The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-17
Jahah 0ppanheimsr Yields the Weapon
and James Mcdonald the Victim.
PIunges a Knife Five Times Into
the Guards Body, Three of the
Slabs Being Near the Heart
Oppenheimer Was Serving Life
Imprisonment for the Murder
of a Fellow Prisoner at Folsom
in October Last.

SAN QUENTIN, May 16.-James Nc
Donald, a prison guard, was fatally
stabbed to-day. by Jacob Oppenheimer,
convict, who is serving a life sem
1ence for the murder of Walter Ross, a
fellow convict, at the Folsom peniten-
fiary, where Oppenheimer was confin-
ed up to the time of the murder of Ross
in October of last year.
Oppenheimer'S criminal career COM
menced many years ago when he was a
messenger boy in San Francisco. He
commenced law breaking on a small
scale, but soon branched out into a
most desperate character, serving sew
eral terms. In 1895 he was sentenced
TO fifty years Imprisonment in Folsom
from Alameda County for robbery
Ross was a fellow prisoner, and in
October last Oppenheimer who had
been on bad terms with Ross for the
reason that Ross had given information
against him in a. robbery case, stabbed
Ross to death. His neck was saved by
the evidence of fellow convicts, who
swore that Ross assaulted Oppenheimer
first. He was let off with a life SEN
tence, and was transferred to San
Quentin, where he has given more or
less trouble.
This morning Oppenhefmer commit
ted an infraction of the prison rules
and being reprimanded by Mcdonald.
drew a knife and stabbed the guard five
times, three of the stabs being near
the heart. Oppenheimer was disarmed
and put in the dungeon The knife with
which he did the stabbing was not
found
After Mcdonald had been put into
condition to make an ante-mortem
statement Oppenheimer was brought
before him and the dying man identi-
fed him as his assailant.
Mcdonald made an ante-mort.m
statement in accordance with the above
facts
Mcdonald was a trusted guard, and
IS highly spoken of by Warden Hale.
Mcdonald has a wife and two children
living in San Rafael.
Oppenhelmer was a close friend of
the Majors boys. Abe Majors is under
death sentence in Utah for the murder
OF Police Captain Brown of Ogden.
captain Brown attempted to arrest The
Majors boys, and in the fight which
followed his call for surrender. Brown
was killed by Abe Majors, but not until
after Archie Majorsi had fallen a. victim
VI bTOWnS unArrlng aim.
me crime of to-day following 50
closely upon the murder of Showers nv
convict at Folsom yesterday. Is a
curious coincident. Showers testimony
sent the father of the Majors bows To
the gailows twenty years ago. Majors.
Or, with a man named Jewell. muir
dered two men in Santa Clara County.
and Showers turned States evidence
When Putnam heard of the fate Of the
Majors boys in Utah he swore venge
ance, and yesterday stabbed Showers to
death with knife though Showers
knew nothing of the crimes of the
younger Majors.
AT late hour tonight Guard Nc
donald Is still alive, but there is little
or no hope of his recovery.
Just before the mill closed this after
noon the knife with which Oppenheim-
er old the cutting was found in a
cioset, where some convict had thrown
1t. Guard Yoho identified it
AS a result of searching inquiry
as to the conduct of the other con-
vets at the time the assault was made.
Warden Hale has decided to Mace
John Phillips. alias Frisco Slim in
the dungeon He is believed to have
known that murder was to be com
mltted Other arrests will probably
be made tomorrow.
Prison Director James H. wilkins
visited Mcdonald this afternoon. He
Goes not hesitate to express his opinion
on the futility of preserving order be-
tween the walls so long as the convicts
can arm themselves with knives. He
proposes TO suggest at the next meet
ing OF the board stringent measures to