Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-04
NEGRO ADMITS
SHOOTING MAN
SAYS HE FIRED AT BRAKEMAN
IN SELF-DEFENSE
Jury Finds Leonard Webb Guilty OF
Assault and Prisoner Is Promptly
Sentenced to Two Years
In Folsom

Leonard Webb, n negro, charged with
having shot and attempted to murder
Fred Erickson, a brakeman for the
Southern Pacific road, near Saugus two
months ago, was yesterday found guilty
of assault with a deadly weapon by a
jury in department one of the superior
court He waived time and was sem
fenced to two years imprisonment in
Folsom penitentiary by Judge Smith.
Erickson, according to the story told
at the time of the shooting, attempted
to compel number of negro tramps to
leave his train near Saugus station in
the Antelope valley AS he ordered
Webb to leave the young negro drew a
revolver and threatened to shoot, declar-
ing that he would not leave the train
without being killed.
Erickson advanced toward him and
the negro fired, the bullet penetrating
the brakemans liver.
All the negroes ran away and at Sau-
gus posse was organized and Webb
was the first man arrested. He had
thrown away the revolver and stoutly
maintained his innocence.
Assailant Identified
He was brought to Los Angeles and
taken before Erickson for identifica-
ton, but Erickson was too i'll to identify
anyone and the negro was remanded to
the county Jail. Later Webb was taken
before Erickson and the wounded man
positively identified him.
The negro was held to answer the
charge in the superior court and yes
terday Webb surprised the attorneys in
the case when he volunteered to make
a confession on the witness stand. He
had just heard the evidence offered by
Erickson, who still pale and frightfully
weak, had managed to tell of the shoot
ing.
Webb went to the stand and told the
following story:
Yes, / shot that brakeman because
if had not he would have kicked me
off the train,'' said Webb The prisoner
had so stoutly denied the shooting that
when he made his opening statement
Attorney Donnell for the prosecution
was taken by surprise.
Il know j ought to have told about
the shooting before this, but 1 couldn't
tell that gang out there on the desert.
They thought that brakeman was
going to die and they didn't show us
any light handling when they got us.
If / had have told them that 1 shot
that man they would have strung me
up to Cne OF the telegraph poles out
there.
Pleads Self-Defense
But it was case of self-defense
got on that train to steal a ride. I
wanted to reach Los Angeles and then
go to San Francisco and so 1 didn't see
any harm in getting on the brakes and
riding a few miles between that desert
and Los Angeles.
After the train was going fast the
brakeman appeared and ordered US to
get off. l told him l would get off as
5000 as the train slowed down and then
he made motion toward his hip pocket
and drew my gun and fired at him and
then jumped off the train"
The jury in the case was out scarcely
more than an hour and when they be-
gan 10 file in the negro grinned.
"Golly, dey's done convicted me-
sure" he gasped.
The lesser charge embodied in the as
sault to murder was selected by the
jury and then Webbs attorney pleaded
the negro's youth and asked that the
sentence be made accordingly light
Judge Smith sentenced him to serve
two years Imprisonment and Webb de-
parted happy at getting off as light as
he did.