Los Angeles herald [microform]., March 07, 1905, Image 1

About Los Angeles herald [microform]. (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911

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VOL. XXXII, NO. 157-
MURDERED, BODY
THROWN INTO SEA
OCEAN PARK MYSTERY IS
SOLVED
WOMAN SLAIN FOR HER MONEY
Mrs. N. 'J. Mllburn the Victim of a
Foul Crime— Herald* Investiga.
tlon Leads to Discovery That
Murder Was Committed
Brutally murdered and her body cast
into the sea for the evident purpose
of covering up the foul crime, which,
according to developments, was com
mitted for the paltry sum of a few
hundred dollars-such wn» the fate of
Mrs. N. J. Mllburn, a well known
realty operator of Los Angeles.
; These startling facts were brought
but yesterdiiy when the body of the
.woman washed nshore a week ago last
Sunday at Ocean Park wrs exhumed
and relatives of Mrs. Mllburn posl
.tl.vely identified the remains.
With the new turn the case has
taken, one of the greatest mysteries
that has ever come to light In Southern
California has been solved. But for
; the persistent efforts of The Herald,
however, In its endeavor to settle the
identity of the corpse, it is believed
there would yet be the same little
grave in potter's field at Ocean Park,
■ with the fyeadmark bearing the in
scription "Unknown."
: Not since the days of the sensational
Mills. and Seward murders, which oc
curred in Los Angeles a few years ago,
have the local authorities been taxed
■with such a puzzling case, and It is
S now regarded as extremely doubtful If
' the identity of the slayer of Mrs. Mll
burn will ever be apprehended. There
'is 'not the slightest clew to the mur
derer, as all of his tracks appear to
have been thoroughly covered, and he
has had nearly, two weeks In which
to make his escape.'
Victim Worth $50,000
: > While . Mrs. Mllburn is reputed to
have been worth about $50,000, it is
I eaid most of her money was invested
•"and her notes and securities kept in a
local safe depository. However, she Is
\ known to have drawn between $600 and
$700 from her bank shortly before she
'went to Ocean Park, Thursday a week
agfo. *=c*' ,'*'.' "
'■•''? It was with the Intention of investing
.; Jjn Ocean Park real estate that, Mrs.
i:i!>lilt)urn went there. She had frequent
■ly'consulted her partner, F. H. Hamil
/ton.'wfth offices in the Laughlin block,
concerning the desirability of making
:: pome beach purchases wh,lch she
rriight turn quickly. and_Jt is known
J]fha.t she "left Los Angeles' with . some
to Inspect the property.
■cj^; Mrs. •' Mllburn was a widow and had
j- been . living' alone .in an apartment
house owned by her at 407 South Hope
.street. She left the place about 10
' o'clock Thursday, February 23, and
'';: since that time nothing had been seen
or heard of her until her body was
exhumed yesterday. According to Mrs.
■Barber, who occupies apartments ad-
Joining those in which the deceased
' | lived, Mrs. Mllburn appeared to be In
' a^ hurry that morning. She asked her
why she was so hurried, and Mrs. Mil
1 burn told her that she was going to
Ocean Park with some man to look at
some property.
- ; : .' Left With Man
" No one seems to know who the man
■was with whom Mrs. Milburn went to
the. beach town. As far as can be as
certained, she never . cqnflded in any
one.'! Shfe did ask Mr. Hamilton con
cerning ifeach property, however, and
he 'advised her to call on Mrs. George
Stbley'at Ocean Park before purchas
ing. ' Mrs. Sibley does not remember
having, seen Mrs. Milburn, it is said.
;The body of the woman 1 at Ocean
Park was exhumed yesterday at the
request of Mrs. W. O'Brien of Watson
ville, who, upon being notified that her
mother had mysteriously disappeared
from Los Angeles, came here to inves
tigate. Mrs. O'Brien, accompanied by
her husband, Dr. and Mrs. G.A . Gor
don of 315 South Bunker Hill avenue,
brother-in-law and sister of Mrs. Mil
burn, | and other relatives, recognized
the corpse at once. Dr. Campbell, who
conducted the autopsy, discovered that
the woman's neck had been broken,
probably through strangulation.
•■'. Identified Through Herald,
Mrs.j O'Brien und her aunt, Mrs.
Gordon, called at Bresee Bros.' under
taking parlors In Los Angeles Sunday,
upon learning that The Herald had se-
1 cured permission from the coroner to
/take' the clothes of the dead woman
f-there for exhibition, and after Inspect
ing them were positive they had found
f\ the right clew to the fate of Mrs.
!" Mllburn; They immediately consulted
> with the coroner anil district attorney,
M the latter ordering that the corpse be
' exhumed and an autopsy held.
1 "I was convinced the clothes were
those worn by my mother," suld Mrs.
CVUrlen. "as my uunt . hud visited her
apartments on South Hope street and
'found the blue serge skirt, with black
■ bru id trimmings, missing from her
Wttrdrobe. Of course, I tried to light
4BiiliiHt fate until yesterday when I
!ji\>r the , body, and then I knew all.
Kjy poor mother had become the victim
a foul murder."
It nas through Mrs. Gordon that her
(Continued on !■<>»» Tore*.)
Los Angeles Herald.
PROMINENT RAILROAD MAN ACCUSED OF BRIBERY
JAMES M. HERBERT
GAS EXPLODES
UNDER HOTEL
WORKMAN BLOWN THROUGH
TUNNEL; SEVERELY HURT
Panic Ensues and Many Guests Rush
for the Street, but They Are
. Quieted by the
«v Clerks
To be blown twenty-five feet through
an underground tunnef and escape
with only a few burns and cuts was
the experience undergone by . Ernest
Carpenter, a young engineer at the
Nadeau hotel, yesterday afternoon.
As a result of the. explosion Carpen
ter is at . the receiving hospital, his
head swathed in bandages and his room
darkened, 'while In the basement of the
Nadeau hoteK^ron doors wrenched
from their hinges and splintered sup
ports show the path of .the escaping
gas. \
The explosion occurred late yester
day afternoon and Just after the lobby
of the hotel had partly filled with
guests returning from their day of
sightseeing in the city,
On the outside of the building on the
First street side an oil wagon was
stationed an,d preparations were being
made to fill the great storage tank be
neath the building which 'supplies thc
hotel with fuel.. >
While the thick stream of black ooze
was entering the tank, Carpenter was
sent below to inspect the tank, and
donning his working clothes went to
the engine room. The entrance, to the
tank was a low door and Carpenter
entered upon his hands and knees. The
Interior was pitch dark and he turned
to get a match from his pocket and
strike a light. The action saved his
life, for as#fct! turned there came a
rushing noise and the j engineer was
blinded by a' great flush. ""> A .., ■
The next second he partly recovered,
to find himself lying on the floor of
the engine room with his hair In flames
and his face a mass of burns. He was
placed in an ambulance and hurried
to the receiving hospital, where he was
examined. ' ' >-'
A long sear on the back of his neck,
a severely burned and cut hand and
several burns on his face and neck
were the extent of his Injuries. As
the man lay upon the hospital table
with his eyebrows and eyelashes singed
from his face, the physicians bent anx
loußly over him In an effort to ascer
tain whether the man could see, but
although the explosion had blistered his
face and even burned off his eyelashea
his eyfs were unimpaired.
Following the explosion at the hotel
a general rush was made for the door,
but the guests were easily quieted and
an examination was made of the oil
tank. The natural gas from the under
ground tank Is supposed to have col
lected and exploded when the draught
was turned upon It.
Funeral of ex. Senator Wolcott
liy Associated Press.
PARIS. Murch 6.— The funeral of ex-
United Btiites Senator Kdwurd O. Wol
iiitl, who died nl Monte Carlo Murch
1, took plain toduy »t tin- mortuary
chapel of I'ere la Chaise cemetery, In
the presence of Ambuusudor Porter.
Henry Wolcott and some • intimate
friends. The ltev. Dr. Goodrich, offi
ciated. The body was cremated. The
ashes will be taken to the United
Btutea on the American Bieamer St.
Louis, leaving Cherbourg March. 11.
LOS ANGELES, CAL., TUESDAY MORNNO, MARCH 7, 1905.
AMBROSE BIERCE
DIVORCED BY WIFE
AUTHOR'S SPOUSE ALLEGES
DESERTION
Declares That Her Husband Told Her
to Go Home to Her Mother.
;' Trie Suit Was Not , ■
Contested
' After having lived apart from-. her
husband for nearly fifteen years, Mrs.
M. B. Bierce yesterday- asked Judge
Trask in the superior court to free
her from the matrimonial alliance ex
isting between herself and Ambrose
G. Bierce, a well known author.
Bierce is well known throughout the
United States as a writer and student
on national affairs^ and the action
taken by his wife, from whom he has
been separated since 1891, comes as
a surprise to the friends of the es
tranged couple. ,
From the testimony Introduced yes
terday it appears that Mrs. Bierce has
corresponded with her husband since
he deserted her, but by special agree
ment between the parties they agreed
to destroy their correspondence.
In one of the letters received by Mrs.
Bierce, her husband is said to have de
clared that their married life was a
"farce," ■ and he Intimated that he
would welcome a dissolution of the
marriage bonds.
Mrs. Bierce ■ told' the/ court that she
had hot seen her husband since 1891,
at which time she declared Bierce de
serted her. <•'„
She asserted that her husband told
her to "go back to her mother," and,
without making any provision for her
support, left for the east.
It Is said that Bierce has accumulat
ed considerable wealth, but In yester
day's action Mrs. Bierce did not ask
the court to award her alimony.
Judge Trask granted the plaintiff the
usual Interlocutory . decree.
BANDIT HOLDS WOMAN
V WHILE COMRADE ROBS HER
Two Highwaymen Attack Mrs. Mary
Foster and Steal Her
Purse
Mrs. Mary M. Foster of 336 South
Hope street was robbed by two high'
waymen lust evening on Grand avenue,
a short dlstunce north of the state
normal school. One robber seized Mr*
Foster from behind while the other
snatched her purse, which contained
about $3.50.
The highwaymen did not try jiu
Jitau tactics, as one of their comrades
had done recently. Neither did Mrs.
Foster follow the example set by one
of her sisters In distress and bite her
way to liberty. •>[>„ .
Mrs. Foster says that as uhe' wulko 1
beneath some trees which border
Grand avnue she was attacked. Her
Bcreams brought no ■ assistance ami
both men escuped. After the flight of
the robbers Mrs. Foßter went to n
hotel nearby and telephoned to tlio
police. She was able to give but a
slight description of her aßsu.tlantß.
Attorney for North California
By Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, March 6.— Robert T.
Pevlln hag been appointed by the pres
ident as United Stated district attorney
fur tha 'northern district of California,
with/headquarters at San Francisco.
CLAIMS HE WAS
GIVEN A BRIBE
COLORADO STATE SENATOR
MAKES CHARGE
ACCUSES JAMES M. HERBERT
Declares Vice President of Colorado
& Southern and the Cripple Creek
Postmaster Offered Him Fif
teen Hundred Dollars
By AppnHntM rremi.
DEN VKK, Colo., March 6.— Senator
R. W. Morgan (Republican) of Boulder
county announced at the opening of
the Joint convention of the general as
sembly ( today that $1500 had been off
ered him, and $760 had nlready been
given him, for his vote for Governor
Alva Adams In the contest for the office
of governor. He produced the money
which he said he had received, and It
was handed to District Attorney Stld
ger, , who will file charges In court
against the men who, Senator Morgan
said, had attempted to bribe him. A
bribery committee was appointed by the
general assembly to Investigate the
charges.
Senator Morgan named James M.
Herbert, vice president and general
manager of the Colorado & Southern
railroad, and Postmaster Daniel Sulli
van of Cripple Creek as the men who
offered him the bribe. District Attor
ney Stldger filed Informations against
Messrs. Herbert and Sullivan In the
criminal court charging them with bri
bery of a member of the , legislature.
Bonds were immediately furnished.
Herbert's Statement
. Mr. Herbert issued the following
statement:
"Mr. Morgan came to my rooms In
the Brown Palace hotel last Thursday
with Mr. Daniel Sullivan. Mr. Morgan
stated that he and his people were for
the seating of Mr. Adams; that Boul
der county had gone for Mr. Adams,
and the laboring 1 people In his section
of the state were for Mr. Adams; and
he had told them. he would vote for
Mr. Adams, and that he had told Gov
ernor Adams the same thing; that the
(Continued on Page five)
In Gold Free
IF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS
tARE NOT TRUE:
The Herald Claims and Has
a DAILY Circulation of
25,010
—AND ON SUNDAYS—
31>410
This is guaranteed by $5000
in Gold and all contracts
are made on this basis.
But Best of All
' The Herald's Circula-
tion Books Are Open
at All Times to Every
Advertiser ,or Prospect-
ive Patron, and i
Better Yet....
The Herald will allow
all advertisers or pros-
pective patrons a priv-
ilege never before ac-
corded by any other
newspaper on the Pacific
. Coast of seeing the press
■ run and keeping tab on
every paper printed, and
AS A FINAL TEST
Will allow all its advertisers and
patrons to see the Mail Room re-
ports and see
Where Every Paper Goes—
HOW MANY AND WHERE!
TVow we *** ye wnat
X^ \J Tt we claim we are en-
titled to the business of every legit-
imate advertiser in Los Angeles.
If Not You Get the
$5000
This is the fairest offer ever made
by any newspaper on the Pacific
Coast, c/11l >re> welcome to come
at any time — and without previous
notice. .'"•'• $.'
If you want to know
the truth, Here It Isl
Respectfully,
Herald Go.
LEADER WHOSE FATE NOW HANGS IN THE BALANCE
GEN. KUROPATKIN
LEAGUE DEMANDS
GAS LEGISLATION
THREATEN COUNCILMEN WITH
THE "RECALL"
Good Government Officials Denounce
Practices of the Monopoly.
Municipal Ownership to
Be Investigated
DAY'S GAS PROCEEDINGS
•] '^-Qw monopoly^ blftprly denounced
< >' by Judge Hentfg of the Good Gov. .
] I ernment League. ■ ' . ■■'.)
• • Councilman warned by R. H. Nor. •
'. ', ton, president of the' league. ',
•; Committee appointed to investi. '
4, gate feasibility of municipal own.!
' ' ership of public utilities. J
"The gas monopoly has too long dom
inated the people of Los Angeles and
now unless your honorable body takes
immediate action In this question and
gives the people their rights they will
and are ready to; exercise their sover
eign powers as citizens and invoke the
initiative and referendum and thus get
control of this octopus which is striv
ing to fasten its deadly grip upon the
throat of our fair city," declared Judge
H. G. Hentig, representing the Good
Government league of Los Angeles in
a speech before the city council yes
terday. >, f
The invasion of the council chamber
by' the league was decidedly the fea
ture of the meeting.
"If the ordinance which provided for
the control of the sale, price and qual
ity of, gas which was presented to you
for consideration some time ago, and
which you buried In the committee of
the whole, Is not the right thing," cono
tinued the speaker, "then give us ah
ordinance which will accomplish the
ends sought.
People Are Suffering
"Something must be done immedi
ately, however, for the people have
suffered too long already and they will
take' the affair into their own hands If
action Is delayed. I understand that In
the little city of Pomona a fight against
the gas monopoly has just been suo
cessfuly conducted ,and why shouldn't
we do the same?
' "To Illustrate the tyranny and op
pression of the gan monopoly I want
to tell . you of a case which has come
under my notice. In 1903 a poor
Swede by the name of Head rented a
part of a house In the neighborhood In
which, l lived at the time. He had a
family to support nnd had to do It
on about V a week. He was a laborer
and did not have work all the time.
His wife signed for the gas meter when
the company's agent came around, not
knowing any better.
"The bill for the month of December
that year was $4.05, and January it
came to $3.75; but in February the bill
amounted to $8.25, and they had used
no more gas than during previous
months. Head could not pay the bill
and the company refused to make any
deductions to bring It within reason,
■o the poor laborer hail to move.
Says He Was Persecuted
"About the first of this yeur the gnu
company loeuted Heud and found
where he wan working. The other fam
ily in the house wua forced to move
shortly after Head left, also owing the
g'aa people a bill. This and interest
was added to Head's bill and brought
the total up to $19.25. Immediately on
finding Head the ga» company sued
him for that amount and garnlsheed
doatlnued «v Pas* Fire)
PRISE: DAILY, BY CARRIER, 65 CTS. PER MONTH
WILL WIPE OUT
THE EQUITABLE
THREAT MADE BY ONE OF THE
HYDE PARTY
Rather Than Surrender Control of
the Society He Will Divide Its
Assets Among the
Stockholders
Special to The Herald.
NEW, YORK, March 6.— At a recent
conference of the pAlexander'and Hyde,
factions In Equitable "Life Assurance
society war the astounding threat waH
made by one of the Hyde party that
rather than surrender control' of the
society Hyde would wind up the affairs
of the Equitable so that the huge as
sets of the corporation would be dis
tributed among the stockholders. The
method proposed was as follows:
; To provide for the reinsurance of tho
600,000 policy holders of the Equltablo
In other companies on an arrangement,
that would transfer to the companies
taking this reinsurance, sums from the
assets of the Equitable sufficient to
profit them in taking such a tremend
ous amount of business In one lump,
much of it old business that is soon to
mature.
The legality of such a movement, it
is asserted, could not be successfully
attacked, there being several prece
dents In existence.
STRIKE BEGINS ON NEW YORK
,; SUBWAY AND ELEVATED
Citizens Living in Upper End of the
Island Are in Unpleasant
Situation
By Associated Press.
- NEW YORK, March 7, 4 a. m.— At
five minutes to 4 o'clock this morning
the strike on the elevated and subway
lines of the Interborough Rapid Tran
sit company began. A train which
reached the One Hundred and Fifty
fifth street terminal of the West Side
elevated line at that hour was de
serted by Its entire crew.
Ticket choppers, agents and other
employes at the One Hundred and
Fifty-fifth street station also went out.
Four o'clock was the hour set for
officially beginning the strike and word
was passed to the men that work was
to be suspended at that hour as near
as possible.
The utter impossibility of the multi
tude of travelers In the upper part of
the Island reaching their places down
town Is one of the most serious fea
tures of the situation and It is feared
will be the cause of much disorder.
All police reserves were summoned
on duty tonight and strong guards
were placed at all atatlons, both on
the subway and elevated railroads.
LAST OF JEFF DAVIS'
CABINET PASSES AWAY
Judge John Reagan Die* In Texas at
the Age of Eighty-Six
Yeara
By Auoolßttd l'rem.
HOUSTON, Tex., March 6.— Judge
John Reagan, sole surviving member of
the Confederate cabinet, died today at
Palestine, Tex., of - pneumonia. Judge
Reagan, who was 88 yeara of age, has
been falling ■■ in ■ health . for a > year or
wore. HBEMMBi
TOKIO CONFIDENT
OF VICTORY WON
REGARDS FALL OF MUKDEN AS
ASSURED
FIGHTING STILL DESPERATE?
St. Petersburg Military Authorities
Take More Optimistic View antf ;
Think Kuropatkin Hat In. ,
sured His Retreat
By Associated Praia.
TOKIO, March 7, noon.— lt Is re.
ported that the Russians are prepar.
Ing to abandon Mukden an Futhun,
and to retreat to Tie Pass. 1 '
TOKIO, March 7, 10 a. m.— All Japan "
Is eagerly- watching developments at '
the great theater of war In Manchuria?" l
The people are confident that Field'
Marshal Oyama will defeat Genernl.'
Kuropntklh. The ' only question ■' con- .'■
sldered is the ' extent and severity of '
the blow, that he will Inflict and;Jts ;
effect upon the course of the war.'' ' '•■'",'
i>lt 1« believed that the possession. of
Mukden and a- line on the Hun river
is already ( assured and many predict
even a greater "• disaster . for the " Rus-v
slans. General Kuropatkin seems to be
devoting his greatest energy 'to ! ,the
protection of Fushun In order to pre
serve a line of retreat. He has s*nt
masses of reserves there.' The positions
east and south of Fushun have already
been the , scenes of the most bloody
fighting. ! The operations of the Jap
anese left and part of the center, con
tinue to be successful. ; '
.It is believed that the Japanese, will
succeed 'in 'cutting the railway north
of Mukden. , -
Various estimates of the losses.al
ready sustained by the opposing forces
are being made.' One Toklo newspaper
places the Russian loss at 25,000 and
the Japanese at 10,000. '
The estimates 'are unreliable on ac
count of the meagerness of the infor*
matlon at hand.
The' Japanese spoils of war promise to
be heavy. ■ ■
LOSSEB ARE VERY HEAVY
Kuroki Comparatively Quiet -on the
;".; Russian Left ; .0" X ; y',
By A snoclattd PrisK* ■; •• --V ■'. V " '.' ."
' ST. PETERSBURG, March 7, 3:15 a.
m. — According to , correspondents -.with '
the Russian army, th* tide of battle .''■
yesterday -was gradually setting back,
from the immediate vicinity of Muk-|
den, operations up to noon having re^,:
suited In the capture of | several j vil- 1
lages west of Mukden, but late In the. i
afternoon. the Japanese inaugurated 1 a
series of attacks. Gen. Kulbars, who ls : ;
considered to be the best ;of : Gen.'
Kuropatkin's subordinates, has taken.,
personal charge of the operations i in":
this field. Comparative - inactivity ;c Is ,>
the rule on the extreme left. •-,'..'•
The Russians claim minor successes
against Kuroki, who, presumably, hav
tng shot his bolt and won one of his
objects— that of drawing. Russian rein
forcements—may have forwarded a part
of his army to reinforce the center
and west flank. .
The war office estimates the number,
wounded in the ■ battle of Mukden jat
12,000, including 239 officers;, but makes
(Continued on Face Two)
THE DAY'S NEWS
FORECAST
Southern California: , Cloudy
Tuesday; light north winds.., Max.
imum temperature in Los Angeles
yesterday, 69 degrees; minimum,
52 degrees. . '..•' . -.(
I— League demands gas' legislation.
2 — Cabinet named by president.
3 — Woman's press club at feast.
4— Southern California news.
s—white5 — white ribboners to visit coast -
6— Editorial.
7— City news.
B.9— Classified advertisements. V'
Friends of Hyde threaten that h« wli? dlt
rupt tl)« Equitable rather than yield control.'
Harrlman.ln the Northern Securities case. ..•••■
- Capt. Hradlee Putnam Strong and May Ton*
reconciled at Montreal.
FOREIGN
Toklo confident of seUura o( Mukden; Et. ;
Petersburg believes . that Kuropatkin hat. s*- 1
cured his line of retreat. . ■.' . -
. Road northward thronged with ChlntM carts
carrying Russian wounded.
St. . Petersburg again the acens of many
strikes, and workmen refuse to meet employ
era' representatives. ■ •
COABT
Teats failed to show strychnine In Mrs. Sl«n
ford'a stomach. - ••
Ban Kranctsco police examine two . former
servants of the Stanford household. i
Senator Morgan •of . Colorado charges that
he waa offered a bribe for tola vote. .<
LOCAL
Brutal murder Is solution to mystery of find' ■
lug woman's body at Ocean **■«*• ■"•• .' " \
XVumaii held up and robbed on Grand avenue
neur Normal school 3t'^a4Sftfl
Jury in Judge Bmlth'» - court Hinds .John i
McClure guilty of murder In the first degree,
without recommendation for mercy. -
J udge Trask hands down an Important , do
oUlon In the superior court regarding Pleasant .
V \v!fsi of "Ambrose O. Bierce, the well known' 1
writer. Is granted a dlvorc* In the superior
■""(."ha'inber of commerce pruteaU against rala* ,
In day. labor Mils. .
- Council la warned to make) proper gat reju- '
tetloua; members threatened with recall.' .