The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-05-18
SHOT IN THE SHOULDER
Al Early Mornlng Intruder Meets Hot
Reception
Effect-Assaulted wenian At the
Same Place this Same Evening

ing a shooting ARRAY occurred on Ala
media street, brief mention of which was
made in the Sunday issue, but the par
ticuiars could not be obtained by the
press hour Thomas Thornton, can
vasser, was shot through the right
shoulder by mulatto named VIII Ellis
while Thornton was endeavoring to
force his way into room at No. 10S
South Alameda street.
At that number, which is one side of n
small double house, there lives a Mexi-
lean or mlilattO woman, who Is common
ly called Frisco. The man Ellis, who did
the shooting. is her lover. In the early
part of Saturday evening Thornton was
in saloon at the corner of First and AL
ameda streets drinking with the wo-
man. He was considerably under the
influence of liquor and finally left in the
woman's company and proceeded to the
room in the house few doors south.
The couple had not been inside long
when the sounds of a scuff1e were heard
and several piercing shrieks for help.
The parties living in the other side OF
the house were alarmed and started to
the rescue. when the door was thrown
open and Thornton dashed out, down the
steps and away up the street. To the
assembled persons drawn by the souni
of her cries the woman said that she
had been assaulted and choked by
Thornton and that he had made an at
tempt to robiher of her pocketbook. Her
throat bore evidence Of the severe treat
ment she had received at his hands. He
had evidently counted on preventing her
from making an cutlery, but she had
managed to loosen his grasp long
enough to summon help. Then he be-
came frightened and fled.
He must then have wandered around
town for several hours, but finally re-
turned to the same room. The apart
ment is situated in the rear of the house
and is reached from the outside by
narrow passage between the two houses.
A light door, with glass panels, opens
into the room. During the intervening
time between his visits the woman's con-
sort, Ellis, had come home and was in
bed in the room where the ARRAY had
occurred earlier in the evening. lamp
was burning and Ellis was reading when
he was attracted by the sound of some
one in the passage and trying the door.
Reaching under his pillow he got out
a huge 45-caliber Colts revolver and
lay quietly and waited. The intruder
finally succeeded in forcing the door,
breaking off the bottom hinge, and it
slowly opened. A mans head appeared
in the room cautiously looking around.
Ellis did not wait for anything further,
but leveled his gun and let drive. He
says he first aimed at the head, but
thinking he might miss pulled down on
the lamp and Ellis sent second as near
to the first as he could in the dark. The
housebreaker was heard running away
and all was quiet.
Investigation showed that one shot
had passed through the glass panel and
on into the side of the next house. The
other had gone through the edge of the
partly opened door and lodged in the
casing behind where the intruders
shoulder had rested. Police whistles
were blown but Thornton had escaped
and was not to be found. He ran down
Alameda to First and down that street
toward the river. The proprietor OF q
tamale stand had heard the shooting
and called to several bystanders to stop
the fugitive. He was questioned and said
that he had heard the shooting and that
some negroes back there were having a
row. While a man went to investigate
Thornton was allowed to depart.
He ran on down the street and when
near the viaduct was stopped by one
of Insley's night patrol, II. b. Lyman,
who had heard the police whistles and
was running toward the scene. Lyman
questioned him closely. took his name
and address, Thomas Thornton, No. 944
of the continuation Of Lyon street near
Macy, and asked the cause of his hurry.
Thornton said he was in a rush to get
a valise he had left at a tamale stand.
which he was afraid might be closed.
Lyman went to the stand with him,
saw the valse and what it contained,
and as his story seemed to be all right,
allowed him to 60.
No one who had met Thornton had
discovered that he was shot. and he
claims himself that he did not know 1t
until later, when the blood began to
run down his fingers. He took his valise
and went directly to his home on Lyon
street and to bed. At little after 8
o'clock c. H. DAILY of No. 523 Macy street
reported at the police station that man
named Thornton was lying at his home
shot in the shoulder. An officer was sent
down to investigate. DIR. Choate was
notified and went down to dress the
wound.
Thornton lives in little up and down
boarded implanted shed or house at the
number indicated. 1t contains only one
room and sort of loft which is reached
by a ladder from below. Here he lay
in bed attended by his wife and several
neighbors. DIR. Choate probed the
wound and found that the bullet had
struck near the point of the right Shout
der, passed under the clavicle or collar
bone above the point Of the lung, and
made it's exit through the shoulder the
shoulder blade in the back. The wound
Is not serious one. but Thornton mar
rowly escaped death. Had the bullet
gone half inch out of it's course it
would have cut the sub clavian artery,
and the victim would have bled to death
in few minutes. AS 1t is the wound is
very painful. but will soon heal if no
complications set in.
Officer Henderson placed Thornton I'M
der arrest, and after his wound had
been dressed took him to the city Jail
in the patrol wagon. A bed was fixed
up in a cell and he was locked up The
negro, Ellis, had meanwhile been gath
cred in and placed in a cell on suspicion
He has been a bootblack around town
and has borne fair reputation
Thornton has been a canvasser for
the Household Magazine of this city.
and the valise he had contained sam
pie copy, subscription blanks and a num-
Der of small articles, spoons, knives and
kitchen utensils which were evidently
given with cash subscriptions He has
been in the city but short time, having
come from Seattle, where his wife's
relatives reside. She Is refined little
lady, with two children, one a mere
infant BY her husbands arrest she is
| left in destitute condition, there being
little furniture in the house and hardly
| any money. She will be assisted by the
authorities If necessary
| About month ago Thornton was ar
| rested by a special officer at Criffith's
| lumber yard and booked for disturbine
| the peace. He was peering in the win
| dows of the office one night and annoy
| ing some ladies. He spent some davs
| in Jail, but was eventually released
1T Is not yet decided what charge will he
| preferred against him. whether for bur