Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-09
Rejected;
ENDS LIFE
KILLS SELF IN SWEETHEART'S
PRESENCE
SOLDIER HAD BEEN ENGAGED TO
GIRL
PatroIman Summoned to Protect
Beautiful Young Widow Valnly
Tries to Prevent Shooting.
Commander Notified

Samuel Barr, a private in the hospi-
tai corps of the United States army.
stationed at the Preside of Monterey,
committed suicide In a most dramatic
| manner In this city last night at Twen-
| ty-seyenth street and Central avenue
| by shooting himself through the head.
It was because his suit had been re-
| iected by a woman he was madly in
| love with that Barr shot himself. and 1t
is believed that only the presence of
| patrolman prevented him from first
numbering the woman and then killing
| himself.
The deed was committed on the side
walk almost I'm front of the house oc-
cupied by the object of his affections,
and besides the young woman and
Patrolman o. II. May the act was wit
messed by a number of other persons
who were passing at the time.
More than a year ago Barr became
acquainted with Stella Erb, a hand
some young widow % years of age. at
! her parents home i'm Monterey.
He was fresh at the military post
! in the old historic town, having just
come from Chicago. where he enlisted.
He met Mrs. Erb and fell in love with
| her.
For a time all went well with his suit
/ anu tHt youH6 tOupic nCbC
engaged. An obstacle appeared. how
ever. in the fact that Mrs. Erb is
Catholic and Barr a Protestant.
Refuses to Change
Mrs. Erb's parents objected to the
match unless Barr would embrace the
| Catholic faith, and this he refused to
do. Mrs. Erb finally informed him that
unless he became a member of her
church she could not go against her
parents wishes and marry him.
! With this it is alleged he became
abusive and threatening, and his con-
duct toward her became such that her
feeling for him was changed and she
| finally dismissed him from her house
and ordered that he never appear there
again.
4 Despite this, however, Barr. 1t is said.
continued TO call on and annoy ner
| with his attentions, and he finally re-
sorted to threats that IL she did not
marry him he would kill her and then
kill himself.
Mrs. Erb consulted with her parents
and the priest in charge of the parish
! church which she attended and infiu-
ence through the commander OF the
| military post at Monterey, Colonel Ma
rion p. Maus, was brought to bear
upon Barr to compel him to leave the
| woman alone.
Ills uuMtlCOiHt dtlciiliOI
however. and finally to escape him Mrs.
Erb slipped away to Los Angeles and
| went to the homo OF her uncle, Ed
ward Jones, 720 East Twenty-seventh
street. Shortly after her arrival here
she secured position as cashier at the
Cloverleaf creamery. S14 Hawthorne
street.
In the meantime Barr continued
bothering her family in Monterey to
learn of her whereabouts and threat
ened to kill them If they did not tell
him.
While they refused to let him know
| where the girl was he in some way
learned she had come to Los Angeles
and also the address of her uncle.
Learns Girls Whereabouts
1t was only after two months con-
stant search that Barr found the
whereabouts of the girl.
March he applied to his chief SER
geant for a pass to leave the post for
eight days and permission to wear
civilian clothing. stating that he was
going to San Francisco.
Ten days ago he appeared in Los An
geles and yesterday went to the Jones
residence on Twenty-seventh street
and asked for Mrs. Erb. He was told
she was out and that it was not known
what time she would return. He then
place all day, returning several times
to ask If she had returned.
These facts were telephoned to Mrs.
Erb at her place of employment and
she telephoned the office of Chief of
Police Kern stating she was afraid of
| the man and wanted an officer to ac-
| company her home.
| Chief Clerk Ora May of Chief Kerns
| office was detailed to go to the cream
cry and accompany the young woman
home He arrived at the place at 6
| o'clock and together they took a car
| and rode to Twenty-seventh street and
Central avenue. AS they alighted from
the car they saw Barr walking up and
down the sidewalk near the Jones res
! idence.
They walked directly toward him,
and as they came abreast of him he OBJ
| served Mrs. Erb and spoke to her.
Officer May told Mrs. Erb to walk
along and he turned to the man and
inquired of him why he was bothering
| the woman. Barr wanted to know what
business it was of his.
| May replied that he was an officer
and had been detailed to see the
woman was not annoyed or harmed by
| him. Barr then stated that he wished
| to talk to the woman and he was in
formed that Mrs. Erb wished nothing
to do with him.
| He stated ne dld not DelleVe lnlS ana
May then asked him If he would be
satisfied with the woman's statement
to that effect and he said he would.
Refuses to Talk to Him
Mrs. Erb then stated that she did
| not want to talk with him and Barr
walked past them in the direction of
| the Jones home.
| As he got about twenty feet away
| he suddenly turned and drew a revolt
yer from the inside pocket of his coat.
May, thinking Barr was about to at
| tack him or the woman with the re-
volver stepped in front of the woman
| and drew his own revolver.
| Barr, however, transferred the revol-
| CONTINUED ON Page Two)