Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-27
The Law Knocks Him Out in
One Round.
Major Wood, His Victim. in a
Serious Condition.
His Injuries May Result in His
Death.
Manning Held to Answer In Heavy Bonds
The Pugiiist Tells His Story
A Blood-stained Cane
Found.

Billy Manning, the pugilist, was ar
rested at 2 O'Clock yesterday morning
for beating S. O. Wood, in the Lanker-
SHIN lodging house, 3161s South Spring
street, as. reported in yesterdays HER
AID. Soon after the assault, which oc-
Cured at about l O'Clock, Sergeant
Morton and Officer Walker, who were
looking for the intruder into Mrs. Lew
ISIS house, ascertained that Manning
had been asking at the Hollenbeck for
Mrs. G. N. Payne, who had registered
from Spokane Falls, Washington, the
home of Tommy Smith, who met with
such sudden defeat at the Crib club
Thursday night. Manning was in
formed that the woman had left. and
went out to hunt for her. He was told
by some one that she had taken rooms
in Spring street lodging house be-
tween Third and Fourth streets,
and visited three different houses
in that block while engaged
in his search. After not succeeding in
the third house he returned to the
Lankershim which he had visited be-
fore. Mrs. Lewis objected to being
aroused several times by Manning, and
the pugilist became obstreperous. Mrs.
Lewis called her brother-in-law, Mr..
Wood, and the fight ensued which re-
suited in Woods injuries.
Sergeant Morton, after finding that
Manning was the man wanted. sent Of
ficer Conley to the pugilist's home on
Commercial street, and there Billy was
arrested while engaged IN brutally beat
ing his wife. Mrs. Manning was
taken with her husband to the police
station. She was badly bruised and
her eyes were closed, so that she was
unable to see.
Yesterday morning the assailant of
Wood was arraigned before Justice Aus
tin on three charges, disorderly conduct,
battery and assault with deadly
weapon. On the first charge he was
held in $100 bail for examination on
March Sd at p. m., on the second in
the same amount for examination March
4th at p. m., and on the third the
amount of the bond was not fixed until
the afternoon. At 2 O'Clock, Justice Aus
tin heard the testimony of DIR. Lasher,
who had been attending Wood. The
doctor stated that his patient
was . in serious condition
that be had been in either a comatose
or semi-comatose condition ever since
the fight, and that he had yomited and
spit blood.
In accordance with these facts the
court fixed the amount of bail on the
charge of assault with deadly weapon
at $40, 900, and the time of examination
3 p. m. on March Sd. In default of bail
Manning was locked up in the county
Jail.
Manning was seen by HERALD re-
porter, and told q very different story
from the one alleged by Woods friends.
The pugilist declared that friend of
his had told him that his. Manning'e,
wife was in one of the lodging houses.
He therefore went to look for her, but
obtained no satisfaction Mrs. Lewis, he
said, had refused to give him civil an
swer to any of his questions, but had at
once called her brother-in-law to her
aid. Wood refused to listen to an ex-
PLANTATION, but at once attempted to
throw Manning down stairs. The pugi-
list claimed that he clinched Wood in
self-defense, and that both of them had
fallen down stairs. Manning denied
that he had even had cane, and alleged
that Wood had probably hurt himself
in the fall.
1t was, however, afterward
conclusively shown that the pugilist
had carried heavy ebony stick with a
loaded gold head. He was seen with
this stick at the Crib club prize fight,
and the same stick was last evening
found by Detective Bosqui in Manning's
house. The head of it was battered out
of shape and bore blood stains.
Maj. s. 0. Wood, the injured man, is
well-known in the city, and has been
considered a quiet, inoffensive citizen.
He is man of about 40, weighing
about 220 pounds, wears heavy mus
tache and uses spectacles. He was
formerly captain OF the national guard
company at Anaheim; was county sur
veyer of Orange county one term; after
ward was engaged as civil engineer on
the electric road here, and last was en-
ployed ON public works at San Bernar-
dino. Yesterday afternoon his condi-
tion improved rapidly. He became
conscious, conversed with his friends,
- l. L L.