Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-07-01
IIAIRL SHOT AND
= KILLED AT DESK
/ MYSTERIOUS CRIME OCCURS
IN SAN FRANCISCO
SLAYER ESCAPES AND LEAVES
NO TRACE BEHIND
Officers Believe Cashier Was MUIR
dered by Quarry Employe In Dls-
pute Over Time Check
Given Him
tBy Associated Press.)

OlNcH TIln
(By Associated Press)
SAN FRANCISCO, June S0.-Miss
Caroline Brasch, cashier for Gray
Brothers Construction company, was
shot and instantly killed in the COM
pany's offices this afternoon by an un-
identified man who effected his escape
without being observed. A dispute
over time check is believed to have
caused the tragedy.
Miss Brasch, who resided at 1903
Broderick street, was alone at the
time In the eompany's offices on the
sixth floor OF the Wells-Far build
ing In the heart Of the wholesale and
office district.
People in adjoining rooms heard the
sound of a shot and hurried to the Of
sfices of Gray Brothers, but too late to
catch sight of the slayer.
1t was reported to the police, how
ever, that a few minutes before the
shooting Miss Brasch was engaged In
dispute with a man who had pre-
scented a time check, probably for
services as a laborer in one of the COM
pany's quarries.
Theory of Police
An investigation covering a period of
ten minutes satisfied the police that
the murder was committed by an en-
ploye of the company from the quarry
at Point Pedro
According to the statement of Miss
A. Guste and Miss May Turnblatt,
two young women who worked In ar
adjoining room, a man who made sew
eral references to his employment at
this quarry entered the office and pre-
scented a time check.
Miss Brasch, II was said, informed
him that he owed the company S5.75
for board, and he took exception to the
charge. An alteration followed, then
silence, and finally the sound of the
shot.
The manner of the mans escape
from the populous office building, with
It's we'll filled elevators and corridors,
is a mystery.
He was not seen to enter or leave
the building and the police imme-
diately scattered throughout the neigh
borhood in the hope OF finding a clue
to his identity.
Immediately after the shooting of
Miss Brasch a man coolly walked into
the office of the Knox Collection COM
pany, which has been In the habit of
cashing Gray Bros time checks, and
presented the check bearing the name
of j. Novak. He cashed the check,
secured IS and left in an unconcerne1
manner.
Mystery Deepens
AS the investigation proceeds the
mystery that surrounds the identity of
the murderer or the motive for the
crime deepens.
About the room where the girl died
were numerous other offices, each ten
anted by one or more persons. The
corridors were filled with people pass
ing 10 and fro. The elevators, in one
of which the murderer must have rid
den, carried many people up and down;
and yet but one man claims to have
seen the girls slayer,
This mans story, instead OF helping
to solve the mystery, appears to con-
found the only tangible clew on which
the police were at work.
According to statements made to the
police by f., g. Higgins, the only per-
son who claims to have seen the slayer
of Miss Braseh, ]. Novak, the SlaV
laborer for whom the police are seour-
ing the city as a suspect, may not be
\ the man who did the shooting.
Higgins story Is in a measure cor
roborative of that of ]. #. O'Mallay,
cashier of a collection agency on Pine
street, one of the last persons TO talk
with the girl. OMalley declared posi-
lively that Novak was In his office,
several blocks from the scene of the
shooting, at almost the moment the
shot was fired
Higgins Version
Higgins told the police that he was
standing in the corridor on the sixth
floor of the Wells Fargo building some
time after noon when man apparent
ly between 40 and so years of age wear
ing blonde mustache. brown coat, soft
hat and light colored wooden trousers
and carrying a revolver came out of
the Gray Bros office and ordered him
to keep back"
Higgins returned to the room from
which he had just come and the man
dashed away down the hall. mo-
ment later Higgins heard calls for
doctor from the room where the girls
body lay.
Brasch at 1:25 p. m. In reference to a
discrepancy in Novak's time check,
which Novak had presented at the col
lection agency office to cash. After he
had returned to his office O'Malley de-
clared that Novak came in and re-
manned ten minutes after he had re-
ceived his money, showing no excite
ment or dissatisfaction.
He was dressed in a blue serge suit,
overalls, black hat, wore gray mus
tache and gray stubble beard. His sig
nature on the time check showed no
sign of agitation.
Among the papers on Miss Brasch's
desk was found an unfinished postal
. card addressed to Miss Emma Stoll In
Unfinished Note
Dear Emma" the girl had written,
At am still alive. l suppose you are
roasting back there"
At this point she was interrupted,
probably to attend to the queries of the
man who killed her, and before the ink
on the card had dried she was stretched
on the floor, dead, with bullet hole
through her head.
The police are searching everywhere
for Novak. No clew to his whereabouts
had been discovered up to a late hour
tonight. Descriptions of the man have
been flashed to surrounding cities, but
ii is thought he is somewhere in the
XII the same time efforts are being
made to find the man answering the
description given by Higgins.
Miss Brasch was a daughter of Otto
w Brasch, q retired farmer who ac-
CURED a fortune in the Santa Clara
valley.
There are FIVE sons and two daughters
remaining to Brasch and his wife, and
the parents are now travelling In Ger
many. The dead girl was unusually
beautiful and had full charge of the
cashiers office of Gray Bros.
Asks Change of Venue
SAN JOSE, June SO.-The Monterey
Coal company today filed an application
In the superior court asking for a
change of venue in the suit brought
---l,.nk t,a concern Inv Stockholders