The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-10-09
ARMED FOR BLOOD
A rIasked Man Caught on
Mission Street.
TRAGEDY POSSIBLY AVERTED
John B. daskin Found at r1idnight
Providing Around His Mother-in.
Laws House.

Unless some powerful restraint is pu
upon John B. Gaskin there will be trag
edy some of these days in which ne VII
play the principal part and his wife ant
possibly his mother-in-law the other parts
He and his wife have been living apar
for some time, she with her mother at $685.
Mission street, and he with his mother a
1917 Howard street.
Five or six weeks ago Gaskin called
his mother-n-law's house and demanded
to see his wife. They had some hot word!
in the parlor, during which Mrs. Gaskir
slipped upstairs aud locked herself in hel
bedroom. Gaskin heard the rustic OF hel
dress and rushed after her.
He pleaded with her to open the door a:
he wanted TO speak to her. and on her re-
fusal he tried to force 1t open. Becoming
alarmed she unlocked the door, and Gas.
kin insisted upon her going back at once
to live with him. She told him they were
better apart, when he pulled out pisto
and threatened to shoot her II she persisted
in her refusal. She threw open the win
dow of her room aud screamed for help,
and Gaskiu beat hasty retreat
Mrs. Gaskin sw0re out warrant for his
arrest on charge of threats against life
and he was arrested. When the case came
up in court he promised not TO modest her
again, and on that understanding the CON-
plant was dismissed. he did not keep
his promise LONG.
Shortly before midnight Saturday night
Police Officer Nj. j. Heaphy saw suspi-
cious-loOking character prowling about
Mrs. Gaskn's mothers house. The man
had Oh mask with long whiskers attached.
Heaphy went up TO him, placed him under
arrest and took him to the Seventeenth
street station, where he was unmasked
and recognized as Gaskin.
On being searched. two loaded revolt
vers. flask containing whisky and NOR
phine, and small package of morphine
were found in his pockets. He was booked
and unlawfully wearing mask.
Gaskin is a matchmaker. and the police
overlooked a small sharp-edged tool used
in his trade when searching him. When
in his cell he attempted to cut his throat
with the hidden tool. but it was not sharp
enough TO do the business, and only left a
slight scar.
1t is said that although living apart Gas
kin is insanely jealous Of his wife. who is
by several years the younger Of the two. and
lis object in going TO the house was to shoot
her and then himself. He told the arrest
Ing officer that he went there to see if
there was a light in his wife's bedroom.
BE is now in the City Prison and said
yesterday that he was tired of life and IN
tended 10 kill himself. but he denied having
any such sinister intention regarding his
wife.
Il was playing cards last night" he said d,
''n saloon on Ninth and Stevenson
streets till between II and II o'clock.
When / left the saloon l put on the mask
and jumped on a streetcar. Some fellows
in the car told me that | hadn't disguised
myself well enough. l told them it was
good enough for my purpose and that l
was not going to harm any one.
Il got off the car about block from my
wife's house. and the fellows also got off,
and, l suppose, went and told the police
officer about me and he came and arrested
me.
81 had the pistols with me because
intended To kill myself. | bought the
whisky and morphine for my mother when
she was sick some weeks ago. and just put
the flask and package in my rocket. There
were 90 grains of morphine in the flask
and grains in the package. If my mother
died what would there be for Inc to live
fOr?"