The herald., 1897-02-21
FATAL DOUBLE Shooting
An Attempted Murder and
a Suicide
whisky md JEALOUSY The Cause
Shoots Ills Mistress and Then
Kills Himself
A WATERS TERRIBLE DEED
John Wall Fires Four Times at His
Paramour
A WATERS TERRIBLE DEED
John Wall Fires Four Times at Iii
Paramour
Three Bullets TAX, Effect Inillctlng Pain.
ful Wounds
MlracuIous Escape Of Patria Rios From In
slant Death-Wali Puts a Bullet Into
His Brain to Finish Up
the Job

Crazed by jealousy and drink, John
Wall, a barroom waiter, last evening
fired four shots at his mistress, Patria
Rios, wounding her in three places, but
not fatally, then turned the revolver on
himself and put a bullet through, his
brain, dying instantly. The tragedy oc-
Cured shortly before o'clock in room
16 of the lodging house, No. 1876 East
Third street, near the corner of Los An
geles. Although two of the bullets.
fired from a 32 caliber revolver at short
range, struck the woman full in the head
they were flattened against the skull and
did not penetrate to the BRAIN The third
shot struck at the point of the right
cheek bone, passing straight downward
through the flesh Of the cheek, making
its exit under the jaw and plunging into
the right chest, where 1t lodged under
the collar bone. Wall made a better job
of it on himself, for he put the first shot
squarely through his right temple, and
fell like log, death being instantaneous.
THEIR GUILTY LOVE
The couple have been living together
passing as husband and wife, and have
occupied the room where the shooting
took place about three months. Wall
was a waiter. and formerly worked in
Turnverein hall, leaving there last May
and securing employment at the Hoff-
man cafe. He has worked there since
until about three weeks ago, when new
crew was put in and he lost his position.
Since that time he has done nothing.
For about nine months he has been con-
sorting with Belle Rios, as she was some
times known but of late the couple have
lived tog, ether constantly. They rented
two rooms, No 16, the one in which the
shooting took place, and No. 2S, which
was used as kitchen, and also contain
ed a bed, in which Wall sometimes slept.
BEFORE THE TRAGEDY.
He left the house about 8 o'clock yes
terday afternoon and did not show up
again until about 1920 o'clock. Going up
to the room he found the door locked,
and was refused admittance by Patria,
who was angered at him because of a
quarrel they had earlier in the day, and
the fact that he had not returned to take
her to supper. When he found that he
could not get in, Wall went to the other
room and evidently procured his pistol
from the bureau drawer, where it was
usually kept. During his absence
friend OF the Rios girl named Grace
Bennett, who rooms next door in No. IT,
was admitted to Patrias room, and the
women were talking together when Wall
again knocked at the door and was ad-
mitted.
A FAMILY QUARREL.
He Immediately started quarrel by
accusing Patr'a with having had some
one in the room with her when he first
knocked, and she replied in kind up-
braiding him for leaving her alone with
cut money to procure her supper. After
few minutes OF mutual recrimination
they came to blows, Wall throwing the
woman into the bed from which she
arose and began throwing at him what
ever came within her reach. A bottle
of face wash was bespattered on Wallis
hat and coat after which the curling
irons were tried.
HE SHOOTS TO KILL.
Suddenly he drew the revolver from
his pocket and fired point blank at his
mistress. The ball struck high in the
right side of the forehead and the wo-
man fell to the floor, her head striking
the Dashboard near the corner of the
bureau. While she lay there Wall evi-
IDENTIFY fired three more shots at the pros
trate form. One missed its mark and
struck the plastering. gouging a deep
hole and rebounding to the floor. Another
bullet entered the cheek ranging down.
ward and passing into the chest. The
last struck fair in the center of the base
of the skull and must have been fired
while the victim was lying on her face
Feeling certain that his deadly purpose
had been accomplished Wall placed the
muzzle of the revolver to his temple
pulled the trigger and lurched forward
a corpse.
At the first shot the girl Grace had
fled from the room and sought safety in
her own apartment, giving the alarm
to the other occupants of the house.
DAfn bpI 10
however, the door opened and Patria
staggered out, and, leaning against the
hallway banisters, called for her friend
She was assisted into room 2S and tele-
phone message sent to the police sta
ton to which Detective Brandish, Off
GERS Long and Fowler responded. Long
was the first to enter the room. and,
finding that Wall was stone dead and
the woman badly injured, notified the
coroner and sent for the patrol wagon
to convey the victim to the hospital.
AT THE RECEIVING HOSPITAL.
On arrival she was attended by Police
Surgeon Hagan, who placed her on the
operating table and commenced an in
vestigation of the wounds. Both of the
bullets which struck the head were
quickly found lying under the scalp
fiattened out against the skull, removed
and the wounds SeWed up More diff
Guilty was experienced with the third
wound The bullet had made a clean
hole perpendicular through the flesh
of the cheek and ploughing into the
breast, lodged about an inch below the
surface, falling to penetrate the chest
cavity. An incision was made and the
ball prled from the bone in which it was
partially imbeAled, being removed with
forceps. After washing and dressing the
wounds Patria was put to bed She
complained of a numb feeling on the
right side and seemed partially para
lyzed, this being due to the shock to the
brain caused by the concussion of the
bullets. With proper care recovery is
almost certain.
PATRIA TELLS HER STORY.
After a rest of half an hour the
wounded woman was SO far recovered
that she was able to tell the story of the
tragedy, as follows: Wall was her low
er, although she sometimes passed as
his wife. He had been insanely jealous