The San Francisco call., 1905-01-14
GIVES BATTLE
FOR HER LIFE
Stepdaughter of George Row
land Tells Story of Fight
With Slayer of Her Mother
PISTOL FAILS TO FIRE
Mrs. Maud Sonderleiter Says
She Tried to Get Weapon
From the Crazed Assassin
Oakland Office San Francisco Call.

Oakland Ofhce San francisco Call.
1016 Broadway, Jan. 13.
A dramatic story OF the battle for
life with her murderous stepfather,
George H. Rowland, was told by Mrs.
Maud Sonderleiter this afternoon at
the coroner's inquest over the bodies
of Rowland and his wife, whom he
shot yesterday before cutting his own
throat in the kitchen of their home at
918 Center street. The encounter. Mrs.
Sonderleiter declared, occurred after
she ran to the kitchen, having heard
the two shots Rowland had fired at her
mother. The young woman had opened
the kitchen door and rushed upon Row.
land, who was standing, she said, over
the PROSTATE form Of his wife. She
continued:
He had a pistol in his hand and jumped
for him and grappled as he shouted he he, would d
seized him around the neck, trying to choke
the man. But 1 could not get good hold
because my gloves covered my hands.
While we struggled back and forth he
pressed the pistol to my head and snapped 1t
three times, but the cartridges did not ex-
plode. AS got away he tried twice again
to shoot me. but again the weapon failed to
go of. When l was free and after he had
failed to shoot me, he tried twice to Kill him. ~ =,
l saw of my stepfather was when he rushed
to the pantry and got a small black box
from a. shelf.
Mrs. Sonderleiter said the stepfather
often drank heavily and when In his
cups was violent.
Mrs. Ethel Day, another one of Mrs
Rowland's daughters, did not witness
the encounter of her sister with Row.
land She testified her sister had pre-
ceded her to the kitchen, where they
heard the shooting. Mrs. Day, Mrs.
Sonderleiter and George Rowland. their
stepbrother, were in the parlor when
Mr.. and Mrs. Rowland returned from
their trip to the lawyers office to set
tie their property affairs. Rowland.
according to Mrs. Day, seemed to have
been drinking. She added:
1 rushed to the kitchen when heard the
shots and my sister ran in. saw Mr.. Row
land trying to shoot himself. After l looked
at my mother lying on the floor 1 ran out
do something to injure mother and spoke
to her that morning because he had been
acting peculiarly when under the innuence
OF liquor. He drank to excess very oiten-
Edward Rowland's version was diff
ferent from that of his stepsisters. He
declared that when he stepped into the
kitchen his father rushed toward him,
pistol in hand. The young man said he
picked UP a chair and knocked his
father down, trying to get the pistol,
but the parent recovered the weapon
and fred shot at his son, who ran
into the hall, where he saw his step
sisters and rushed them out OF the front
door. The young man said he went
back to the door and heard his father
shout, It'll kill you all"
The coroner's jury found that Row
land had killed his wife while he was
under the influence of liquor. Mrs.
Rowland was 48 years old and native
of Placer County Her body will be TAX
en- to Byron. where the funeral Will be
held. A daughter resides there. Row
lands funeral will be held Sunday.
Hubert George Rowland, son of
the murderer, has decided property at
the southwest corner of Campbell and
William streets to Manuel Baptista. a
grocer at Third and Peralta streets.
The deed was dated yesterday, put
was filed for record this afternoon.
The consideration was placed at $40.
a nominal figure.