Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-20
LAUGHS At FILM;
DIES FROM SHOT.
Mystery EnveIops Death of R.
GaSteIum, Wounded at a
Picture Theater

While laughing heartily at comic
motion picture being shown in an air.
dome theater at 1156 Central avenue
shortly after o'clock last night, Ru-
dolph Gastelum, % years old, of 945
Hemlock street, partly rose to his feet,
cried out that he was shot, then fell
unconscious at the feet of his brother.
No one heard the report, and where
the bullet came from is a mystery.
The wounded man was placed in the
auto of G. J. Lang Of 915 South AlVa-
RADIO street, who was passing at the
time but he died on the way to the
receiving hospital.
The shooting is a deep mystery. The
detectives made thorough investiga-
tioin last night, but were unable to
find any person who heard the report
of the shot. The officers say the bull
let evidently was fired from great
distance and was almost spent when it
struck Gastelum.
The unfortunate man was sitting
about four rows from the back of the
open air show with his brother Rich
ard and Robert Eaton of 94S7s Central
avenue. Eaton was sitting between
the two brothers. Two young girls oc-
cupied seats in front of Richard Gas
telum and Eaton, and the seats for
several rows In front of the victim
were unoccupied. Several women had
seats two rows back of the three men.
The Gastelums and Eaton reached
the theater about 8 o'clock. Soon after
their arrival the lights were eXtin-
guished and the show began. The first
picture was that of a man suffering
from toothache having a strenuous
time in a dentists chair. The antics
of the picture victim and the efforts
of the tooth puller to remove the re-
fractory tooth caused much amuse-
ment and the spectators were laughing
heartily Just as the tooth was yanked
out and the patrons of the show were
laughing loudly, GasteIum rose up in
his seat, clasped his hands to his
breast and cried:
'I'm shot!"
MYSTERY IN WOUND
The wounded man toppled forward,
and hi scompaniions opened his coat
and found the shirt stained with blood
which was oozing from a hole several
inches above the heart.
The lights in the theater were turned
on quickly and a hurried inquiry was
made by Samuel M. Stutz, proprietor
Of the place. No one seemed to have
heard the shot.
Gastelum was taken out of the place
and placed on the sidewalk. The police
were notified and while the ambulance
was being hurried to the scene G. j.
Lang of 915 South Alvarado street ap-
peared and volunteered to take the
wounded man to the receiving hospital.
The victim was barely breathing when
the trip was begun and died before
reaching the hospital
The police surgeons examined the
body and found that the bullet had
entered the left breast at an angle ap-
D. oximately of 60 degrees, ranged
downward and passed through a large
blood vessel near the heart
A brother of the dead man stated
that the victim came to Los Angeles
two months ago from Calexico to visit
his mother. The dead man had no
enemies and recently had been en-
ployed by the California Ornamental
stone company near Pasadena.
According to Eaton and brother of
the unfortunate man, they heard no
sound and knew that the man was in
jured only when he cried out that he
was shot.
at was sitting next to him." said
Robert Eaton. 1--WE were enjoying the
show when suddenly Rudolph cried out
that he was shot and fell to the ground
We opened his coat and found his shirt
stained with blood. He never spoke
"I did not see a flash nor hear any
noise. If the weapon from which the
bullet was fired had been discharged
close by would have heard the noise"
The body was removed to local
parlor and the coroner
will order a postmortem examination
to ascertain the caliber of the bullet
that caused death in order to assist
the detectives in clearing the mystery.
Captain of Detectives Flammer is
sued orders for all officers to make
inquiries in their respective districts
to try and learn if any shooting was
done in the city last night.