The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-13
Miss Jennie Lewis Fatally
Shot in the Head by
Lewis F. MuhIner.
HE HAD TRIED TO DECOY HER
jealousy Believed to Have Prompted
the Deed Muhlnsr
Fugitive.

death is only few hours off. Since the
fatal wound was inflicted Miss Lewis has
been lying unconscious at the Receiving
Hospital, to which place she was taken i'm
mediately after the tragedy.
The unhappy affair occurred at the resi-
dence of Rev. George Mooar, pastor of the
Plymouth Congregational Church
on Thirty-sixth street. Sunday night
Muhlner tried to decoy Miss Lewis into
house on Seventh street, but he failed in
his purpose, and it is supposed that his
failure prompted him to call on her yester-
day and murder her. No one saw Muhl-
ner fire the fatal shot and no one has seen
him since. He succeeded in eyadlng the
police till midnight, and it is thought he
crossed the bay to San Francisco.
Miss Lewis is an estimable young lady of
an irreproachable character, only 10 years
of age, and was a telegraph operator.
When examined at the hospital it was
seen that the bullet had entered the top of
her head and passed through the brain.
The doctors trephined the skull and ex-
tracted the bullet, but at once pronounced
the wound fatal.
?. ]. Shafter, who lives few doors be-
low the Mooar residence, and who was
formerly rancher at Olema, Marin
County, has known Jennie Lewis all her
life. He said:
Yesterday, 1 am told, Jennie was seen look
ing over package of letters, which were laid
out on her bed. She seemed to read them over,
and afterward she tied them in package, as
though to send them away, and it is now sup
posed that they were the correspondence OF the
man who shot her, and that she was preparing
to return them to him.
Early in the afternoon messenger-boy de-
hvered TO her a note stating that the writer
had met with a serious accident and desired
her presence at once in a lodging-house on the
corner of Washington and Seventh streets, at
room 10. 1t was signed by her lovers name,
Charles Miller.
While preparing TO answer in person she
thought it strange that Charlie Miller, whose
home is on San Pablo avenue, should be in
lodging house, but upon further meditation
concluded that he possibly was too badly in
iured to permit of removal to his residence.
When she arrived at the house mentioned
she was somewhat suspicious and requested
the landlady to accompany her. When the
room reached she knocked and greatly to
her surprise she was met by Lewis MuhlneY.
When he saw his plans were frustrated he gave
vent TO a volume OF curses, and Miss Lewis and
the landlady hastily went downstairs:
Miss Lewis was very indignant at being the
victim of decoy letter, as well as the manner
in which she was received, and determined
never again to recognize Mr.. Muhlner again in
any way. How he came to be received by
Jennie yesterday afternoon do not think viii
ever be told.
The most likely version of the affair is that
he called unlimited and certainly against her
will, and rather than cause disturbance that
would annoy Mrs. Mooar, who is a confirmed
invalid, she permitted him to converse with
her, and he became angry, until his anger
turned to a frenzy, and he shot her out of
jealousy.
A few minutes previous to the tragedy saw
Muhlner pass my house, and instead of recog-
nizing me, he pulled his hat down over his
eyes and walked hastily on toward Mrs.
Mooars house. A few minutes later the
tragedy had taken place, and was summoned
to the side OF the dying and unconscious girl.
A. c. Lewis, the father of the victim, in
response to telegram sent to his home in
San Rafael, arrived in Oakland late last
night and told the following story:
This terrible affair has come on me so sud-
denly cannot think. Jennie was my eldest
daughter, one OF eleven children, and q more
dutiful good girl never lived. She was raised
on ranch near Olema, where she first knew
the man who shot her, but their acquaintance
was only casual.
About year ago she came to Oakland to
stay with friends while seeking position to
assist in the support of her younger brother
and sisters They were church-going people,
and soon found her position in the family of
Rev. +. Mooar. She was happy and contented,
and no one spoke of her except In praise. She
was good girl, and consulted her parents in
every detail of her life.
Lewis Muhlner, the scoundrel who did the
shooting, was formerly employed as telegraph
operator at Point Reyes lighthouse and was
known TO be infatuated with Jennie. He re-
peatedly tried to pay her attention, which she
would not receive. When my daughter came
to Oakland he soon after gave up his position
and followed her. Here he attempted to
be friendly and she wroted to me about it,
We advised her to discourage such friendship,
as we did not consider him Jenne's equal in
any way. She needed our advice, but as the
outcome shows he annoyed her by his insane
professions of love and jealousy when discov-
ering that her affections were bestowed upon
more worthy young man.
There can be no other reason assigned for the
sad affair that has occurred | do not know
how her poor mother win ever be able to stand
the news, which the telegram did not state ex-
cept that "Jennte had met with an accident"
Mr.. Lewis then returned to the Receiv-
ing Hospital, where he kept vigil all night.
Miss Mooar said last night:
Miss Lewis has been employed in our house
hold for over year and was well liked Ny
mother being an invalid 1t is necessary to
have a quiet person who will not have much
company, so for this reason Miss Lewis was
selected.
shooting, and while seated on the veranda con-
yersing he fired the fatal shot. No one saw
the affair, but the girl was found by neighbors,
and Muhlner was seen running away with his
hat pulled over his eyes,
Miss Lewis was engaged to Charlie Mil
Ter, young man connected with the Nc
Manus undertaking parlors. He called at
the hospital last night and was overcome
with grief. He said:
/ saw Muhlner this morning and he acted In
desperate manner. He had evidently been
drinking and when he saw me he put his hand
to his hip pocket and said, 'I'm going to do
for somebody to-day" laughed at him, never
dreaming what he meant, and we parted. I
knew very little of him and only met him few
times. knew he was somewhat persistent in
his attentions to Miss Lewis, but paid no at
tention to it. Miss Lewis and / were engaged
and were TO have been married as soon as had
a home to take her to, but now"
Grant l. Taggart, who resides at 472 Ed
ward street, near the Mooar residence,
states that few minutes before the trag.
edy occurred, while passing Mr.. Mooar's
house in company with his wife, he noticed
Miss Lewis and a young man sitting on
the front porch conversing, but saw no
signs of excitement or anger in the young
mans manner.
1--WE had only gone few rods from the
house" he said, when we were startled
by the report from pistol. We could not
locate the sound and were very much
astonished to trace it to the scene we had
just passed. When we retraced our steps
neighbors had congregated and were caring
for the wounded girl, who was removed to