The San Francisco call., 1910-10-22
David Caplan, Missing Polish
Peddler, Is Sought in Con-
nectiOn With Times
Explosion
OWNER OF SUITCASES
CONTAINING DYNAMITE
Identified as Mysterious" Mex
ican Who Was Associated
With Schmidt, Alias
''Smithy"
BUYS THE TARPAULIN TO
COVER CACHED EXPLOSIVES

THE searehlight of investigation.
which has been turned in every
corner of the bay counties for
trace of the men suspected of dynamit-
ing the Los Angeles Times building
early on the morning of October I, is
now being directed on the trail of
David Caplan, a Polish Jew, who was
discovered yesterday to be a former
special policeman, friend of the man
named "Smithy'' in the case. and in all
probability. according to the police.
the identical man who purchased the
tarpaulins from the Thoms tent and
awning company found over the cache
of dynamite in the O'Brien cottage i'm
Nineteenth avenue, South, and the man
who rented the premises from O'Brien's
agent The detectives yesterday spent
much of the day interviewing Mrs.
Caplan at her temporary address, 1926
Fell street; w. p. Lawson, a former CO.
tenant with the Caplans in the Savan-
nah flat in Grove street, and E. b.
Mortar of 93 Bryant terrace, whom
Caplan, in his application for a po-
sition as special policeman, misrepre-
sented as a cousin. In tracing the
mans movements in and about this
city it was found that Augrrs., A he
had regularly filed with the police
commissioners a petition to be ap-
pointed special policeman. but after
securing the place, to which no salary
is attached. he left it within a week.
Mrs. Caplan insists that her husband
is innocent and that he can be 10
Gated at some of the county fairs.
Caplan Knew "Smithy"
Chief of Police Seymour devoted
much of his personal attention to the
case during yesterday, and all reports
made by the detectives went direct
to his hands. The Los Angeles de-
tectives have practically left the local
territory in the hands of the city de-
partment of detectives, and Chief Sey-
mour last night announced that i'm
portant developments could be ex-
pected within the next few days In
this connection he referred to the as
sociates OF Caplan. stating that the
department is satisfied that Caplan
knew "Smithy, and during July was
in Los Angeles with the suspect.
Caplan, Johannsen and dollhouse.
the friends of Mrs. Belle LAWN, all
knew ''Smithy," and while no suspicion
attaches, to the association of Loft
house and Johannsen with the fugi-
tive. Caplan will. in all probability, be
arrested the moment he is located.
Contradicts Mrs. Ingersoll
J For the first time since the sensa-
tionaI arrest of Mrs LAWN, Lofthause
and Mrs. d. H. Ingersoll confronted
each other in the Ingersoll fat in
Twentieth street, and there ensued a,
spirited interview in which Lofthause
did not hesitate to denounce many OF
Mrs. IngersolPs statements to the police
as deliberate falsehoods. While the
woman has at all times insisted that
"Smithy's visited Bryce many times,
Lofthause insists that ~Smithy." with
whose movements he appears to BEL
somewhat familiar, did not visit the Z
Ingersol place more than three times.
Yesterday Lofthause made a public
statement that .Smithy'' and he had
spent the evening out on a number OF :
occasions together, and that they met +
a number Of persons at saloon at the +
corner of Twenty-fourth and Mission
streets conducted by P. J. Rojdy-
In this connection Chief Seymour ad- /
mittsd xsstsxdsZ that the names 80