The San Francisco call., 1905-01-23
Mrs. Mary L. Calender Falls
Victim of Insane Cook
While She and Husband
Sing the Rock of Ages
JAMES FERGUSON THEN
ENDS HIS OWN LIFE
Faithful Servant Suddenly
Loses His Reason, Kills
Benefactress, Then Runs
Away and Shoots Himself

OAKLAND, Jan. 22.-With the words
of Rock of Ages" on her lips. Mrs.
Mary L. Calender, an aged negress,
was shot and killed tonight by James
Ferguson, a negro cook, who ran
amuck at the Calender home, 17s Third
street. John T. Calender. the woman's
husband, was also a target for the
crazed mans bullets, but escaped In
jury. Ferguson fed and was found an
hour afterward by the police at b1rst
and Alice streets. where he had snot
himself twice in the head. lodging
bullet In each ear. Ferguson died at
the Receiving Hospital at IL o'clock
while the surgeons were trying to re-
move the bullets from his head.
The aged couple were sitting In the
kitchen singing gospel hymns. as their
custom had been for many years on
Sunday nights. Fifteen minutes before
the shooting Ferguson, who has lived
with them for years, was talking IN an
other room to Joseph Oates, boy, VINO
also lived at the house. The boy Went
to bed just before O'Clock A Few min MIN
utes afterward, while the old FOLK
were at their humble devotions. the
back door of the kitchen suddenly
banged open and Ferguson burst into
the room upon the couple With
pistol In each hand he yelled, Give
me $25." Before either Calender or his
wife could utter a word, Ferguson
fired twice. One bullet struck the old
woman in the neck and she fell to the
floor, mortally wounded.
HUSBAND ESCAPES.
The second shot, intended for the
husband, missed him, but the shock
prostrated the old man. The demented
pistol wielder disappeared. Calender
called for help. Several people in the
house responded, including Mrs. P.
Taylor, a daughter, who called the po-
lice. The wounded woman died on the
way to the Receiving Hospital. The
body was taken to the Morgue. Chief
of Police HodgkinsgI Detectives Hol-
land Shorey. Quigley and Kyle took
up the hunt for the murderous negro.
and after a search through the lower
side of the city traced him to the spot
where he was found. He was lying on
the platform Of an abandoned -four
mill. Shots had been heard in the
neighborhood soon after Ferguson left
the Calender house and 1t was sus-
pected he had tried to end his own life
Old man Calender declared the shoot
ing of his wife was a murder without
the slightest provocation. Said he:
Ferguson was q bit out Of his head at times
but he never acted violently. A few years ago
he talked about killing man over some money
with us for pears cooking and doing chores
about the house Before that he had gone TO
sea as a cook. The only reason can give for
his crime lie that he suddenly went crazy and
intended to kill both Of US. took care Of him
because he was ccuntryman Of mine and was
% riSie reward for for the Kindness my poor wife and
had always shown him
NO QUARREL
Calender and his family insisted
there had been no trouble to arouse
Ferguson's anger. Oates said the man
had seemed rational and was quietly
talking with him shortly before he went
wild. Ferguson, because Of his wounds.
could not talk about the shooting. AS
he was lying on the operating table he
muttered, THE pistol was bad" The
weapon found near him by the police
was a cheap one of bulldog pattern
carrying a large-caliber bullet. 1t con-
tained two empty shells. Examination
showed that all Of the flve chambers
had contained recently discharged
cartridges.
Mrs. Calender was shot through the
left side of the neck, the bullet plowing
downward and penetrating the heart.
She was 6s years old. native Of Phila-
delphia. Besides Mrs. Taylor, there is
another daughter, Mrs. Ellen Palmer.
Calender is known In shipping circles
in San Francisco, where for years he
conducted a sailor boarding house on
Broadway. near Davis street. He
amassed considerable money and had
investments in several whalers and
other vessels sailing out of San Fran
cisco.
Ferguson was unmarried, about 45
years old and native of the British
West Indies. His body was taken to the
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