Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-23
VETERANS DEATH
PUZZLES POLICE
Young Man Gives John Landa-
bank Dose of Liquid and
Disappears
NAT GOODWIN is A WITNESS
Famous Actor Sees Old Soldier
Swallow Drug Shortly Be-
fore Latter'S Death
NAT GOODWIN is A WITNESS

OCEAN PARK, July 22.-Was John
I.andabank, veteran soldier, 80 years
old, who died last Tuesday afternoon
Mt the National Soldiers Home at
Sawtelle poisoned by an unidentified
young man from Los Angeles2 Or was
his death due to cerebral hemor-
rhage," as the records at the home in
dicate? These questions are bothering
the brains of the local police and at
present there seems to be no solution
of either of them. Mystery surrounds
the identity of the young man in the
case, who claimed to be a Los An
geles doctor.
I,andabank, whose name at the time
of his enlistment in Company X of the
eighth Illinois infantry In the civil
War was John Smith," has been a
member of the Sawtelle home at inter-
walls since 1896 lie came to Ocean
Park last Tuesday and while sitting
on a bench on the plaza was taken
ILL., In the presence of several Wit
nesses a young man gave him dose
of a liquid from bottle. When asked
what II was the stranger replied:
"Oh, it's some dope that 1 use
when feel sick. 1t is good for the
old man."
In the meantime a bystander ran to
bring DR. r. Wilson Levengood to the
scene. When the physician arrived he
injected strychnine and Landabank re-
Vived somewhat. The veteran was then
taken in an ambulance to the hospital
at the Soldiers Home, where he died
within an hour, according to the cap
tain of Company *, to which Landa-
bank belonged.
DR. Levenl-ood asked the strange
young man what he had given Landa-
bank, but he was unable to explain
what the stuff was, Notwithstanding
his claim that he was 81 physician.
Officer James NJ. Benton was assisting
in placing the sick man in the am
buance. He says DR.. Levengood said
to him:
STRANGER DISAPPEARS
ARREST that man and hold him."
The officer said the physician did
not explain why he wanted the stran-
ger arrested and he did not, do so at
the time, but later when he under
stood the gravity of the case, he made
a persistent attempt to find the man
but the latter had disappeared. He
describes the alleged physician as a
man of 25 years of age, dark complex
ion and weighing about 145 pounds.
He said he wore q dark blue serge
suit, tan shoes and a stiff straw hat
According to Benton, the young man
appeared very much interested in
Landabank.
NAT lIOOQWln, IdInOuS aCIOT-Cdplltil-
list, was a witness to this scene and
declared today that the stanger ap-
peared extremely officious in caring for
the sick veteran, giving the impress
sion he might be q relative. Goodwin
told of seeing the young man give the
old soldier something from a phial and
hearing him make the remark that 1t
was "some of his DOPE"
Dr. Levengood was asked tonight
If the death OF Landabank could have
been due to poisoning and he replied
that in his opinion this was not the
cause, but that the veteran died either
from heart failure or cerebral hemor-
rhage He refused to state positively
that this was the fact, however, as he
attended the man for only a short time.
He refused to discuss his conversa-
ton with the young stranger or with
Officer Benton.
"If there should be a coronerAs in
quest in regard to this 1 would be pre-
pared to say something about 1t, but
do not care to get mixed up IN a
newspaper controversy" said DR.. Lev
engood.
Landabank's captain said today that
the old man had been accustomed to
drink considerably since he had been
stationed at Company K barracks. He
said he did not recall anyone coming
to see Landabank at any time and
could give no reason for anyone desir-
ang to murder him, as no trace of val
liable property owned by the dead man
has been found. Investigation at the
headquarters of the home failed to
show that Landabank left money or
other articles of value and he was
never known to have had much money
at any time.
Another question that no one has so
far answered is, what was the nature
of the liquid that was given to the
half-consclous old man from the bot
tie in the hands of the young stranger?
Several moments elapsed between
the time the old man tainted on the
bench and the arrival of DR.. Leven-
good. The unknown "physican's"
stimulant was administered as soon as
the condition of Landabank was dis
covered Bystanders said that the
young man remarked that the liquid
contained strychnine, but this could
not be ascertained for fact.