
held fncommunicade ever since his ar
rest he only smiled. II was suggested
that he might have been retained by
some of Claudianes' friends, TO which
he made a quick denial
No. not that" he said. 1T came
from Claudianes himself"
MAY HASTEN FORMAL CHARGE
As to whether the retainer came di-
rectly through others close to the pris-
oner Scott did not state. His whole at
titude in discussing the matter was sug-
gestive Of the suppesition that he had
been requested TO take up the case by
some one with whom Claudianes had in
some way been in communication, or
who was authorized TO act for him.
Should Scott bring an action in habeas
corpus the prosecution would be forced
at once to bring a formal charge
against the prisoner or show cause why
he should not be released. and in order
20 gain . knowledge Of the evidence
against his client Scott may make such
a move. sian
Scott was accompanied to the city
prison by Richard de Fontana, the
Greek consul and the latter's secretary,
H. T. Clark De Fontana questioned
Claudianes at considerable length and
learned that the man was not a Greek
subject The mans father, who is To-
Gated at Chico, was .naturalized FIVE
years before the boy came to this coun-
Try, and as the latter was but a mere
lad at that time he is a citizen Of the
United States
saw SUSPICIOUS MAN
An incident which tends to add
weight 10 the evidence against John
Claqdianes, but which fails in material
respects 10 substantiate his original
story that he himself was the dyna-
miter, came TO light yesterday through
a statement made by Eugene Donahue
of 1865 Twentieth avenue Oakland.
whose home is directly in the rear of
the house where the first Gallagher
explosion occurred. Wednesday Dona-
hue told Langdon, Burns and Captain
OF Detectives Petersen Of Oakland that
about midnight on Easter Sunday he
saw a man acting suspiciously in the