The San Francisco call., 1896-06-28
He Lets a Revolver Fall to the
Floor and the Weapon Is
Discharged.
HAS SLIGHT CHANCE FOR LIFE.
The Pleasures of a Sea Beach Hotel
Ball Marred by a Singular
Misfortune.

SANTA CRUZ, CAL, June H.-Jackson
Crooks of Oakland, who, with his wife and
child, has been visiting here for a week,
was accidentally shot tonight and may
die. He was changing his street dress for
ballroom garb in his apartments. at the
Sea Beach Hotel, when pistol fell from
one of his pockets and was discharged. e.
The bullet struck him on the left side,
just under the heart, passed upward
around a rib and came out IN the center
of the left side of the back, at point above
the line of entrance.
Within few moments after the acci-
dent the rumor that Crooks had attempted
suicide spread over the town. Drs. Bailey
and Morgan were called and dressed the
wound. giving Mrs. Crooks considerable
hope for his recovery. AS soon as Crooks
was made comfortable and allowed to talk
he soon convinced those about him that
the suicide theory was iIl-founded.
Crooks said that he had just gone to his
room from the dining table and begun to
change his dress. When he removed a
pair of trousers from a chair the pistol fell
from a pocket, discharging the ball into
his body. James Doyle, barkeeper of the
Sea Beach, was the first to hear the shot,
and ran in the direction of the sound.
Crooks was found prostrate on the floor.
He said to Doyle: 1--we had an accident,
Jimmy, and 1 guess I'm gone"
Mrs. Crooks was summoned and mes
sengers imm ediately dispatched for physi-
clans There was intense excitement
about the hotel. .Tne guests were gather
ing for the dance and everybody was
startled by the sad news, for Mr.. Crooks
= r. L l.
considered here, that they have friends in
almost every household. Mrs. Crooks is
the eldest daughter of County Treasurer
William II. Bias Mr.. Bias is known IA
miliarly as ''Unele Billy" and he and his
family are loved by the whole town.
When Mr.. Crooks married Flora Bias and
removed to Oakland, Santa Cruz lost one
of its most charming and lovable girls,
and any sorrow that befalls Flora Bias
Crooks is the sorrow of the community.
Jackson Crooks is well known in San
Francisco and Oakland as one of the hei rs
of the Crooks estate, of which he is the
administrator and the affairs of which he
is just closing up. Matthew Crooks, his
father, was California pioneer who
amassed a fortune of $2,000,000, which
fell to his widow and eight children when
he died twelve years ago. Mrs. Susan
Crooks, the widow, died about year ago
in San Francisco and since then Jackson
has been engaged in settling the estate.
He and Mrs. Crooks and their baby came
to Santa Cruz to attend the carnival and
visit Mrs. Crooks parents and friends
and were stopping at the Sea Beach Hotel,
where they intended 10 remain for part
of the season.
Crooks was on the street this afternoon
and among his associates, whom he left
just before going to dinner, he was in his
usual cheerful mood. If the wound does
not prove fatal it will cause him to be
under careful surgical treatment for some
time, though he says that he is not much
hurt, and believes lie was more frightened
than injured when the shot struck him.
Late tonight the surgeons could give
but little hope of his recovery.