Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-01
SAYS WOMAN
WAS DEAD
FOR HOURS.
POLICE INVESTIGATE DEATH
OF MRS. MOVES
----
DECLARE BODY WAS COLD WHEN
DETECTIVES ARRIVED
Friends Rally to Support of Mining
Engineer Charged with the
Murder Of Beautiful
Divorcee
Continued from Page onel

"
consisted OF four rooms. The apart
ments were rented by Mrs. Noyes last
october from Mrs. Emma S. Packard,
the owner of the property, who lives at
Cos Burlington street.
''Mrs. Noyes, accompanied by Wo-
,nan friend, came to me last october,
said Mrs. Packard, and said We want
to rent the rooms / knew nothing
about Mrs. Noyes except that she
stated she came to Los Angeles from
the east. She had q recommendation
from a friend and l did not hesitate to
nccept her as a tenant. l supposed the
two women were going to live togetner
and was surprised to hear that botn
were not still living there. She seemed
TO be of quiet disposition and never
mingled with the nelghbors"
The friends of Mrs. Noyes say the
woman was in the habit of retiring
about midnight and arising at o'clock
in the morning, ami she is said to have
been typical society woman.
The shot which killed Mrs. Noyes was
fired about midnight Friday by w. f.
McComas, who stated he shot the wo-
man after she had blinded him by
throwing acid in his face.
Man Surrenders
After killing the woman, McComas
n walked to the Hotel Pepper, short
distance away. He entered the BALL
room where a dance was in progress
and calmly announced he had Killed a
" oman because she had thrown sui
phuric acid n his face. His appear
ance on the floor, which was crowded
with merrymakers, created much ex-
citement. His face, neck. left ear and
ltft hand and arm were badly burned.
Deputy Sheriff V. c. Carey was at the
hotel at the time McComas made his
appearance. He took the injured man
to the scene of the murder. When they
had arrived at the house where the
" oman was killed Patrolman f. ".
Watt appeared and secured the gun
With which the shooting had been done.
The revolver was In the possession OF
McComas. He handed it to the officer
when the latter requested 1t.
McComas was then taken to the CEN
trail station. He was hurried into the
receiving hospital, where his burns were
treated. His injuries were dressed by
Police Surgeon Bonynge. McComas'
left eye is seriously burned and badly
swollen; his left ear is literally cooked
and swelled to twice its normal size.
is Seriously Burned
deeply burned. His left hand is also
deeply burned and he has slight burns
over his entire face and hands. His
lips and tongue are badly swollen.
Immediately after his arrest Nc
Comas is alleged to have said he shot
Mrs Noyes because she had attacked
him with acid, and that he was COM
PEELED to use his revolver to protect
himself.
THE cause that led up to the tragedy
Is said to have been quarrel over the
losses sustained by playing a system"
for beating the races. A memorandum
showing the losses of the two in play
ing the ponies was found on table in
one of the rooms.
According to McComas the pair
formed a partnership early in the sea-
SON to bet on the races. They played
according to the calculations found on
Sins of paper in the room, and had lost
heavily.
After McComas' injuries were treated
he was booked on charge of murder
and locked up In the receiving hospi-
tai. Soon after his arrest McComas
communicated with Attorneys Earl
Rogers and Paul Schenck and engaged
them to conduct his defense.
Is Engineer of Prominence
McComas is an engineer of consider
ahIe prominence. He is a friend and
business associate of Mayor Harper
He is interested in mining property
with Samuel Schenck, former police
commissioner. 1t is said that McComas
has passed the greater part of his time
in the mayors office lately and on one
occasion, several days ago, told the
mayor a woman had threatened to kill
him the day before and he had to take
a revolver away from her. He did not
mention the name of the woman.
Detectives Ritch and Roberds were
detailed on the case and reached the
scene Of the murder about half an hour
after the central station had been no
titled. They reached the apartments
about O'Clock in the morning They
made an examination of the surround
fnRs and found Mrs. Noyes lying face
downward on the floor. The woman
had two bullet wounds in her body. One
bullet had entered the neck, passed
through the feshy part of the left
breast and came out through the left
arm. The other bullet had entered her
body near the middle of the breast,
penetrated the heart and passed
through the body. This bullet was
found In the corset worn by the wo-
man.
Body Was Cold When Found
According to the police the body was
cold when the detectives reached the
scene. They claim that rigor mortis had
set In and that the woman was lying
on her face with one arm folded under
her. They say she was stiff and the
arm could not be bent from the elbow.
The revolver with which the shooting
Is said to have been done is another
mystery for the officers to solve Two
bullet holes are said to be in the walls
of the room. One bullet was found in
the woman's corset. The police say
there were three shots fired, but find
only two empty shells in the revolver.
The police also claim the woman had
been killed some time before midnight.
They claim rigor mortis could not have
set In between the time the shooting
was said to have been done and the
length OF time intervening until theNar-
rival of the officers on the scene. They
have been unable to find the bottle
which contained the acid, or the cup
or receptacle from which the liquid is
said to have been thrown A cup, said
to have been the one from which the
acid was thrown, was taken TO the re-
ceiving hospital for examination. The
surgeons there state they could find no
trace of acid having been in it.
Autopsy Performed
The body Of Mrs. Noyes was taken to
the undertaking establishment of Pierce
Bros, where an autopsy was performed
yesterday at noon. The post-mortem
examination and autopsy were conduct