The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-04
Former Warden Tompkins Of
San Quentin Locked From
Own Home by WIfe
Prisoner Who Won Her Synrpa-
thy in Prison Said to Be
Cause of Disruption
FOrger's Friendship for His
Keepers Mate Confines
After He Gets Freedom
Son Is With Father and Mother
Has Deed TO Barred
Residence


a EAJOR JOHN w. TOMPKINS,
IVI former warden Of the state
prison at San Quentin, is with
his son Harold an exile from the fam
lily home at Fourteenth and Cameron
streets, Fruitvale Mrs. Tompkins, the
wife and mother, is away, but has
maintained her control over the house
so that the doors are closed to the
husband and son. The acute differ
ences in the family have started a
turbulent stream of talk in Alameda
county and on this side of the bay.
where the Tompkins family is well
known and where Mrs Tompkins. an
uncommonly handsome woman, is OF
considerable prominence.
At present Major Tompkins and his
son, who is lad approaching 10 years
OF age, are staying at the home OF
Harry Hinckley, in Fruitvale avenue
near Pleasant avenue, three blocks
from the closed Tompkins residence.
Mrs. Tompkins is dividing her time
at the present between San Jose and
Santa Cruz. and her whereabouts is
not definitely known to her family in
Fruitvale.
Property in Wife's Name
Tompbins is engaged in the insur-
ance business in the First national
bank building in Oakland, but he is
an old man and his business is not
very prosperous. The family prop
erty is in his wife's name and her
startling action in closing the doors
of the home on the former owner
leaves Tompkins in a sore way hnan-
cially.
Behind the story of the separation
of the husband and wife is the shadow
of a strange. inexplicable friendship
which Mrs. Tompkins is said to have
maintained with a former convict
named Gordon. Gordon was an in
mate OF the San Quentin prison at the
time Tompkins was warden. He had
been convicted of forgery. and even
in stripes was a man of engaging per-
sonality and considerable culture. 1t
is usually the forger who gets the best
employment at penitentiary. Cor
don became the tutor for Harold
Tomplins
That occupation brought him in
contact with the Tompkins family.
He and Mrs Tompkins became mutu-
ally interested in the boys studies and
the convict played upon the womanly
sympathy of the warden's wife. After
Gordon's release from prison he went
east
Later it happened that Mrs Tomp-
kins went east to study art Gossip
says that in the eastern states the
two met
However accurate or pertinent that
report may be. it is generally believed
that Gordon is now in Oakland.
Tompkins, knowing convicts from the
altitude of prison official and as
man of experience, is said not to have
favored the continuance of the friend
ship between his wife and the one
time prisoner. A dispute over the COM
plication of Gordon's friendship is said
largely to be responsible for the dis
ruption of the Tompkins household.
The former warden believed it. is re-
ported. that there was a limit to be
set on sympathy for ex-convicts.
Mrs. Tompkins comes OF a family
which once enjoyed social prominence
in Oakland Before her marriage she
was Emma Altman. daughter OF John
A Altman. Her brother was George
Altman. young man who continually
exercised talent for getting into
trouble He made two attempts TO end
his life. the second of which was sue
cessfuL He has been dead about three
years.
Woman a SpiritualiSt
The father mysteriously disappeared
and Mrs Tompkins. who is an ardent
spiritualist. consulted a medium re-
garding his case. She was told to look
in the water She followed the
clairvoyants advice and found the