Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-22
a IDENTIFIED AS
RECENT CONvICTS
SUSPECTS IN CUSTODY HAVE
BEEN IN PRISON
Sufferers from Daylight Depredations
Call at Jail, Claim Property and
Testify to Personality of
CaptiVes

Startling disclosures as to the iden-
tity of the four men taken from the
rooming house at $50 North Main street
Tuesday night by Detectives Hosick,
Zeigler, Ingraham and Carroll were
made yesterday at the city Jail.
After being identified by several per-
sons as the men who committed dar-
ing daylight burglaries on east side
residences, two of the men finally con-
feSSed and will plead guilty. The other
two have not yet been identified, but
officers say there is sufficient evidence
in the hands Of the detectives to con-
vince them that they are also guilty of
recent robberies.
1t was learned that the names given
were aliases, and the men gave their
true names. The man who gave his
name as H. J. KelSo is w. J. Morrison,
who served five years in Folsom, being
sent up from Los Angeles on a charge
of burglary. James Ryan has con-
fessed that his correct name is James
Murray, who went to Folsom under
four years sentence from Stockton
Frank Williams is really Ben Whitney,
who has just finished a f1ve-year term
at Folsom, being sent there from Los
Angeles. Frank Meager, alias C. E.
Thomas, served a two and a half year
sentence at the same prison, being sent
from Wildacres, Siskiyou county.
AAOoS IIPSn were dl IOl0dS0Q january
o. They came to Los Angeles and ap-
parently systematically robbed resi-
denceS.
Numerous burglaries in the neighbor-
hood of Johnston street, on the east
side, caused the detectives to place a
close surveillance on all suspicious per-
sons in that neighborhood The four
men were soon spotted walking about
the streets and sizing up residences.
The officers waited for them at their
lodging house, where they were occu-
pying two rooms.
The stolen articles were found in one
Of these rooms, in a valise belonging to
Meager. The men were booked on sus-
picion. All day yesterday the stolen
goods were exhibited to persons who
had reported recent robberies to the
police station. Several of the articles
of jeweEy have been identified, but the
larger portion of the goods found has
not yet been claimed.
Meager was identified iby Mrs. o. F.
Leeper of 1850 East Eighteenth street
as the man who entered her residence
and removed a watch, ring and some
jewelry.
Whitney was identified by Mrs. j.
Samsell and Mrs. Louisa Kirkpatrick of
1885 West Fwenty-fourth street as the
man they saw around the premises
shortly before they missed a watch and
some Otner articles of JeWelry.
These two men were further identi-
fed by Mexican dollar and watch and
chain found on their persons, one hav-
ing the dollar in his possession and the
other the chain.
A woman claims they were taken
from her house.
H. G. Curtis of BAT South Johnston
street, H. Stutven of 337 South Johns
ton street and James Rowe Of 2O9 South
Johnston street all identified articles of
jewelry found in the possession of the
men.
Burglary charges were filed yester-
day against Ben Whitney and F. Mea-
ger, while the other two are held on va
grancy complaints.
Many who have reported recent burg
laries have been summoned to the po-
lice station, and the work Of Identify
ing the men and the property found in
their possession will continue today.