Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-03
LOS ANGELES EXAMINER GETS
SOME EXCLUSIVE NEWS
ALLEGED CONFESSION PROVES
TO BE RAW FAKE
Amateur Detective Is ArtIess Dupe in
Scheme to Hoodwink Unsophis-
tlcated Newspaper-Pris-
oners Released

a uc1J lllcll tnlSll have U6Gl1 uSGo W
good purpose by Sheriff Hammel and
his force of deputies.
The arrest of three ignortant and I'M
suspecting Chinese and the accom-
panying "frame-up" of a sensational
story by amateur detectives which
was repudiated and exposed by one of
the participants yesterday, did not
serve to put Sheriff Hammel in good
humor, when after a brief but minute
investigation it was conclusively shown
that there was not a shred on which
to base the yarn, and the Chinese were
Immediately released.
1t is declared that the Chinese had
made none of the statements at
tributed to them by G.. C. Lockridge, a
deputy constable, and not a deputy
sheriff, as the sensation mongers al
legged, and who is not connected in any
official way with Sheriff Hammel's Of
flee. The investigation resulted in eX-
posing fake, in which j. w. Meyers,
a contractor, 1851 South Flower street,
played an important but an innocent
part.
Meyers has aspirations to be de-
tective, and, it is said took a. course in
detective work through a correspond
ence school, and fired with ambition
and stimulated by the handsome re-
ward that is offered for the capture of
the murderer has been a constant Wis
itor to the scene of the. crime looking
for clews that might develop.
Pair Arrest Chinese
In the course of his searching he
became acquainted with Lockridge and
d. w. Patrick, who in company with
Meyers made the arrest of the Chinese
early yesterday morning. After the
Chinese had been questioned and re-
! leased Meyers gave a signed statement
to Sheriff Hammel in which he ac-
knowledged that the whole proceeding
| had been framed up" but that he did
not realize it until yesterday morning.
In the statement Meyers also stated
that he had been putting up money for
Lockridge and Patrick, as he said
| these men declared they were deputy
| sheriffs, and that whatever money he
used in running down clews in the case
would be repaid to him by the county.
| Meyers, who is now sadder and
wiser sleuth, bemoans the loss of his
money and the mourning of bills for
team hire and meals during the search.
The young man readily admitted that
he did not realize he was being
worked" until too late, and therefore
decided that Sheriff Hammel should
know all the circumstances.
Sheriff Hammel characterized the ar
rest of the Chinese as an outrage, but
other than emphatically to state that
| Lockridge was not a deputy sheriff he
refused to comment on the affair.
Broke the News to Sheriff
Sheriff Hammel stated that the first
he knew of the arrest was at 1880
o'clock yesterday morning, when Lock-
ridge called at his home and told him
! he had arrested a Chinese who had
confessed knowledge of the murder.
The sheriff was elated and stated that
he would be down early in the morning
and would Investigate the story when
Lockridge was present.
| Lockridge did not appear until aft
err noon, and in order that there might
| be no chance of misunderstanding a
| Chinese government interpreter, Lee
| Thing, was present The Chinese We're
questioned and it developed that an
they knew in regard to the case was
what had been read to them out of a
newspaper by the overseer of the Hol-
! lywood water works. Not one of the
Chinese could speak ineligible Eng
lish, their only statements being Girl
! killed-murder-in paper"
Lockridge finally threw up his hands
and, stating that he guessed there was
no case, advised the release of the pris-
oners, and after receiving a few pri-
vate words of admonition left the coun-
| ty Jail. His complete change of front
astonished the sheriff, but the full
facts did not come out until Meyers
appeared and made his written state
ment.
Meyers came to the county Jail to
meet Lockridge and get the money he
had expended on the case, which, he
alleged, Lockridge stated he would get
for him yesterday. He stated that he
had given Lockridge SIS in cash, be-
sides paying all the bills for the search
since a week ago yesterday.
Explains Firing of Shots
Incidentally Meyers declared that the
| fusillade OF shots that occurred Tuesday
afternoon near where the body of Anna
! Poltera was found was another frame
up" and that the shots had been fired
by Lockridge and Patrick and that the
desperate man" who sought to escape
and had fired on Lockridge was the re-
suit of an overplayed and vivid mag
| ination. In speaking of the matter
| Meyers said
II though Lockridge was a deputy
sheriff and Patrick told me he was a
| former Pinkerton detective, and they
worked with them we would divide the
reward. They told me about the
! Chinese story, and it looked plausible
to me. Tuesday afternoon 1 hired
team and we drove to the scene of the
murder Near where the body was
|
of the buggy and told me to drive on
ahead, as there might be some shoot
| ing if they caught the right man.
| Lockridge had no revolver, which I
| thought funny, and he borrowed mine.
I drove a little ways ahead and soon
| heard a number of shots, and when L
| got back to the spot Lockridge said
he had been shot at and that the man
had escaped also that Lockridge had
lost my revolver in the skirmish. 1t is
valuable revolver, and 1 wanted it
and insisted on looking for it. Lock-
ridge then found it without much look
ing I was suspicious all the time, but
believing them to be deputy sheriffs
said nothing. did not go as far ahead
as they thought, and saw that Lock-
ridge was near the brick vent and
Patrick up on the hill and that they
had been firing in the air and no one
else was about. We then drove to the
| Chinese hut, and Lockridge held a
whispered conversation with a Chinese
which 1 did not hear. We came back
to Los Angeles, and about 10 o'clock
started back and arrested two of the
Chinese, but all the time did not hear
the conversation.
| ION the way to Los Angeles Lockridge
stopped and telephoned to a newspaper
office, and after leaving the Chinese in
| the county Jail, in company with re-