The San Francisco call., 1909-11-30
FIVE ROSS MURDER
SUSP[C1SARR[STfD
Tall and Pale, Deaf Mute Close
ly Resembles Supposed
Slayer of Engineer
Conflicting Theories and Clews
Obscure Case; Desperadoes
Strike Telephone Employe

| SAN RAFAEL, Nov. 29.-After an e4-
citing chase from the top of Puerta
So1a hill along Petaluma road and the
railroad track leading into San Ra-
fael. Deputy Sheriffs George Ortman
and George Agnew arrested five sus-
picious characters this afternoon in
connection with the murder of Robert
c. Black, the young engineer shot and
killed at Ross early last Monday morn
ing.
B. Mason, one of the prisoners. has
blackened eye, but does not otherwise
| answer the description of the man seen
by Captain Fred Lewis the morning OF
the crime. Captain Lewis of the launcn
Caddy said that man came to him
early Monday morning and was anx-
ious to secure transportation by water
to San Francisco. Lewis described the
man as being tall, slight and wearing
mustache. The man taken in Gus
tody today is short and smoth shaven.
He may easily have shaved his mus
tache, but the difference in height is
such that the authorities do not be-
leve he is the same man seen by Lewis.
ANSWERS DESCRIPTION
James Mackery, another of the auin-
tet arrested today, answers in many
respects the description of the man
seen near Lagunitas. road and Shady
lane by William Nolan, the blacksmith,
and others. He is tall. slight. pale,
smooth shaven and has large eyes. He
appears to be deaf and dumb. but the
authorities have not yet determined
whether his Affections are real or as
sumed. series of long scratches on
one side of his face have directed the
suspicious of the authorities in his di-
rection 1t is generally believed by
Coroner F. e. Sawyer and others who
found the body that Black had fierce
struggle with his assailant before he
was shot, and the marks on the face
or the suspect are such as would be
| inflicted by an antagonist fighting for
his life.
man resembling the fellow seen
lurking about the corner of Shady lane
and the Lagunitas road the night Black
was murdered was seen near the home
of j. M. Michaels, close to this city,
Sunday night, and as Fred .Detmar of
the Pacific States telephone company
and Michaels himself obtained q good
description of the man, they will ap-
pear tomorrow at the Jail In an effort
to discover whether or not he is among
the five captured today.
Detmar was walking near the Mich
aels home when he saw two men half
hidden in some bushes. The telephone
employe approached them with q pistol
| in his hand, and one of the pair struck
him in the face The revolver ex-
ploded and the men ran. Michaels,
rushing from his house, got a good
view of them as they ran past him.
John Molini, the teamster who came
| upon a man sleeping in the cabin on
the M. S. Rickard property Sunday
/ afternoon, a few hours before the muir
der was committed is inclined to be-
lieve that the tall mute arrested today
| is the man he saw. Anton Cavelli.
/ the care taker of the Rickard place, de-
scribed one of the tramps who threat
ened him last Saturday night as having
a blackened eye.
II is thought that the men arrested
today were implicated in the trouble
which occurred late last night on
Puerta Sola hill. A man was seen
prowling about the grounds of the
Sergeant Ross residence last night. and
two shots We're fired at him before he
made his escape.
| Frank Farrell, father of May Farrell,
the fiancee of young Black, was work.
| Ing another clew today. He be-
| lieves that the murderer is in the vi
entity of Bolinas, and bases his theory
on the statement made by G. Gamboni,
a laborer In the employ of the Marin
water and power company.
Gamboni says he was coming down
the Fairfax grade early last Wednesday
morning when he was accosted by two
men. One of them carried a heavy
club, and asked him for match. Now
give me some tobacco" demanded the
stranger Gamboni gave him the to-
bacco, and the fellow then asked him
if he had a watch, advancing threaten
ingly toward him as he made the re-
quest.
Gamboni became frightened and
plunged down the hillside into the val
ley that leads to Fairfax. He de-
scribes the man who carried the~club
as being tall and smooth shaven, but
the stranger wore a brown soft hat.
instead of gray, as was the hat de-
scribed by Nolan and others who saw
the loiterer near the scene of the
crime.
Farrell received communication
from Blacks relatives in Scotland today
asking for information in regard to the
young Scots burial.