The San Francisco call., 1909-05-06
San Quentin Inmates Scheme
TO Have Governors Son Held
as Hostage Is Revealed
Message to ''Pals" on Outside
Betrayed by Fellow Prison
ers and Plan Is Fooled
j. B. Clifton, Serving Life Term,
Hatches Desperate Plot to
Win Freedom
Prison Authorities Take Steps
to Prevent C0nsummati0n of
Criminals Conspiracy 4

FACING the prospect Of living
and dying within the bounds Of
San Quentin prison, J. B. Clifton,
burglar. attempted murderer and Jail
breaker. planned to force Governor
James y. GilIett 10 grant him freedon
as ransom Tor year old James Gil
lett, the governors only SON
The plot to kidnap the boy, clever
ly conceived, but discovered before is
had progressed to fruition. has been
frustrated through the -peaching7 OF
two former convicts, recently released
from San Quentin, who have COM
municated to Warden Hoyle that Cliff
ton has perfected his conspiracy and
hopes to accomplish his end with aid
from friends on the outside.
kidnap Governors Son
Clifton managed to whisper TO the
two convicts, as they left prison, the
message he wished 10 reach bis aids
in the world without the prison walls.
1t was that young Gillctt should be
captured and hidden away until his
father signed the pardon which would
make Clifton free man.
4 remarkable feature OF the story
is that Mrs. GilIett, according 10 state
ments made yesterday by personal
friends Of the governors family, has
feared Tor months that her son would
fall into the hands OF kidnapers, and
this fear has grown upon her as ths
days passed The scheme that was
Matched in San Quentin seems 70
justify the mothers fears
Governor Gillett himself was great
ly perturbed yesterday when news &C
the plan reached him.
L know nothing OF the affair &C
all. the governor said. 'and YOU
may be assured that / am more than
the budding conspiracy 50 enectuaIIy-
What action the governor would have
taken had the plot been successful. and
the pardon demanded as the price Oe
his chiId's life. he did not discuss.
I consider Clifton coward said
Warden HoyIe yesterday. and do not
believe that he has any friends on thu
outside who care enough about him
to engage in any such desperate plot.
1t would be taking a long chance. with
all the odds against the kidnapeTs-r
Guards Informers' Names
The warden would not disclose thu
names Of the two former convicts who
acquainted him with the fact that they
had been selected by Clifton as mes-
sensers. The names OF the men with
whom the emissaries from the peniten-
tiary were TO communicate the wsrdea
refused TO divulge-
Little lanes who is the only childroS
Mrs. Ginett. the governors second wife.
at present is i'll at Sacramento Enc
and Ethel Gillett. both students al STAN
ford university. were much, disquieted
by the news OF the kidnapping plan aud
are eagerly awaiting further partieu-
lars Of the affair, which nav have gone
further than the authorities care 70 ad-
nit before 1t was discovered
Clifton. TO whom the conspiracy oc-
Cured as he brooded in his cell has =
long criminal history and several times
he has had personal encounters with
the police. The crime that lodged him
behind san Quentin's walls was an ar
frav with Detective St. Clair Hodgkins
Of Oakland. follow hg the robbery OF =
drug clerk there.
clifton encountered the clerk in TEL
egraph avenue and ran from the scene
Of the robbery directly into the arms of
Detective Hod gkins Mrs Hodgkins.
who accompanied her husband. at
tempted 10 aid him in the fight that
followed, and in passing her husband
his revolver The weapon was discharged
and the detective seriously wounded.
Plotted to Escape
The rob5er was captured BY other
ofacers and lodged in the Alameda
county jail. where. with some desperate
companions. he plotted 10 murder his .
keepers and escape
Clifton. as in this later scheme. en-
trusted msssags-two letters -