Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-26
SUICIDE THEORY
IN COTTON CASE
SHUMATE MAY HIMSELF HAVE
FIRED THE SHOT
Deceased said to Have Beer Much
In Debt, but His Life Was
Quite Heavily Inc
sured
sneoial 70 The Herald.

Special TO The Herald.
SAN BERNARDINO, March 25.-
That J. W. shumate, the Cotton mer-
chant found dead in his store Wednes-
day morning, met death by his own
hand is the latest development. This
conclusion has been arrived at In the
minds of some of the officers, though
the sherlff's office does not admit It,
The one thing that has turned pub
lie opinion to the belief that 1t was sui
eide is the discovery of transfers, in
which he disposes of all his property
to his wife, the consideration being
love and affection"
Again, 1t is stated that Shumate was
very heavily in debt, and that he ex-
pected his creditors to come onto his
business soon for claims which he had
been unable to meet.
Another strange feature in the case
is that, though Shumate claimed to his
friends that his store had been entered
two or three times since he went into
his new store about three months ago,
none of these occurrences was ever
reported to the sheriff's office.
The theory is that after leaving the
dance hall Shumate went to the store,
carefully laid out every detail of the
surroundings to give the impression
that burglars had entered the place,
discharged the shotgun as If in self
defense, and then fired the pistol sew
eral times, putting the last bullet
through his own brain. When found,
Shumates body was lying face down.
the shotgun and pistol both being be-
meath him. If the pistol had been in
the hands Of burglar 1t could not
have easily been left beneath the body.
Should the suicide theory hold 1t
will be a remarkable fact that Mrs.
Shumate should lose two husbands in
so identical manner. Her first hus-
band, P. A. Hubbard, a Los Angeles
real estate man, killed himself, but also
attempted to conceal the fact and lead
people to believe that it was a case Of
murder.
Shumate carried $11,5Oo life insur-
ance.
San Bernardino Briefs
Joe Flory, charged with murderous
assault on Conductor Dawes of the
Traction company, has been acquitted
by the jury in the superior court. Flory
was intoxicated. was using profane Ian
guage in the presence of women on the
car and was put off the car by Dawes
But it was shown in the evidence that
after putting Flory off the car tl,a
conductor struck the man several times.
which provoked the assault with the
knife. On this ground of self-defenso
the jury acquitted.
The attorneys and City Clerk Allison
left today for the north to appear In
the supreme court Monday in the man
damus case of ]. j. Hanford against the
city clerk, by which the Hanford wing
of the party expects to get on the ball
lot as the regular Republican ticket.
Miguel Antony, who was convicted
and sentenced to death for the murder
of Lee Carr at Needles nearly two
years ago, will be brought back to this
city the coming week for resentencing
the original sentence having become
imperative 1t is stated that Antony
is undoubtedly insane, and before he Is
resentenced a lunacy commission will
probably pass on his condition.
The firemen's carnival, which has
been in progress here the past week.
closed tonight with general masking
on the part of all the visitors. The ar-
fair has been financial success.
Hotel del Coronado is the best place.