The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-16
BRUTAL MURDER
IN FOLSOM JAIL
Recalls the Hanging of
Lloyd Majors.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SACRAMENTO, May 15.-There was
a savage assassination at Folsom pris
on few minutes before noon to-day
George Pullman, a ten-year man from
San Francisco, bounced upon John
Showers. q life-termer from Santa
Clara, and stabbed him four times
Showers died within twenty minutes
A special dispatch to the Bee
tonight says that Showers was
standing in the door of cell 20. in
the middle alley. A word or two was
spoken, when Pullman struck him,
across the left side of the face with
dirk made out of an old file. The blow
split Showers face open from the cheek
bone to the back of the mead clear TO
the bone. Evidently he aimed at the
jugular vein, but struck too high
Again he made a slash at Showers
throat, but did not strike deep enough
to cut the vital organ.
AS Showers attempted to rise Putt
man closed with him and stabbed him
twice, once in the left armpit and gain
in the breast striking the base Of the
heart, Then he ran toward the upper
end of the prison, but was intercepted
by Assistant Turnkey Cassidy and dis
armed He still carried the bloody
knife in his hand and his clothes we're
splashed with blood. When questioned
he burst into tears, but would say moth
ing except cry out: oh, my boy, My
boy!"
This exclamation was taken to refer
to Abe Majors, now under sentence of
death at William City, Utah, for the
murder of Police Captain Brown at Og-
den.
Majors was paroled from Folsom
Prison on December %, 1898, and in 8
short time violated his parole and be-
gan career of highway robbery in
company with his brother Archie, who
was killed at the same time Abe MUIR
dered Captain Brown. While in Folsom
Majors was the inseparable companion
of Pullman.
When the news came that Majors
was likely to be hanged in Utah, Putt
man began crying and taking on about
his fate. There never had been any
difficulty between Pullman and Show
ers, but sixteen years ago Showers, in
company with Lloyd Majors and a man
named Jewell, murdered two men
named Renowden and Mcintyre near
Los Gatos, in Santa Clara County At
the trial Showers turned States evil
dence, and upon his testimony Majors
and Jewell were convicted and both
hanged. Showers was given a life SEN
tence in Folsom Prison. Lloyd Majors
was the father of Abe and Archie Ma
jorS. 1t was because of his testifying
against Lloyd Majors that Pullman
conceived a murderous hatred against
him.
Showers was model prisoner Since
his arrival here in 1883, he has never
been punished or reprimanded and was
one of the hardest working prisoners in
Folsom. He had earned the good will
of all the officers and all the better
class of conVictS. 1t was not known
until to-day that he had an enemy
among them.
On the other hand, Pullman has been
an incorrigible disturber and agitator
He was sent here December 4, 1896, from
San Francisco, for a term of zen years
He had served a previous term in the
San Francisco County Jail on a charge
reduced from felonv because of his
youth. He is only % years of age now.
Since his incarceration here he has con-
tinually been in trouble with officers
and other convicts. He has been pun
ished eleven times, three times for as
saulting other prisoners and once for
threatening a guard. In July, 1897, he
was one of the leaders of a gang that
attempted to incite strike among the
convicts here, in imitation of the strike
at San Quentin.
Showers, just before he died, said
that Pullman stabbed him because of
locked up he clumsly simulated insan-
ity. He cried out that he did not know
what was the matter or why he was
locked up.
The murder of Showers is regarded by
prison officials as one of the direct out
comes of the miscarriage of justice in
the Oppenheimer case. Oppenheimer,
who was once San Francisco messen-
ger boy murdered a prisoner named
Ross in the Folsom Prison last year,
under almost identically the same cir
cumstances. His neck was saved by
gang of fellow toughs swearing him out
of it. 1t is supposed that Pullman has
a gang already staked out to testify in
his behalf He belongs to the same gang
that Oppenheimer did.
The murder bears every evidence Of
having been carefully planned assas-
sination.
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