The San Francisco call., 1909-12-07
STILL HUNTING
FOR MAN WHO
KILLED PORTER
Suspect Who Confessed to Se-
ries of Crime Proves to
Be Wrong Man
Says He Was Drunk When lie
Told Story and Detectives
Give Him AIibi

Raf1ing disclosures yere made yester-
Gay in the Schneider murder case.
Charles o. Anderson. the suspect taken
Sunday night at theWinchester hotel
in Third street, has established a fairly
zoo dalibi through Detectives Ryan,
Dinan and O'Dea- DR.. Z. H. Gleason.
who was held up in his drug store at
1882 Market street looked at the pris-
oner yesterday afternoon and was pos
itiVe that he was not the same man
who had covered him with a pistol for
four minutes.
But Anderson, or c. ". Rice, as he
now says his name is, gave facts in his
rambling statement TO the police Sun
day night which he could not have
CLEANED from a newspaper or from any
one except the man who terroriZed the
Western addition Saturday night This
leaves the police the clew that the
prisoner either committed some of the
crimes that night, or has a confederate
who has told him of killing William H.
Schneider at Burns hammam baths and
holding up Gleason in Market street,
David B. Greene at Turk and Franklin
streets and William L. Hawkins in Van
Ness avenue.
TAXES BACK CONFESSION
Rice said Sunday night that he had
thrown his pistol away while strug-
Cling with Hawkins This fact was
not printed in the newspapers prior to
his alleged confession. He also de-
scribed the we apon calling attention
20 buckle on the end. Although he
spoke in such detail Sunday night he
insisted yesterday that he knew moth
ing Of the crimes and must have. been
crazy with liquor
His reputation. Of his alleged confess
sion is supported by Detectives Ryan,
Dinan and O'Dea. Their story is that
Rice entered the police Office Saturday
night about $50 O'Clock and asked
whether or not there was a reward for
the capture OF Frank Case who had
escaped from Folsom prison in the
delivery of July -, 1903. He was told
that there was a reward, whereupon
he said he thought ne could assist in
Cases capture. About o'clock Rice
went with Dinan and O'Des TO I'll
Stockton street, where Bessie Howard
and Fred Meade, former convict, live
Rice said he had met Meade in Folsom
prison, where Meade was friendly with
Case before the break in which Case
is said 10 have stabbed Guard jolly
Rice went into the house while the
detectives remained outside. Once Rice
came out with Meade and the two
went for beer. The detectives thought
Meade was their man, but Rice shook
had the house under surveillance until
1875. when Rice left. They do not
think Rice could have escaped by a
back way, committed the crimes and
returned TO the house without their
knowing it.
Rice is 80 years old. He was born
IN Chicago. so he said yesterday, and
worked there for a time as book keeper
and clerk. He admitted having been
sent TO Folsom December 80, 1904, from
Stanislaus county for grand larceny
for having stolen a valise at the South
ern Pacific station. He was committed
under the name Of William J. Brooks
He was sent from San Bernardino.
February 3, 1909, for a year on a
charge Of burglary. He was then
known al Walter Scott. He was dis
charged from San Quentin last Friday
and came TO this city with nearly s25
5he drank heavily of whisky and was
without any money when arrested Sun
day night.
TELLS OF HIS WANDERINGS
II ] said that I killed Schneider or
held up any one Saturday night l must
have been crazy" said Rice yesterday
afternoon at the city prison just be-
fore Doctor Gleason viewed him and
asserted positively that he was not the
man who had pointed q pistol at Glea-
son Saturday night. Urged by ques-
tion after question, Rice told of his
visit TO the police station Saturday
night, the trip to Meade's house and
his return to the Winchester hotel
about ] o'clock Sunday morning. He
also told of his wanderings from sa
loon to saloon Sunday, asserting that
he had drunk much whisky and bene-
oictine in the different places. He re-
membered talking with various bar
tenders. but did not recall getting any
information from any newspaper or
any person about the crimes of Satur-
day night which he described so care
fully in his pretended confession Sun
day night. He asserted that he had
lost his hat shortly before his arrest
by having it blown of his head while
riding down Powell street hill.
Telegram received by Chief of Po-
lice Cook yesterday from Chief Mike
Davis Of Walla Walla showed that the
hat with the initials % L. A" in the
band, which had been picked up near
where Hawkins was attacked, was
the property of 0. /. Anderson who is
IN WalIa Walla. The telegram said
vaguely that the hat had been taken
by Jack Street.
Although Rice denied yesterday that
he used any drugs, the report came
from Modesto last night that he was
known there as dope fiend. His pic
lure Wds recognized IN yesterday s
papers by District Attorney Maddux
While in Modesto Rice was known as
William J. Brooks. He was EMPLOYED
by Attorney w. H Hatton as stenog-
rapher and also served in the same ca
pscity for Public Administrator
Howell. For forging Howells name
10 q money order he was sent to the
county Jail for I20 days. He later
stole valise at the Southern Pacific
three years. While in Modesto he as
serted that he had come from Seattle,
where his family resided. He said
also that he had served under the dis
trict attorney in Manila.