The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
CUNNINGHAM IS
UNMOVED BY A
SENSEOF REGRET
Police Find That His Story Told
to This Paper Leaves Little
to Investigate
Confession Was So Complete
That Case Is Almost Ready
for Trial to Begin

tAot aroused him. Besides the claims
that Miss Brssch could not have called
Through the Office separating them. His
pfice door, too. is always closed.
Some Minor Inaccuracies
Cunningham makes mention of
N.AIiss Shirts" who has been identified
ss Miss Shirley Hartwell. who, he Gays,
was standing for time beside Miss
Brasch and laughing at him. Miss
Hartwell is the daughter Of the land
lady OF the boarding house patronized
10y employees Of the Smith construction
company at Cragmont. near Berkeley.
snd il is thought that the. crazed la
borer imagined that he saw his former
friend before him. 1t is in speaking
aof. an occurrence shortly after this one
and Immediately following the shoot
ing that Cunningham. makes another
Temark that it seems must be incor-
rect. He declares that one Of the men
sn the hallway as he stepped through
The door shot at him. But he admits
that his ears were ringing with the
reverberations of the shot. and that
this may have znisled him.
Higgins Identification OF Cunning
ham, dramatic as it was, supplied an
element Of humor in demonstrating the
unreliability OF eye witness testimony
Higgins positively identified the pris-
oner. but was forced TO admit that the
description he had given the detectives
was anything but correct. Cunningham
was attired in a soft white hat Hig-
gins stated that he wore brown hat.
Cunningham had on a blue coat and
vest and light trousers. Higgins stated
shat he had worn brown coat and
vest and brown trousers. Higgins was
rertain that the revolver pointed at
dim by the murderer was very rusty
The weapon turned out 10 be very
bright and well polished. Only in de-
Eoribing the mustache was Higgins cor
rect He was right in declaring that
Eunningham's mustache was sandy"
Dramatic Identification
The Identification took place in the
identification bureau, when Cunning
ham was measured and photographed.
Novsk was brought into this room
also, and the two men lined up before
Higgins. As soon as the businessman
sighted Cunningham he became in
fensely egitated and trembIed so that it
seemed impossible for him to control
his powers of speech. Finally. after
several minutes Of gazing fxedly at the
prisoner, and waving his hands at him
sn agitation Higgins gasped. out.
That's the man. That's the mani, and
Immediately after he turned and left
the room
Cunningham stood blinking at the
Bnan with the unrufied demeanor that
strawberries his every action.
That the prisoner IS erratic and IN
balanced can not well be doubted. for
he Suddenly breaks off now and again
= t different points in his variations to
Halk Of mesmerism and the times it has
been practiced upon him, and the ef-
feet. i has had upon his attitude to
GRAY Brothers. Other insane ideas.
which could be but the imaginings of
an insane man. come into his mind now
md again. and flicker out, to be fol-
lowed by apparently sane thoughts.
Escaped From Insane Asylum
Il was confined in an insane asylum
in Phoenix, Ariz.. IN 1892 Cunning
aiam stated yesterday but I jumped
out Of a window and made such a clean
getaway that they never got me. /
WAS put in there for acting in an ir-
rational way. but also by the Coserove
family, who mesmerized me and rail-
soaded me there. I was working for
Jack Dunno in the Red Light saloon.
81 Yuma, and he got the Cosgroves to
snesmerize me"
What were the irrational things you
6id?" he was asked.
Why" he answered at once. II
dumped bucket Of swill into the Colo
rado river to feed the fish, and then
carried hawser up the main street"
Teiegraphic advices from Phoenix
last night stated that there never had
been an inmate Of the insane asvlpD,
by the name OF James Edward c,nn-
bingham, but that in 1896, which is
four years later than the date cun-
bingham gives. one Frank Cunningham
was imprisoned there He escaped and
has not been found. and the man held
here, it is thought. may be the man
who escaped so Vlany years ago. The
Phoenix inmate was rs years of age in
1896, and this would make him %
years Of age now. Cunningham claims
80 be 81 years OF age. The insane man
of 1896, however, was common la
borer, as Cunningham has been since
his teens.
Tells of Disputed Wages
Cunningham repeated yesterday his
statements regarding the manner in
which his requests for the wages due
him were received by the Gray Broth
nrs. and told in detail once more of the
arguments with Miss Brasch whicl led
Up 10 and induced him TO do the shoot
sing He is rational enough on this
point and goes over the figures with
cut error.