Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-17
BrOOding Over Blow, Man
Turns Murderer
INNOCENT BYSTANDER is THE
FIRST VICTIM
CASUAL QUARREL is BASIS FOR
SAD TRAGEDY
Albert Ryan, Believing Himself Dis
honored by Blow in BrawI,
Lies in Wait and Opens
Deadly Fire
THE DEAD

THE DEAD
II. e. Snyder, mining man, 2SO Boston
street, san Diego; shot through stomach.
THE WOUNDED
Otto Miller, night porter at United States
| hotel; shot through abdomen and jaw; will
die
Mike Lopez, California and wilmington
streets; flesh wound in calf of leg; not seri-
Gus.
nRINK benumbed and brooding over
a blow given in chance brawl,
~ Albert Ryan, an organizer for the
Western Federation of Miners, last
night fired five shots at the man who
he believed had insulted him, mortally
wounding him, killing one bystander
and wounding another. Ryan was ar
rested.
The tragedy took place in the United
States hotel, one Of the pioneer hos
telries of Los Angeles, 16S North Main
street, last night, shortly after o'clock.
Otto Miller, the man at whom the five
shots were fired by Ryan, is night por-
ter at the hotel. Mike Lopez, wound
ed, and II. E. Snyder, who was mortal
ly hurt and who died while being hur-
ried to the receiving hospital in the po-
lice ambulance, were innocent bystand-
ers and had no knowledge of the
casual quarrel
Ryan's grievance found origin in
brawl in the hotel lobby early yester-
day morning, when the porter Mliler'
mistaking an effort made by Ryan to
separate two scuffling men, for part1cl-
patton in the quarrel, struck the Fed
Grafton representative. Ryan was in
censed, but withdrew without making
trouble.
When Miller appeared to take up his
duties last night he seated himself Tor
moment in the front of the lobby,
: Ryan, who asserted later that he had
been drinking heavily and broodlnS
/ all day. entered and saw the porter ana
his anger was renewed.
without a word to his intended VIC
tim he drew a 80 caliber automatic re-
volver and began shooting, yelling with
the opening of his fusillade warning
to the crowd to stand back. Inc hrst
shot struck and fatally wounded Sny1
| der one of the crowd Of persons that
filled the front of the lobby, among
them being several women.
CooIy Walks Away
There were four other shots two of
them entering the body of Miller, who
at the first discharge rose and began
making his way toward the door, one
wounding Lopez, who was passing on
the street, and the other probably the
fourth shot fired, going quite wild.
AS he finished his desperate deed
RYAN remarked ne was going to kill
himself wiped his revolver muzzle on
his sleeve, and coolly made his way
through the scattering and panic
stricken crowd up the stairs to tho
second floor Policeman w, l.. Rlch-
ards, who had heard the noise OF the
shooting, entered almost at once and
followed the murderer, finding him de-
| liberately reloading his weapln in
hallway Ryan offered no resistance
and was taken to the city jail in the
same ambulance that carried thither
his victims.
No word was spoken by Snyder after
he fell to the floor. Miller's injuries
will probably prove fatal. the pullet
having entered his stomach, lodging
somewhere in the intestines. Mlk9
Lopez, the passerby injured, walked
to the hospital where his wound was
dressed
Albert Ryan, organizing secretary Of
the Western Federation of Miners, has
for, several years been prominently
identified with that body. He has
been regarded as a rather hot-tempered
but otherwise honest and industrious
worker He has made the United
States hotel his headquarters while
travelling about this part of the coun-
try
A search of Ryan's room revealed
| the faCt tnaL the pillow anu Coverings
of the bed were stained with blood,
presumably from the injuries received
in the brawl in the hotel lobby. A
half-emptied whisky bottle, one or two
shells for a Colts automatic, satchel
containing a large quantity of liter
ature pertaining to the Western Fed
Grafton of Miners, and about 500 in
checks were also discovered.
Visiting Miner Killed
Edward Snyder who was killed, was
a prominent mining man, owning stock
in MANY Nevada mines and making his
brothers residence at San Diego his
headuuarters while in Southern Cali
fornia. He was unmarried, but leaves
three brothers, Charles Snyder of San
Diego and two others in Colorado
! Otto Miller is a German, about "a
wears old, and has been in the employ
of the United States hotel for about
eight months. Further than the fact
that his parents reside in Germany lit
tie is known of him. John G.. Althouse,
proprietor of the United States hotel,
declares Miller was one of the best
men he ever employed and believes he
was in no way responsible for the dis
| astrous shooting.
| r. NJ. Mooer guest of the botel was
sitting in the lobby reading paper
at the time of the shooting, when
spent bullet dropped into his lap, pre-
sumably having passed through the
body of either Snyder or Miller.
D. j. Rankin, an employe of the
Southern Pacific Railroad company.
will be an important witness in the in
vestigation of the shooting.
Spectator Describes Scene
st was standing so close to Ryan"
said Rankin last night. that the smoke
from the first discharge of the weapon
almost blinded me. 1 endeavored to
get over the counter, and turned in time
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