The San Francisco call., 1909-12-19
Police Unearth Evidence Show
ing That Murderer Has
COnfederates
Organized Band of Thugs Now
Believed to Be Operating
in San Francisco
Suspects Are Viewed by Victims
of Saturday Night Fiend"
and Later Released

anu LdIST keIedSeO
nELIENING he has an organized
X band of thugs to deal with, Chief
- of Police Cook last night held
two automobiles in readiness to send
detectives to any part of the city
should rhe depredations of "the Sat
urday night fend" again be reported
A half dozen detective sergeants were
kept on duty at the central station
for work should a robbery be at
tempted, and the two machines ready
at the curb waited until after mid
night TO make record time to the
scene.
Suspect Is Freed
Positive proof was secured yester-
day afternoon that Fritz Ertmann,
the waiter arrested at Fillmore and
O'Farrell streets late Friday night
was not fhe bandit. Erhmann seemed
Tor a time to fat into the robber'
identity. DR.. J. H. Noland of the
Gleason-Courneen drug store, and Da-
vid 3. Green. proprietor of the drug
store at Franklin and Turk streets,
both stated positively. after scrutiniz-
ing the suspect. that he was not the
orug store thug. Mrs. Green also de-
clared that he was not the man.
Ertmann is employed at Meade's
restaurant. 241 Kearny street, as a
waiter. and he proved that he had
been working there for the past two
Saturday nights. Last Wednesday
night, wEen the White drug store at
Geary and FslIn1ofe streets was en-
tered. Erfmann was not at work, but
he proved that be had spent that
evening at meeting of the walters
union.
Denies HOIdup Motives
B. 5 Dickhoff, proprietor Of the
White drug store was not sure last
evening that Ertmann was the man
that entered his store. so the waiter
was given his freedom.
Il have not been ia the White drug
store for the last six months Ert-
mann said last night What is more,
] would not hold up a year old child.
When Chief Cook was about 10 leave
his Office in the afternoon a special
delivery post card was handed him by
the mail carrier. 1t read: The man
you got last night is not the holdup
man. Let him 60"
The message was signed: THE Real
Thug"
The word Of Mrs. Irene Floras. state
ments from B. S. Dickhon and informa-
tion obtained by the police in the
neighborhood Of Green's drug store at
Franklin and Turk streets have made
Chief Cook and Captain Of Detectives
anderson certain that the lone ban
dit" is aided in his raids by two accom-
plices- From every quarter is coming
information Of trio of thugs oper-
ating in concert. one man doing the
actual work, while two stand guard.
Saw Three Men
It was learned for the first time yes
terday that Mrs. Irene Floras. who was
held up in the Charlotte candy store at
1886 Market street last Tuesday night.
saw three men lettering in front, Of
her place Of business a quarter of an
hour before the robbery was attempted
The three were hanging around on
the curbing." Mrs. Floras stated to the
police, and noticed them there.
Finally one of the men came into the
store and asked for a certain kind Of
candy made with nuts
The kind / want is in the window
he said.
The sort OF candy he asked for was
not in either window, and when I
turned around after looking in them L
noticed that the fellow was covertly
gazing around the store. L asked him
If he could see the kind he wanted in
the show cases or the jars on the
shelves. and then he said give me a
aickers worth Of any old kind
Il served the order, and the man
left with the package A minute or
two later the light went out, and then
the holdup man came in. The man
that bought the candy was not the one
that held me mp. but 1 am convinced
that both belonged TO the gang of
three hanging around in 'front.'
Charles Luhn's story of the man he
saw in front Of his cigar store, next
door 10 the candy shop. who hurried
away when the robbery was COM
nitted. is additional evidence that more
than one man was concerned in the at
tempted holdup.
Bandit Watches Drug Store
Another fact that leaked out yester-
day was that an alarm from Green's
drug store at Franklin and Turk