The San Francisco call., 1910-09-27
NURSE HELD SILENT BY
PROMISE OF MARRIAGE
Marie Messerschmidt Reveals
More Ghastly Secrets of
Grants" Hospital
DEFENDANT FLOURISHED
GUN TO ENFORCE THREAT

n complete case having been made
Aagainst Dr. Robert Thompson.
alias Grant, by the detectives
who have been working on the Eva
Swan murder mystery. a formal
charge of murder was placed against
the accused man yesterday afternoon
by Detective NJ v. Burke. who swore
to the complaint before Judge C. T.
Conlon. This was the first step in
the legal process designed to place
the malpractitioner behind prison
bars, where, according to information
received during the day, he has been
on one other occasion as the result of
q conviction on a charge of counter.
feiting.
While Thompson was the center OF
new developments during the last "a
hours, the remarkable statement given
District Attorney Fickert yesterday bv
Marie Messerschmidt, the nurse far
overshadows the figure of the physi-
clan for tragic coloring and dramatic
intensity
Promised to Marry
The woman. who has won the con-
fidence of the detectives and police
authorities, barred her entire career
with Thompson, explaining that their
mutual confidence was based on his
promise to make her his wife and
that it was shattered when he de-
clared to her, after saving the bones
of Eva Swan in her very sight. that
betrayal by her would be her own
death sentence which would be exc
cuted by his hands. Assured that she
had regained her freedom from
Thompson's overawing influence. she
told of her attempts. after the crime. to
return to her family, who fmpIored
her to leave him; how she pleaded with
him to let her go and get away from
the stage of the tragedy and how he
threatened her life with a pistol if
she did not cling to him
The days developments included
statement secured by Fickert from
Paul P. Parker. the dead girls friend.
now in detinue. Parker followed Marie
Messerschmidt in an examination be-
fore Ffckert and was closely cross ex-
amfned by Fickert. Wren. Bryan and
Richards. He succeeded in sustaining
his first story, but only because the
nurse was uncertain as to the dates Of
his visits to the offices of Thompson.
Fails to Explain Silence
Parker has vet left unexplained his
silence when he had every reason to
believe that Eva Swan met death in the
Golden Gate avenue sanitarium. He
admitted yesterday that he was at her
bedside when she raved in a burning
fever, that he knew she was very i'll,
but contradicted the nurse when she
stated that she did tell him Eva Swan
he could not remain In. her room any
length of time.
Parker's Relatives Arrive
Thouzh Parker and the PHYSICIAN
remained incommunicado at the city
prison yesterday. Parker's father.
James RdFker, anu MS OTOl0ers Ut.
Garth Parker, arrived from Salinas
and consulted with Attorney Bryan,
while into police headquarters came
of Doctor Thompson. who proves TO
be a Dartmouth college graduate. the
son of a prominent New England
family and a former convict enjoying
a pardon from federal prison. To
support the information from the east
mail was found at his Offices addressed
fro mthe Colonial inn. Warner. N H.
on the stationery of his father. Arthur
Thompson. and written by his mother.
Thompson is now enjoying his liberty
because of the appeal of his father, a
civil war veteran. which opened the
prison doors which had closed behind
him for term of eight years. He was
of counterfeiting.
The most damaSing thread of evil