The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-03
Two Angry Attorneys Confront
Each Other With
RevolVerS.
A BIG HOLE IN THE WALL.
One More Dismal Chapter in the
Wetched Story of the Ashley
Sisters.

"E. J. Baldwin ruined my sister Lillian
and disgraced her name, and, not salts
fed with that, he has, with the help of his
paid witnesses and detectives, heaped I'M
speakable calumny upon her. / have sat
in that courtroom day after day and heard
them swear those foul things, and she is
my sister-and-and-"
And the speaker cried. 1t was Miss
Emma Ashley speaking. She was sitting
in the City Prison. She had just made a
frenzied attempt to kill E. ]. Baldwin, and
only an inch of space had interviewed be-
tween the miIlionaire's head and her bull
let.
For the second time Lucky" Baldwin
has escaped an enraged woman's revol-
yer. The first time his niece, Verona
Baldwin, waited for him in an upper hall
of his hotel and fired two shots at him.
Ate o'clock yesterday morning Judge
Stacks court was called 10 order for the
suit of Lillian A. Ashley against E. J.
Baldwin. 1t was to be the last day, and
the trial was to have ended at 10 o'clock,
when the Craven-Fair case was to have
begun.
The plaintiff was on the stand being
cross-examined by Attorney Highton of
the defense as to the identity of several
photographs of herself. 1t had been con-
tended that she had been on more than
friendly terms with one Osborne, and she
had given him one of the pictures. The
picture was shown her, ana she was asked
by the lawyer if it was hers.
at may be-" said she, "but 1 don't
think it is
At that instant Emma Ashley, who had
been sitting on long bench placed along
the wall at the back OF the courtroom,
arose and walked over to tie rail, seating
herself directly behind and near Baldwin,
as he sat with his attorneys and Henry A.
Unruh, his secretary. AS she had been in
the habit of sitting in that place, rather
close to the defendants party, no notice
was taken OF her movements In fact, the
mild and quiet demeanor of the woman
throughout the course of the trial has been
marked. Not sound has ever come from
her, not even sob, when her sister was
enduring the terrible cross-questioning at
the hands of the defendants learned at
torneys. She either sat and listened stol-
idly or read her Bible, which she carried
in her handbag.
"Are you quite positive that this is not
your photograph" asked Highton of the
witness.
at is not mine" she answered, "I never
saw it before-I never wore my lair
crimped So"
'Do I understand you to"
Then pistol shot rang out and splash
in the plaster on the wall told where a
deadly bullet had found Judgement. Then
the white powder smoke followed, and all
was confusion.
When the startled Judge looked up from
his notes he saw large woman with a
revolver grasped in both hands standing
over Baldwin, who sat limp and speech
less in his chair, his face winter than the
few locks of hair on his head.
With her weapon few inches from the
back of his head she had fired, but it be-
ing double action or self-cocklng revol-
yer the muscular force required TO pull
the trigger back had elevated the muzzle
of the gun and the leaden missile went
high to strike the opposite wall
Before another shot could be fired if
such was the maddened woman's inten-
ton, Henry A. Unruh sprang up, and,
reaching over the rail, grabbed her hands.
She held firmly to her weapon and fierce
struggle took place. For few instants
not another move was made. The witness
sat in her chair stricken dumb, her face as
pale as that OF the man who had Just es-
capped death. The attorneys, few seconds
before engaged in their wordy battle, were
SILENT so quickly had 1t all come upon
them.
But the shock of the unexpected soon
passed and confusion reigned throughout
the room. Attorney CrIttenden started
forward just as Unruh wrenched the pistol