The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-26
A MURDER
MYSTERY At
PASADENA
Strange Disappearance of a
Prosperous Rancher From
His Own Dooryard.
HIS BROTHERS STORY
The Man Who Has Vanished Was
Left Alone Less Than Twenty
Minutes.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

PASADENA, April 25.-There is
every indication that a murder was
committed in Pasadena last night, but
there is not the slightest clew to the
murderer, nor has the body of the man
supposed to have been murdered been
found.
The man whose strange disappear
ance can be accounted for in no other
way is Hillary S. Starr, superintendent
of the Oak Knoll ranch at the south
end of Moline avenue, on the southeast
edge of the city. Starr lives with his
wife and two small children at the
ranch house, while his younger brother,
Charles lives in a smaller cabin near
by. The latter was returning from this
city last evening about o'clock when,
as he passed the pumphouse near the
ranch residence his brother Hillary
called to him to come and help repair
the pump, which was out of order.
Charles did so and, observing that it
was to be a long job, went to his cabin
to put on his old clothes.
He returned in less than twenty
minutes and found all dark, the Ian
tern having been put out, and his
brother Hillary missing.
Thinking he had gone to the house
to refill the lantern with oil Charles
waited a little while, then went back
to the house only to find that his
brother had not been there.
Then began the search, which has
continued UP to the present time, with
/ out a single clew to the whereabouts of
the missing man having been found.
on returning to the pumphOuse Charles
found The lantern all smashed to pieces
and in the tall grass near the place
there were evidences of a struggle hav-
ing taken place the grass being
trampled down and a bunch of keys
and bits Of the watch chain of the miss
ing man being scattered about, as we'll
as a few nickels and dimes from his
pockets
There was no evidence of bloodshed,
yet the appearance of the ground
/ seemed to indicate that fearful strug-
! gle had taken place.
! To-day footprints were traced
through an abandoned orchard from
! the pump to a raVine where, near a
! large tree, horse hitched to a light
! buggy had been tied.
1t is supposed that STAIRS aSSailant
/ used a Sandbag or some blunt lnStru-
ment upon his victim and then made
away with the body. Starr was very
/ quiet, industrious man, strictly tenn
perate and in the best of health, and
/ his home life was happy and peaceful,
so his bother says. Hence there would
/ seem to be not the slightest probability
! that his disappearance was occasiOned
/ by any freak of his own. On the con-
trary everything seems to point to foul
| play.
on Friday he drew 5000 from the
| bank, most of which he expended soon
after so that it was thought he had
only about $40 in his pockets last night.
He carried a gold watch. This morn
| ing his revolver was found in the grass
with three out of five cartridges
snapped but not exploded, the rest re-
naming untouched
Starr had no enemies so far as
known. He is described as we'll
built man of 90. weighing 160 pounds
height feet S1a inches Hair, eyes and
mustache brown. He wore a gray suit
and brown hat. The little finger of
the left hand has a scar at the base and
| is a little crooked.