The record-union., 1898-01-28
A Woman Murdered in Cold Blood
on Spring Street.
Shot While Crowds Of People Were Pass
Ing Along the Thoroughfare.
C.. HI. Arthur, Blacksmith. In
stantly Kills Mrs. MaIlissa
Ransom, With Whom He Had
Been Living-An UnprovokeG
Murder at San Francisco,

Los ANGELES, Jan. pa woman
was murdered in cold blood on Spring
street, near Fourth, this morning,
While crowds of people We're passing
along the thoroughfare The woman
was Mrs. Mallissa Ransom, and her
slayer c. H. Arthur, blacksmith
from Pasadena.
Mrs. Ransom was walking along the
street with a man named Jack Ken
nedy, sporting man, and. without
warming, Arthur, who was lying in
wait for the pair. stepped behind them
and shot the woman in the back. The
first shot killed her almost instantly,
and Arthur turned the weapon, a
small caliber revolver, on Kennedy,
but failed to hit him.
When Kennedy was out of sight the
murderer again turned to the woman
and put two more bullets into her pros
trate form. A Deputy Sheriff, who
chanced to be near, disarmed him and
took him away, but a large crowd had
quickly gathered, and several in the
crowd kept calling for rope to lynch
the man. There was, Fwever, no de-
termined effort to do this. and Arthur
was safely landed in Jail.
The murderer talked freely of his
deed saying he had lived with the
woman for two years, and that re-
Gently she had thrown him over for
Kennedy. He intended to kill them
both. He learned where they lodged
last night. and laid in wait for them
this morning.
Several months ago Mrs. Ransom was
deprived of the charge of her twelve
year-old daughter by the court at Pas
adena. The daughter testified that she
was obliged to be present in her moth
er's home during the visits of Arthur,
when beasuy orgies tok place and OBJ
scene and profane language was ut
tered continuously. Arthur testified in
behalf of the mother.
Mrs. Ransom was a widow, 40 years
old, while Arthur is 80 years DID, The
murderer is a widower. and has five
children, all of whom are now. living
in San Francisco. He had made ar
rangements, he says, to marry the
woman he murdered to-day, ai4e she
had promised TO lead a better life but
did not do so.
Mrs. Ransom had been working as
a domestic in the home of Dr. NJ. Ha-
gin.
MURDER At SAN FRANCISCO.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 21-At 6
o'clock this morning Charles f. With
ers murdered Nathan Phillips, bar
tender in the Empire Theater, 21 ELF,
street. The crime was apparently un-
provoked. Withers was infiamed with
drink and in an ugly mood.
ar,rcayc from tho stories of those
who witnessed the affair that Withers,
who is bartender from visalia, had
spent a considerable part of the night
in the Empire Theater, drinking fre-
ouently and copiously. Shortly before
o'clock this morning he drew a re-
volver and thrust it into the faces of
Peter Hall, the proprietor, and f. W.
Baker. patron of the saloon. He
appeared to be jocose, but Hail. miss
ing the point of the joke. blew police
whistle. Withers, with an angry re-
mark. returned the weapon to his
pocket and stood apart from the two
men.
At 6 o'clock Phillips doffed his apron
and put on his coat. His watch was
ended, and he was preparing to leave
the theater. AS he placed his foot on
the first step leading up to the side
walk Withers drew his pistol, took a
stride toward the departing bartender,
and from distance of about four feet
fired at him twice. Phillips fell dead
without a cry. One bullet entered 6
half-inch above the right eye; the other
pierced the skull behind the left ear.
WitherS who was promptly arrest
ed declined to talk about the events
which occurred in the saloon before he
consulted a lawyer. lie is % years old
and unmarried He was born at Sac
ramento. Phillips, the murdered man,
was 2S years old, and single.