Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01
HELD(fOR
ASSAULT
LAWYER AND BUSINESS MAN
IN JAIL
SERIOUS CHARGES PREFERRED
AGAINST TWO
\ Fight in Room of HoIIenbeck Hotel
Results in Well Known Man
About Town Narrowly
Escaping Death

:, o. P. Widaman, one of the best
Known attorneys of Los Angeles, and
A. >R. Sanger, prominent business man
od this city and a member of the Los
ArA,geles-Ncvada Mining exchange,
wefe arrested last night at the request
of Erank NJ. Bell, former general man
ageN OF the Franco-American Automo-
bile company, who charges them with
assault. with deadly weapons, with IN
tent to kill
The alleged assault took place in Mr..
Bells room at the Hollenbeck hotel
about 4:30 o'clocK yesterday afternoon.
The affair was first brought to the
attention of the police when A. r. San
ger rushec into the police station ana
asked the desk sergeant where he
could secure a warrant. He was di-
recAed to the clerk of the court. A
WARRANT was sworn to before Ponce
Justice Austin charging Frank M.
R9li with assault with deadly weapon
with intent to Kill. Patrolman Coe was
sent to arrest Bell. While the warrant
Was being served o. p Widaman Joined
Sanger, who was being held in the
court room.
The testimony of widaman and San
ger was taken in the deputy prosecut-
ing attorneys office, and evidently
showed a plain case against Bell.
With the arrival of Bell. however, af-
fairs took a sudden change. His state
ments and the evidence he showed TO
corroborate it resulted in his release
and the arrest of Widaman and Sanger.
Mr. Bells statement of the affair is
as follows: II was lying on the bed in.
my room at the Hollenbeck about
O'Clock VIXEN someone knocked at the
door, arose and opened the door
hardly had the latch turned when in
rushed Mr. Widaman and Mr. Sanger.
Before could say word W1daman
slammed the door shut, locked 1t ana
nut the ke-- in his pocket. Sanger drew
a gun and covered me, while Widaman
searched me- have been Ill for the
past two months and was weak at the
time they rushed into my room, so II
was useless to try to defend. myself.
was dazed at the affrontery of the whole
thing.
.Mr widaman commanded me to sit
down az the table, which l did. he
then drew sheet of paper out of ms
nocl<et and told me to write what he
dictated to me. 1 refused to do this.
Sanger drew his revolver and pressed
II AGAINST my head and said he would
fire If / did not He stood right ibehlnu
me at the time. Widaman sat on the
bed at the right of me. Widaman then
began 10 ulclAlt a. NhOAS ~ t.'S
ahout a deed to certain property.
Asf now began TO see the cause of this
deviltrv and quickly devised a plan 10
get at my revolver, which was IN the
table drawer l bore hard on the
pencil with which l was writing anu
broke the point.
7, 1T then said: Excuse me a minute
while I get another pencil which is in
fhis drawer reached to the drawer
opened it and grabbed the revolver:
aThen a shot was fired by either
Widaman or Sanger / don't know
which. 1t scared me so l pulled the
trigger of my gun and 1t went OH IN
the table drawer. jumped up ana
began to yell
@Widaman grabbed me and placed
his hand over my mouth to stop my
yellingsnd at the same time yelled to
Sanger: 'Quicki Close that window!
Some one might hear this noise.
Then heyelled. For Gods sake take
that empty she'll out of my gcn before
the police arrive Then Sanger and
Wfdaman rushed out of the ROOM"
Bullet Rends Coat
The bullet which had been fired by
either Widaman or Sanger pierced
Bells coat right above the first button
The three men We're searched by the
police and 32-caliber revolver was
found in Sanger's pocket. All the
chambers were full Of bullets. Upon
Widaman was found a SS-caliber re-
volver with one chamber empty.
Bells revolver was found in the
table drawer inshis room at the hotel
The drawer was taken to the deputy
prosecuting attorneys office
o. p Widaman said ST received
several calls this morning from Bell
asking me to come over to his room
at the hotel and bet his sister and
settle UP a question in regard to a
deed"
Bells story, both claiming they were
the ones assaulted and bot Mr.. Bell.
Tells of shooang
While talking to reporters about the
affair Mr.. Bell said "Mr. Widaman is
the cause of my separatidp from my
WIFE He went to Ell PasoAsome time
ago with power of attorney from my
wife and tried to get hold q all my
property there. 1t is worth abput $780,
900. He did not succeed in MS pur-
pose. My wife and have been sepa-
rated for some time. We have been
married about four years.
"Mr Sanger is my brother-in-law.
My wife is staying at his house, and
they will not even let me see her ormy
little girl.
II was i'll and thought I was going
ID die Mr.. Widaman made out deed
Without telling me anything about H.
s|''He took il to a notary and had II
= ttested and then had it filed in my
Rifes name The deed was drawn up
in February and dated In August.
believe he and Sanger came ito my
room today for the express purpose Of
killing me. He was my attorney for a
ni,E 1-ue bu- -rcn saw what he
aas -3lag tl dr ured another
fap5.r -1rre OF .1r operty which
iare P re for $1,000 a.
4ar aV Fi nan asst night forI
rrs aoo arto eturped from
r1eo Yves nH inp way to the
attr fb ny ar Mrs. Cole, the
te uHet Three)