Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-03-16
CHICO FORSTER AssAssINA1ED.
a Woman, with Coolnsss and a Wonderful
Accuracy Of Aim. Shoots Him Dead While
BE is Talking to Her Sister.

Between 8 and4 o'clock yester-
day afternoon the startling intelli.
gencs was circulated throughout
the city that F. P. Forster, famil.
iarly known as "Chico" Forster
had been shot and killed by a wo-
man. in front of the White House,
at the corner of Commercial and
Los Angeles streets. Soon crowds
Of persons, friends Of the deceased,
who was we'll and favorably knowD
by every old resident of Los Ange-
les from his boyh0od, were seen
hurryiug to the scene OF the report.
ed assassination. When the thr0ng
reached the spot the report was
found to be too true. The body of
the murdered man was lying across
the gutter, the head pointing to-
wards the center Of the street and
the feet resting on the sidewalk,
almost in the spot which they had
occupied when the fatal shot was
hred. 1t appears from the testl-
mony of the hackman, which Ia
given in full below, that Mr.. Fors
Ter, accompanied by the Misses
Abarta-Lastauia and her sister,
H0rtensta-started from another
part of the city In his hack and
when they reached the corner op-
posite to that on which the ira gedy
was enacted, some one signalren
him to stop. He did so, aud Mr..
Forster and Hortensia got out and
dressing to the corner com menced
an minated conversation in Span
ish. While they were talking La, .
tsnia altghted from the carriage
aud started towards them. as che
advanced drawing u revolver.
When she was within about ten
feet Of her victim, she fred, the
ball entering his right eye
and killing him instantly. The
murderess then made u movement
as II to dre second time, when q
man who saw the action rushed up
and took the pistol from her. The
woman gave up the weapon ut
oDce and accom- panied by her ais.
ter, started for the office Of ex. Jus.
tice Traff,rd to give herself up.
Lastauia Abarts, the assassin, Is
q beautiful halt French, half Spau-
ish woman, native of Los Ange.
les, aged about 21 years, with
whom, 1t Is said, the deceased had
been on intimate terms for the
past two years and more. A week
or ten days ago her mother had re-
csived money from a married
daughter living at Eureka, Ne.
vada, to pay the expenses of Las
taDia and an elder sister, whom
she desired to come to her. The
idea Of leaving Los Angeles seems
to have been repuguant to Las
taniA who, last Friday night left
her home and, as is since learned,
took rooms at the house formerly
known as the Cape House. Here
she is supposed to have been me {
by the deceased. whom 1t is al
legged. .she desired should beco me he I
husband and that the assassi n al lion
WAS prompted by his refusal to &C.
ceed to her desire. On this point
We reproduce portion Of the testi-
mony Of Mr.. N. A. Covarrubias
who, after giving an accouut of the
deceased joining the Misses
A0arta at his stables, gives the de.
tails Of conversation mad with his
friend Forster on the evening pre-
csding the assassination.
The remains of the murdered
man were taken to the morgue of
M-ssrs. Ponet & Orr, whore, at s
O'Clock last evening, an Inquest
was held. After hearing the tssti.
mony Of a number of witnesses es
who saw the killing, the hackman
who drove the party was put on the
stand and gave the folio wing testi :
m0ny:
w. e. Rsavis sworn: My name
is w. r. Resvis; I recognize these
two ladies (pointing to the Misses
Abarta); about 40 minutes before
O'Clock r. NJ. to-day there was q
little boy came to me and told me
that they wanted . hack at the
Abarta house and vent there; the
ladies got in and asked me what
time it was; I told them $500 r NJ
they said, "Drive us to the Cosmo-
polltan HOTEL" I drove up there;
the coach man opened the door and
asked them what they wished;
they asked for Chico Forster; he
told them that he (Fsr.tei) was over
at NIck's stabl.; one of them then
remarked to me to drive over ther.
drove there; got down and opened
the door aud called to Domiugn;
he came and asked them what
they wanted; they spoke to him in
spanish; didu't know what they
said; ! Inferred that they wants,t
FOfster, and DImiugo told them
that he was up eating; 1 under
stood that mucn; theu Forster
came down to the hack; the ladiel
spoke to him for u minute aud ht
got in. the hack and told me I,
drive to church; when I got ther'
he told me to drive On, not to stop;
got only short distance when Ii,
, told me to turn around and driv,
to DucOmmun street; on the cor
, Her going down Com mercial stree
J. there was . tap on the window o
, the hack and stopped and opsnee
} the door; MIR. Forster got out an,
D the smallest one Of the two ladie
! immediately after him; they
) walked over to the sidewalk an,
spoke togsther IN Spsnishi I di
J not understand them; thea tn
: tallest one got Oat of the hack an,
. walked within eight or ten feet to
/. ward Mr.. Forster aud I heard tn
eliok Of q pistol; on turning aroun
;. the pistol was presented at Nj
Il Forster aud flrsd Immediately b.
J. the tAllest lady of the two-the on
r that gave the name Lastaria Aba
r ~; then shs backed off a little I
d the right and came up again, try
/. ing to cock the pistol and this gen
l~e a All - A~H r..