The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-06
Continued from Page ?

hut il is a curious thing, manufactured
: in Germany, and / doubt that there IS
one like il in California. You may
have noticed that il is very fiat, and
that 81 has no hammer visible. All
that projects from the steel shell IS
the trigger. which folds up into the
case when the pistol is thrust into the
lesther case Now, TO nre the PISTOL
when IL is removed from the case, one
has to draw the folded trigger out and
then pull it.
We'll. I laid the pistol on the table,
as have said. and said 10 Mrs, de Ia
Montanya, Now don't touch that AS
was mixing the cocktails the report
came and I turned TO see my hostess
falling from the sofa to the floor.
BELIEVES SHOT DELIBERATE
Here is the point: The dead woman
could not il seems 10 me, have shot
herself accidentally. She first had 10
take the pistol from the case. then
open out The trigger and press IL,
holding il up so that the shot entered
her head behind the temple, ana
coursed into the brain. II must nave
been Intentional / believe the I'M
, pulse seized her 10 end her life as soon
as the pistol caught her eye.
II was the most natural thing IN
.he vrorla for me to take the pistol
ont OF my pocket and lay II on the
table FOR though ] have carried the
weapon for at least 10 years, always
! remove it from my pocket and lay u on
q table or bureau as soon as am IN d
/ hopse The thing is rather heavy ana
= an onpressive weight within doors.
! I did II without thinking, mechanically
M Won may be sure / would not nave
done so had l suspected for moment
mat Mrs. de la Montanya had anything
on her mind that caused her TO thlhk
death a welcome thing
Hanford is very uneasy eohceriNle
the whole incident. for he fecoshl1es
1hats.t viii bring him much un"eicOnie
publicity at q time when ne Is oeep d"
many business schemes
- came from the east TO transact
.oma important business" he said yes
,sr5av @and this thing is not welcome.
Il S. an Unfortunate affair In all ways.
md something I walked into without
THE slightest suspicion that was go
ing to anything but a common, ordl-
nary dinner.
SURPRISED AT wOMAN'S STORY
WHY Mrs Patton told the story of
she evening that she did. 90 not
know When / left that night ! knew
tsbaf IN an would come out but 1 sup
nosed that Mrs. de "a MOntanya would
be taken TO q hospital and that there
,rould not be much IN the papers ABOUT
81. In the morning I was astounoed 10
see how the death had been accounted
Tor by Mrs Patton. and 1 surmised that
she must have told The story she did
with the icea o. making as little talk
about the unfortunate AFFAIR as pos
xibie J saw, though. that II would not
DO 10 conceal the thing. and I went 10
the coroner with the whole recital, &C
rompanied by whittemore. ] asked the
coroner not 10 make il any harder for
me than was possible. and stated that
I would remain in town and be ready
10 testify st the inquest. at which
time ] saw that the whole thing would
come out
From the moment ] saw the story
Mrs Patton had told ] knew that the
whole truth OF The AFFAIR must come
out. and if any reported had sought me
out I would have blurted Il all out
70 him. I'm glad I've got it off my
chest
Hanford said Mrs. Patton had phoned
him since the shooting. but that he
had not found out just what her mo-
tives were IN giving out an untrue &C
count OF the events surrounding the
agedy.