The San Francisco call., 1909-05-30
AGED NAN JAILED
ON GIRLS CHARGE
May Be Prosecuted for Alleged
Attempt to Entice Children
Into Vacant Lot
Former Policeman Makes Arrest
When Daughter Tells of
Being AccOsted

Held under arrest pending the in
vestigation of charges made against
him by two little girls. John Welch.
a retired workman 81 years old. is at
the city Jail and today he may be for
maIly charged under section 2sS of the
penal code. which provides a penalty
for those found guilty OF enticing
young girls.
Welch was brought to the jail BY
Frederick Flynn. former policeman.
who was discharged from the force
more than a year ago. Flynn appre-
hended we1ch on the charge of his Is
year old daughter, Laura. and that of
Gertrude Johnson, also Is years of age
The girls declare that the prisoner ad-
dressed them early yesterday morning
while they were on their way. to a
store at Seventeenth and Castro streets
and endeavored to draw them into
vacant lot on the corner.
TAKES MAN TO JAIL
The incident took place about 1880
o'clock in the morning. before Flynn
had gone to work, and when his
daughter returned from her errand and
told him that she had been aecosted
Flynn went out with her, seized Welch
and brought him to prison. Before
taking him downtown he took the man
to the home of Gertrude Johnson. 229S
Fifteenth street. and she. too. identi-
fed Welch as the man who had en-
deavored to entice them into lot
You are not the girl" Welch cried
as soon as little Gertrude appeared
But the girl like 13 year old Laura,
held stoutly to her s-ory of the affair.
II was going down Castro street TO
the bakery for mamma" Laura Flynn
said yesterday. at her home. 13S Henry
street. ~and Gertie Johnson was with
me. Gertie had Louise Dubuc, who is
Just a baby not years old, with her.
When we got to Seventeenth and
Castro streets Baby Louise started 10
run away from a man she saw, and we
all got afraid of him. The man came
up and said. Come into this lot and
1 will fix the baby We ran away. be
cause my mother had told me always
TO run from men that wanted to speak
to me.
'rrhen I came home and told papa
and he sent me out TO follow the man
and point him out. Then papa took
the man away"
PRISONER MAINTAINS INNOCENCE
On Welch was found a bag OF candy.
some toys and trinkets. and a bag of
cayenne pepper. He had two bank
books, one showing that he has de-
posit of $500 in the Hibernia bank.
and the second recording deposit of
$4,000 in the San Francisco savings
union
Il am innocent OF any such actions
as they have charged me with" Welch
declared yesterday The little girls
ran past me laughing, and said Go
long with you to them. that IS all
picked the bit of candy up on the side
walk. and the other things. too The
pepper I took out of restaurant some
three years ago. and I have had it
ever since"
At the house in which Welch lodges.
66 stanton street. the old man was
spoken of as being quiet and orderly.
The two little girls are pupils at the
Mckinley school Gertrude Johnson is
the daughter of a marine engineer, and
the baby. Louise Dubuc. Of a well
known tailor.
Detectives Taylor and Macphee have
been put on the case. and yesterday
Detective Gallagher. who is working on
the assault of little Myrtle Langueton
of 1872 Albion avenue, yesterday morn
ing took Welch out to see the girl
Myrtle said Welch was not the man
who had assaulted her.