The San Francisco call., 1904-12-05
PISTOL duel
ROUSES HOTEL
Clerk Murray of the Metro
pole Says He Was Shot by
a Burglar in the Dark
FIRES BACK IN VAIN
Special Policeman Joins the
Young Man, but Search
Fails to Reveal Intruder

OAKLAND, Dec. flames Murray,
19 years old, night clerk at the Hotel
Metropole Thirteenth and Jefferson
streets, was shot through the left arm
this morning shortly after o'clock
while engaged in pistol duel at the
hotel with what he supposed was a
burglar. Special Policeman William
Sprague also took q hand in the shoot
ing, but beyond the wound that Muir
ray received and the plugging with
bullets of the residence of Dr. M.
Muehlenbruch, 614 Thirteenth street,
no harm was done. Murray is as posi-
tive that he was shot by a burglar as
the detectives are that in the excite
ment the young man accidentally
wounded himself.
The shooting occurred In an area at
the west side of the hotel and nine or
ten shots were fired before the clerk
and Sprague were through with the
engagement. DR.. Muehlenbruch, who
was aroused by the. fusillade, narrowly
escaped being hit himself. He threw
open window overlooking the court
yard and yelled for information.
'Ping! bullet crashed through the
side of the house, followed by two
more. The doctors curiosity was then
satisfied.
A few minutes before the battle in
the darkness occurred Murray and
Sprague were in the hotel dining room
eating a light lunch. The clerk heard
what he supposed was one of the
guests entering by a side door that
opens off an entrance from the court
on the west side of the hotel. Muir
ray went out to see what had caused
the disturbance and was surprised to
fra6 q lon xxrirln Jn or nod
into the covered entrance way leading
TO a stairway into the yard, when a
flash of flame and report staggered
him. He felt a spasm of pain in his
left arm and a numbness.
With that Murray drew his pistol
and commenced firing toward a pile of
boxes in the yard, behind which he
supposed his assailant was entrenched.
Murray fired five shots, emptying his
pistol He could not handle the
weapon to reload it until he had opened
the barrel catch with his teeth. Four
more cartridges were inserted. Muir
ray shot twice more and was re-en-
forced by Sprague. Sprague could not
see anyone, but he fired two bullets.
Policemen hurried to the hotel in
response to calls and made a search
OF the vicinity, but without success.
Murray was insistent that he, had been
shot at and that the man who fired
was so close that his coat sleeve was
burned where the bullet entered his
arm The missile passed through the
upper part of the arm, infiicting a
painful, but not dangerous, wound.
Murray went to st. Johns Hospital,
Thirteenth and Grove streets, for
treatment.
Detectives Kyle and Quigley investi-
gated to-day and reported that Muir
ray must have shot himself They
found bullet imbedded in the side of
the hallway where Murray stood that
is of the same caliber as the cart
ridges in the clerks pistol.
Murray explained as follows:
As soon as stepped into the hall 1 was shot
I am sure Of it, and did not commence TO fire
until l felt the wound in my arm. The detect
ives think shot myself. But am positive
was shot by a burglar. by some one who
was trying to get into the hotel.
Sprague told the detectives that the
clerk had been wounded before he got
to the door The special policeman is
positive he did not shoot Murray be-
cause his pistol does not carry the
same size cartridges as that which
wounded the clerk. Murray came to
Oakland six months ago from London,
Ontario. He has been employed at
the hotel for three months.