Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-09
WOMEN TELL OF
HOBART'S DEATH
COR0NER'S JURY ADVISES
BURRlS BE HELD
WITNESSES DIFFER AS TO PART
PLAYED BY HAMMER
Mrs. A. Hoffner Says She Saw Instru-
ment Upraised in Young Mans
Hand Just Before Shot
Was Fired
Especial to The Herald. ]

PASADENA, Aug. S.--1 Nat Ii NIllS "
Hobart of Lamanda Park was killed
by a gunshot wound inflicted by Clin-
ton Burris an invalid with whom he
quarreled yesterday afternoon, was the
verdict of the coroners jury which sat
at the inquest held by Assistant Cor
oner Fred J. Williams this afternoon in
the offices of Ives, Warren &, Salisbury
with the added recommendation that
Clinton Burris be turned over to the
courts of the county for the shooting
of the young man.
The text of the finding reads: I'VE
the members of the cOroner's jury, dc
hereby find that Irving G. Hobart
of Lamanda Park came to his death
from a rupture of the aorta caused by
a gunshot wound in the chest inflicted
by one Clinton Burris, and recommend
that the aforesaid Clinton Burris be
turned over to the courts for the shoot
ing of Irving G. Hobart
Burris, who is confined in the Pasa
dena iail, will be arraigned before
Judge Robert w. Mcdonald tomorrow
morning and the date set for his pre-
liminary examination. An attempt
will be made to have his bond fixed at
a sum which will permit of his being
bailed, as his health is poor.
Women Tell of Shooting
Three women, one of whom, d Mex
lean, saw only the final act of the
tragedy, and the other two of whom
differ in their stories, told of the shoot
ing in which young Hobart met ms
death. Miss Eva Hayman OF Railroad
avenue. Lamanda Park, and a visitor
at her house, Mrs. A. Hoffner were the
principal witnesses.
Miss Hayman told of seeing Burrls
at work on the disputed fence and Of
his disappearing from her field Of
vision. In a short time she heard
voices raised as though in argument,
but could not distinguish the words.
Almost Immediately the two men ap-
peared in sight of the onlookers, her
self and Mrs. HOffner. Burris seemed
to be Warding off blows directed
against him by Hobart, who came into
view al once
The elder man was backing towards
the street line and had perhaps fifteen
feet to go when she first saw the two
in conflict Twice at least she heard
Hobart say, Get off OF my premises
Before they reached the street the
two men paused and separated slight
ly, and then Burris reached back for
his weapon and fired the shot that
killed. Hobart staggered few feet
and fell dying on Burris' lawn. Ihe
witness, accompanied by her visitor
ran into the house and did not know
whether or not Hobart lived for any
length of time.
Miss Hayman was not positive she
had seen a hammer until once was
picked up from the ground near the
scene of the shooting. She could not
remember seeing it IN the hands of
Hobart during the scuffle.
Saw Upraised Hammer
Her visitor Mrs. Hoffner, was posi-
tive she saw the hammer upraised in
Hobart's hand just before the shot was
fired In other details she vas at one
with her hostess, even TO hearing Ho-
bart order Burris from the lot.
Miss Hayman, recalled, declined to
express an opinion as to whether she
considered the danger in which Mr..
BurriS was placed was sufficient TO
justify him in the step he had taken.
He was a quick-tempered man, she
said. but she had never known him TO
be quarrel some. Aside from gossip
she had heard, she knew nothing about
previous quarrels between the men.
Following the identification of the
body by the brOther-in-laW Of the de
ceased, William Dick. who identified it
as that of Irving Hobart, aged 2S, mar
ried, and of Lamanda Park, the arrest
ing officer, Deputy Constable John
Goodhew, told of his being summoned
by "A telephone message 10 the Burris
home, where he found the prisoner and
his younger children. Burris submitted
to arrest and, when a 3S-Caliber re-
vOlver was found on the bureau, ad-
mtted it was his gun and that with il
he had killed, in self-defense, Irving
Hobart
The weapon, with one discharged
shell and four loaded ones, was pro-
duced and identified. Two hammers
were produced, one of which was found
near the scene of the shooting and the
other in Burris house. Burris, in his
statement after his arrest, said he and
Hobart both had hammers in their
hands when the row began and that it
was only after Hobart had Wrested his
from him and, with both appraised,
again attacked him that he resorted TO
his pistol
Bruises on Shoulder
Mrs. Petra Quijada, living directly
across the street from the place of the
shooting, saw nothing but the killing,
which took place as she stepped from
her doorway,
Dr. A. ., $. Mccoy testified as to the
nature of the wound, the bullet haV-
ing penetrated both lobes of the lungs,
severed the main artery and finally,
after passing through the shoulder
blade, had lodged under the muscles
surrounding this bone lie would not
venture a guess as to the position Of
the men when the firing was done, but
believed, from the nature OF the wound
that death ensued in a very short space
of time. He produced the bullet, one
corresponding in character To the load
ed shells found in Burris' revolver. He
also told of four bruises found on the
back of Burris' shoulders,
Harold Simpson, of the firm Of Simp-
son, Moody & Simpson, appeared for
the prisoner. The deliberations of the
jury occupied about three-quarters Of
an hour.
Funeral services over the body of the
dead man will be held Tuesday after
noon at 2:3O o'clock, with the members