The San Francisco call., 1908-09-17
RAE CONF[SSFS
THAT He SHOT
CARL MO[LER
Gun Club Keeper Breaks Down
and Tells Story of Tragedy
of Marshes
Will Be Prosecuted Without
Delay by District Attorney
of Alameda County
Evidence Given Before Coroner
Brings Uncertain Verdict
in San Jose

.sMOrgan came to me and told me that
had no business there. 1 climbed the
tank and watched the fellows for some
time through my field glasses. Then
called to Morgan to bring the rife. He
went into the clubhouse and then came
out with 1t in his hand. He climbed
hands. Then 1 fired two shots at the
men / saw in the slough. After two or
three hours the constable came, but
before he arrived Mr.. Larzelere and DIR.
quietly that i had fired the shots. He
asked me, why didn't you tell him 2
said 1 thought i would not say any
thing about it.--FrOm confession of
John Rae.
The last element of mystery con-
nected with the death of young Carl
Moller, who was killed last Sunday in
the marshes near the Ambrae gun club
preserve, near Irvington, was dissi-
pated last night when John Rae, the
Keeper, QOWl anu NDllCSSCu NiAo I
he had fired the fatal shot. Rae made
full statement in which he admitted
that he had fired for the purpose of
driving Moller and his companions
from the preserve. He added that he
had told Leigh H. Larzelere, the San
Francisco commission merchant. OF the
shooting. Larzelere at the time denied
any knowledge of the affair.
Rae's confession was made to Sheriff
Barnet of Alameda county at the Jail in
Oakland a few hours after a coroner's
jury in San Jose had returned YER
dict that Moller had come to his death
from a gunshot wound by party un-
known to this jury" The testimony
adduced at the inquest established
positively that Rae had fired the shot
and the uncertain verdict occasioned
general surprise.
A formal charge will be lodged
against Rae today by Andrew Ander
son, the youth who was with Moller
at the time of the shooting. The
prosecution will be conducted by Dis
trict Attorney Brown of Alameda
county.
RAE TELLS OF SHOOTING
Rae's confession was made to Barnet
after the sheriff had returned from San
Jose. Rae had been in conference with
Attorney POTleT ASne anu tApIcSScQ d
Willingness to make a clean breast of
the entire affair. Raes story corrobo-
rated the testimony given during the
afternoon at the inquest by Roy Nor
gan, the carpenter at the gun club.
The stories diverged only in one detail.
Rae stating that Morgan was beside
him on the tank when he fired, while
Morgan asserted that he had remained
below Rae's confession as made to
Sheriff Barnet follows:
Morgan came to me and told me
that there were men on the preserves
who had no business there. l climbed
the tank and watched the fellows for
some time through my field glass. Then
L called to Morgan to go bring the
rifle He went into the clubhouse and
then came out with it in his hand. He
climbed the tank and / took the rifle
from his hands when we were on top
together. Then l fired two shots at
the men i saw in the slough.
After two or three hours the con-
stable came, but before he arrived Mr..
Larzelere and DR.. Short had dropped
in. l told Larzelere quietly that 1 had
fired the shots. He asked me, Why
didn't you tell him?' 1 said 1 thought
1 would not say anything about it,
After he had finished his story Bar
net asked him whether Larzelere or
given him instructions to shoot tress-
passers or supposed tresspassers. After
hesitating a little Rae said that he had
never received such instructions.
MORGAN GIVES VERSION
Practically the same tale was told
at the San Jose inquest by Morgan, al
though he manifested a desire to shield
Rae where possible. Porter Ashe was
in attendance as the legal representa-
tive of Larzelere and DR.. E. N. Short of
San Francisco and asked an occasional
question Andrew Anderson, the first
witness called, stated that he and Mol
Ter were in the boat together about
LOO yards from the clubhouse and not
in the preserve. Suddenly a rifle report
sounded from the clubhouse and Moller
fell. exclaiming, I'm shot!'
Morris Silva, who was not far away
in the marshes, corroborated this state
ment, adding that he had heard a sec
ond shot fired. DR.. c. A. Wayland told
of Moller's death in the Belvedere hos
pital in San Jose. He said that the
course of the bullet was slightly down.
ward. Constable S. b. Vanderyoort
identified the rifle and bullet
According to Morgan, the Niles car
penter who was working at the club
house, Rae had fired into the air. in
tending to shoot over the heads of the
BOYS. Morgan later contradicted him
self by stating that Rae had held the
gun muzzle downward. The main part
of Morgan's testimony follows:
'I was working on the roof of the
barn when 1 heard two shots fired
from different parts of the sloughs.
This was about IL o'clock. Mrs. John
Rae was inside the house at the time
and Rae was in the bathroom. 1 went
into the house and told Rae that had
heard two shots. He got a pair of
field glasses and ran out to the tank.
He climbed out on the tank and looked
away to the southwest. About a mile
away l could see a black speck moving
on the water of the slough. Between
the black speck and us were q couple
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