Ghastly Crime in San Francisco

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7807, 27 April 1905, Page 3

Ghastly Crime in San Francisco

MUTILATED BODY FOUND IN r IHE STREET. HEAD AND LIMBS GONK. The San Francisco Call ol April 6 reports one of the most ferocious and mysterious murders in the red record of that city. It says : Carrying the bleeding body of a man, from which the head and limbs bad been hacked off, an unknown man walked calmly ' down Vnllejostreet last night. His burden excited suspicion, though, and he dropped tile ghastly load on the stairway of the iJellevue lodging-house, 801, V«l----lejo-street. George Qliva followed him to Washington Square, where he. lost sight of him among the shrubbery. The body was wrapped in n red blanket. It was still warm undtfuivering when unwrapped. The blood that gushed from the horrible mass was absorbed by a woollen shawl that was fastened close around it. Two boys who saw the man drop the bundle ran to where it fell and beneath the blanket and touched George Carpertine, thrust his hand beneath the blanvet and touched something soggy and worm. He drew His hand out covered with blood.

The boys shrieked in terror and summoned Policemen Minnt-han and Connolly, who immediately notified the Central station and Detectives Braig and Coleman and Sergeant Brophy, with a posse, immediately began to scour the neighbourhood. They could find not the shadow of u chic to the murderer or the identity of the murdered man.

The man who bore the ghastlyburden was first seen by George Oli.va at about half-past ten. He was carrying the bundle on his back in Mason-street. He crossed from the east side toward Vallejo. Oliva, who bad been walking behind him| felt some vague suspicion when the man suddenly turned and walked down Vallejo. Cliva decided to follow him. The man with the bundle quickened his pace, and ttfiva hurried after him. As the man dived into the shadow of the Bellevue House he dropped his burden in the doorway and hurried down Vallejo-street. Then Oliva decided that his suspcsions were justified, and- kept on his trail. The fellow walked on rather huripodly until he came to Washington Stjuarc. There OJivn lost sight of hinf behind some sbruibjLvry. Oliva retraced his steps to where the bundle had been dropped, and learned that a horrible crime had been committed.

Detectives Draig and Coleman procured a lantern and tried to strike a trail of blood spots, but the mutilated trunk' had been so carcfullj packed that tho blood had been drunk by iho wrappings. The jwlice scoured the neighbourhood bearing lanterns. Every alley and doorway tor, blocks around was searched, but no clue was found. The body was that of a Caucasian. Tho head, legs and arms had been hacked off. Tho shawl was tied tightly around it, and the red blanket covering the ghostly bundle had been wrapped closely. Within a half-hour before tho terrible find was made the man was living, as shown by the quivering of the trunk when the police reached the place where it lay. This proves that the crime was committed in the near vicinity of where the bearer of the ghastly burden was first seen. In the short time that they had to consider the detectives guessed three motives': Revenge inspired by loss of a woman's love, a maniac's work, or the hand of the Mafia. How the butchery happened, where it happened, the: police arc' .working almost feverishly to discover'.' ; The boldness of it leads the detecs:ves to think that it was a maniac's deed. Ollba said that though the man quickened his pace when he saw that he was followed, he did not appear to be excited. He walked Steadily, bending slightly under his load of death.