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There
was a young fellow who took care of the furnaces in the Warden's
mansion and also performed livery duties. We knew him as Jerry, but
his full name was Jerome Braun von Selz. He had been sent to San
Quentin for the fatal bludgeoning of an elderly woman. Mrs. Ada
French Rice of San Mateo County. Jerry told a weird story of this
killing saying that when in this lady's house he saw a silhouette of
an old enemy of his who was holding a raised dagger in the darkened
room. He reached for a heavy poker from the fireplace and swung hard
at the person. When he lighted the lights, Mrs. Rice lay dead on the
floor. Jerry was the one who always took care of our automobile when
we arrived at San Quentin. He loved that Cadillac, and the next
morning it was not only washed, but polished beautiful. Jerry was
friendly and very well behaved. He had a fine physical build and
captained and trained a great tumbling team among the inmates.
We
knew about Jerry's crime, and it was given heavy newspaper coverage
at the time and it was hard to believe that this vigorous, clean cut
young man could be guilty of such a crime. His story of mistaken
identity did not hold up in court. I believe that in all of my years
at San Quentin, Jerry von Selz was perhaps the only prisoner that I
was not fully at ease in his presence.
Author;
William J. Duffy, Jr.
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