The San Francisco call., 1909-02-24
MURDERER BUYS
NEW PISTOL TO
SLAY HIMSELF
Electrician Kills His Fellow
Diner While the Latter Is
Trying TO Escape
Three Shots Sent After Packer
and Two Put Into Breast
BIZ. of Woman
Attempt TO Commit Suicide Over
r. Body of Landlady Followed
by Purchase

William Hons OF 40 Mississippi
! street an electrician employed by the
p. ,Ralston iron works, shot and killed
. Mrs. Frank Woods and William Lud-
ford: OF 33l Pennsylvania avenue in a
m of jealous rage yesterday afternoon
and then killed himself The double
9rnsrder was committed in the home Of
Mrs. Woods, where Ludford was
:: lodger. Three shots were fired at
:Eudford. one OF which pierced his
: heart Two more shots were sent
: into the breast Of Mrs. Woods, causing
instant death.
= . According TO the information gained
. by the police from witnesses of the
shooting Of Ludford, Hons chased Lud-
ford out Of the house, and the bullet
which pierced his heart was fired as
: Ludford was trying TO escape from the
murderer by running into the back
yard After killizg Ludford. Hons
then returned 10 rhe little cottage,
where he found Mrs. Woods, at whom
be fired two shots.
. BUYS PISTOL FOR SUICIDE
e. -KneeIing over the body of the woman
: he had murdered. Hons placed the re-
.A-olrer against his own breast and
= pulled the trigger. The cartridge
tailed TO explode. and as it was the last
! -ene he had. the murderer left the
cottage TO purchase another gun with
Thsch to end his own life.
Z He walked 10 the hardware store Of
r. Eastman, Nineteenth and Kentucky
streets, where he purchased a revolver
and 2 box OF cartridges The proprietor
10f the store asked him what he wanted
3lle. weapon for and Hons replied that
TIVE men were following him, and, as
: lie. had q large sum of money on his
person, he was afraid of being robbed.
= He then returned 70 his home at 4l0
mississippi street. Hons went directly
t6 his room without informing his
aged mother. Mrs. Meta Hons, or his
Two brothers OF his intention. The
i hlembers OF the family were alarmed
when they heard The revolver shot,
and when they went TO investigate
they found Hons lying dead on his
bed with the revolver by his side.
WOMAN SEES SHOOTING
Mrs. Eva Currin OF 345 Pennsylvania
avenue and J. ". Dexter Of 500 Penn
~Eylvania avenue saw Hons fire at Lud-
ford as the latter ran out of the cot
fsRe at 331 They saw Hons return
70 the house and heard two more shots.
Dexter ran toward the house and look
ing through the window saw Hons at
tempt TO Kill himself
Fearing that he would Kill him if he
followed, Dexter made no attempt to
capture Hons as he walked away. but
went in search of the police. Police
men Rier and Brick, who were the first
on the scene, summoned DR.. W. z.
Buell. OF Eighteenth street and Penn
sylvania avenue. Corporal O'Callahan
Of the Potrero station detailed several
2 men TO investigate the shooting and to
arrest the murderer, but the suicide,
(which was reported to the Potrero
station by Frederick Hons, made 1t un-
Necessary TO continue the search. Sew
eraI residents Of Pennsylvania avenue
near the home Of Mrs Woods informed
:. the police that Hons did the shooting,
and the gun found beside the body of
Mrs Woods was also Identified as be-
longing TO him
JEALOUSY CAUSED THE TRABEDY
Ludford, who was employed as a
: packer by the Great American tea COM
pany, was a native OF England and
> about 30 years old. He had been lodg-
:. ing with Mrs. Woods for more than
year. Hons also ate his MONDAY meal
s. at the home Of Mrs. Woods, and, ac-
9cording 10 the statements of some of
.-1ae neighbors was Jealous of the at
tentions paid by Ludford to Mrs.
, Woods. Saturday night Hons quar-
p: relied with both Mrs. Woods and Lud-
: ford.
Mrs Woods who was 35 years old,
was divorced from her husband some
few years ago. 1t Is said that she has
2 son II years old living in Oakland
The police were unable TO locate The
wOman's divorced husband or her son
last night. So far as is known Lud-
ford has no relatives in this city. Hons
was 81 years old and a native of San
Francisco. His father was one of the
first settlers in the Potrero district.