The herald., 1897-12-15
Ira F. Hodson Is the Riv-
erSide Victim
HIS RECENT MOVEMENTS
MOTIVE FOR THE MURDER PROB
ABLY ROBBERY
Left Pasadena for This City Last
Tuesday-Found Dead wednes-
day@The Mystery Clearing

Identifying the victim Of the mysterious
murder at Riverside last week now
seems positive. But little doubt exists
that he is Ira Franklin Hodson, for
| merly of Mankato, Kan. Six persons
Identified him as the dead man Monday
at Pasadena and yesterday five more
persons were found who stated that be-
yond any question Hodson Is the name
Of the murdered man. Those who were
shown the photograph Of the victim had
been intimately acquainted with Hold
son and had been thrown with him pre-
vious to his start upon what is believed
to have been his fatal journey. The per-
sons who further identified the body
yesterday are Mr.. and Mrs. I. M. Bart
ley Of Covina, Mr.. and Mrs. w. H. Wa
tiers Of Pasadena, the women being his
nieces. and Mr.. p. B. Spears Of 1886
South Flower street. this city.
Hodson's relatives are positive that
he Is the dead man and today several
will go to Riverside to view the remains
in order to be able to furnish an identifi-
cation Of which there cannot be the
slightest question. In every point the
dead man tallies with Hodson, and in
addition the movements of Hodson since
his arrival in Southern California have
been traced and they go to show how it
was possible for him to have visited the
vicinity of Riverside the afternoon Of
last Tuesday, the 7th inst, when the
murder Is thought to have occurred. In
further confederation of the presence Of
Hodson at that place is the statement of
a prominent real estate dealer of Pasa-
dena. to whom the missing man an
nounced his intention Of visiting River
side. He also said to Mr.. and Mrs. Wa
tiers that he thought of going to that
place and looking around the country.
Hodson had in his possession when
here fully $1,000. of which 5000 was cash
and the balance in negotiable paper.
How he came by this money and the
real cause of his presence in California
so many miles from his wife and baby
are matters which may possibly have
some material bearing on the causes of
his supposed death. Such sum would
be sufficient to tempt the cupidity of the
average thug but the peculiar features
connected with the murder tend to prove
that there were some unusual reasons
for the treatment Of the victim. In ply
slque the dead man Is the counterpart
Of Hodson, and the relatives all say that
he was a most powerful person and one
who was able to do up two average men
In a fight. The persons who committed
the murder evidently were aware OF this
fact for they took no chances. 1t Is
thought by the officers that he was first
rendered unconscious and then shot In
the head twice, after having probably
been bound hand and foot as found.
CAME FROM KANSAS
Hodson left Kansas under a cloud. He
owed a considerable sum of money and
skipped" without paying it. This fact
may have some bearing upon the strange
death of the man In the lonely river bot
tom. On the other hand, Hodson had
been drinking rather heavily while here,
and during an unguarded moment he
might have displayed his money and
attracted the attention of some of the
hard cases who Turk about for such an
II he was the man MUIR
dered, and there seems every reason for
believing that he was, his murderers
took particular pains to conceal his iden-
tity. For, in addition to taking him to
the remote spot In the river bed, they
stripped him Of his good clothes to his
undergarments, and put on the body an
old pair of overalls and an aged flannel
shirt and coarse shoes, hoping, no doubt,
that when found the body would be de-
composed beyond recognition. and from
the rough clothes 1t would appear to
have been some hobo who hadmet death
in such a mysterious way.
HIS RECENT MOVEMENTS
It has been principally through his
Pasadena relatives that the movements
Of Hodson have been traced and many
Of his habits ascertained. Mr.. and Mrs.
Waters saw the story Of the murder and
the picture in The Herald yesterday. and
lost no time in visiting the Mitchell ho-
tel. From the Mitchells they learned
that their relative had been the person
who had stopped at that hotel several
times while in Pasadena the latter part
Of November and the first of the present
month. In the accounts yesterday the
mans name appeared as Hogson, which
was a very natural error for Mr.. Mitch
ell to have made. as this was the name
under which the missing man was reg
lstered on the 9TH. Both Mr.. and Mrs.
Waters discussed the matter with repre-
sentatives Of The Herald and related
many facts concerning Hodson.
"That Is undoubtedly Ira" said Mrs.
Waters positively, when shown the like
ness of the dead man as he lay upon the
slab at Riverside.
Eyes. It certainly IL he," responded
her husband. Don't you see," he con-
tinued. that the upper part Of the head
and face is identical with that Of Ira, and
30 IL the back part Of the head"
They held the picture in various ways
and viewed 1t from numerous angles.
Each succeeding look strengthened their
belief that the dead man at Riverside
and their uncle are one and the same
person. The face did not resemble Hold
son so much as did the other part Of the
head, but this can be readily explained
from the fact that the cheeks had be-
come somewhat bloated. The short.
crispy mustache in the picture CORES
pended with that Of the missing Hold
SON. The deep chest development and
pended with those Of the relative, as did
The general description Of feet 10 inches
IN height, 200 pounds In weight, dark
mustache. dark hair, fair complexion.
and slightly bald spots on the back Of
The head and the front Of the crown. On
one point however, Mr.. and Mr.. Wa