The San Francisco call., 1909-02-14
GIRL DECLARES
PA IS THE MAN
WHO ATTACKED
Elizabeth Grapes Identifies the
Gardener as the Brutal
Criminal
Prisoner Is Taken From Jail
and Confronted With
His Victim
Considerable Evidence Is Sc
cured Tending to Show the
Accused Is Guilty

SAN RAFAEL. Feb. 13.-AIiss Eliza
beth Grapes today identified Joe Pia,
tile gardener, as the man who made
the criminal assault upon her Satur-
day night, in Fifth street near the
armory, where she was standing and
listening to the music being played at
a dance given there.
Miss Grapes was reclining on a
couch at the home Of her aunt, Mrs.
Goetfried, when Sheriff Taylor. with
the prisoner, and accompanied by Dis
1rict Attorney Boyd and the detectives,
entered. without ceremony Pia was
ushered into the room and stood fac
ing the victim Of the brutal assault.
For an instant the girl looked at the
sullen swarthy face then she threw
her hands up in front of her eyes.
Don't let him get any nearer: keep
him away" she cried. He is the man"
VICTIM Is POSITIVE
Are you sure this is the fellow who
followed you down Fourth street Sat
urday afternoon asked the sheriff.
Miss Grapes answered in the afirma-
tive.
us he tie one who assaulted you
on the same evening""
Again the girl said yes" and as Pia
was positively identified and the young
woman showed evidence Of another
break akdOwn the officials withdrew, and
PA was taken back TO the county jail.
where he was sweated the remainder
Of the afternoon by Sheriff Taylor and
City Detectives Arthur MacPhee and
Charles Taylor The rapid fire ques-
tiOns and accusations, however, only
served to make the sullen prisoner more
surly, and throughout the examination
he stuck 10 the declaration that he
was innocent in spite of the damaging
evidence that had been procured against
him.
FIND DAMAGING EVIDENCE
The authorities last night made an
examination of Pia's room at the Cos
mopOlitan hotel in B street, where sew
eral damaging bits Of evidence were
picked up. Hidden in the trunk was
pair of black trousers, TO which still
hung particles OF dried mud The mud
was carefully scraped off and later
VIII be analyzed and compared with
the soil in the lot where the assault
took place
4 number Of neck ties were found
Of the same pattern as the one picked
up in the lot the morning following
the assault. The police have several
more articles Of a damaging character
that they are Withholding for the
present.
With the testimony of witnesses who
heard Pia say that he would force his
attentions upon Miss Grapes. the arti-
cles picked UP in his room and the
positive Identification by the victim
the officers confronted the gardener
He denied everything in turn. He said
that he did not own pair of trousers
that were black
CALLS WITNESSES LIARS
Pia calls all witnesses against him
Liars. Notwithstanding his bravado
the authorities are certain that the
man VIII ultimately confess and they
viii continue sweating him. Already
he has made conflicting statements
and he has been unable TO account for
his whereabouts from 7:15 on the even
ing Of the assault TO 9 o'clock, when he
was seen starting toward ID street
where he later dubbed his enemy
John Zaro. The attack on Miss Grapes
was committed a few minutes after s
o'clock. Pointing strongly to the guilt
OF the gardener are several scratches
on his lips In telling her story to the
sheriff Miss Grapes said that once she
felt the culprits teeth when she was
struggling with him, and if he was
marked any place by her finger nails
the lips would bear the imprints Such
abrasions were found today, and the
prisoner has not yet made an explana-
tion of how they came there.
After the man had been identified
the authorities tried to keep the news
secret. but in a short while the infor-
nation had spread and excited groups
OF men gathered at the street corners
and discussed the matter. No threat
Of violence was made, however. Cfti-
zens believe that the right man has
been apprehended. The officers who
worked on the case are being compli-
mented for their work in Capturing
Pia.