Imperial Valley press., 1929-02-18

A 7 I { Nd
[)()HEN N Y
Staying Of Son Severe
Shock To Elderly Oil
Magnate.
PLUNKETT IN S ANE
Sudden Swapping OF His
Brain Is Blamed For
Double Tragedy.
BY United Press Leased Wire

LOS ANGELES, Feb. l8.-E. l..
Doheny Sr., for years a prominent
figure in the oil industry, is in a
critical condition here, suffering
from shock caused by the death of
his only son, f. L. Dohcny Jr,,
murdered by a private secretary
who then committed suicide.
Detectives and policemen kept
the curious out of earshot at the
Doleny home while physicians at
tended the multimillionaire. Doheny
collapsed when informed Of the
tragedy.
The condition Of the elder Doheny
war considered extremely grave in
view Of his 73 years. He had just
participated in fight against gov
crnment charges Of fraud in the
leasing of the Teapot Dome,
scandal which involved Albert B.
Fall, secretary of the interior un-
der President Harding.
Officials and Witnesses appeared
agreed that the private secretary
killed his employer and then himself
when he suddenly went insane after
a nervous illness over period of
several months.
Doheny Jr. was shot through the
bedroom of his palatial home early
Sunday. Plunkett, with a soft-nose
bullet through his brain, died i'll the
hallway of the bedroom.
There was nothing in the room to
indicate the men had engaged i'll
any kind Of conflict, authorities
said.
The chair in which Doheny APP
parently was sitting when he was
killed was overturned. His body,
face up, was sprawled beside the
chair.
The widow, prominent in South
ern California social circles, heard
the shot that killed her husband,
District Attorney Buron Fits said
today, but she believed the noise was
caused by piece Of falling furni-
ture.
Two Hear Shot
She heard the second shot, rs did
DR., Z. c. Fishbaugh.
DR.. Fishbaugh, summoned in ad-
vance, arrived after the first shot
in time to see Plunkett dart from
the bedroom into a hallway, rush
back into the room and slam the
door.
An instant later, the second bullet
was fired. Mrs. Doheny and Dr..
Fishbaugh opened the door and
found the two bodies
AS reconstructed by authorities,
Pmnkett, torn by the fear that Do
heny and DR.. Fishbaugh would send
him to a sanitarium for treatment,
crept close to Doheny and shot him
without warning.
As the body Of the young million
aire slumped to the floor, Plunkott
turned and ran, hoping to escape. As
he opened the door however, he saw
Mrs. Doheny and DIR. Fishbaugh, and
returned to the bedroom for refuge,
Apparently he shot himself as the
door swung shut.
DR.. Fishbaugh said Plunkett seem
ed to have been in a highly nervous
state for several weeks and Doheny
had requested that he go to a sani-
tarium.
Late Saturday afternoon the ply
sician visited the Doheny home and
talked to Deheny, his wife and
Plunkett.
After he left, DR.. Fishbaugh said,
he received a telephone call from
Dohcny saying that Plunkett had
gone but that he expected to return
to the Doheny residence.
Was Trusted Employee
The secretary was trusted en-
ployee and handled many of the Ter-
sonal and business affairs of Young
Doheny.
Plunkett had been in the service
of the Doheny 5 for Is years, origi-
nally being employed by the elder
Doheny as a secretary and stem
ographer in the offices of the Mex
lean Petroleum Company He be
came private secretary of the Young
er Doheny eight years ago. He was
seen constantly a. young Doheny's
side during the Teapot Dome inves-
tigation.
Doheny was an only son. He was
graduated from the University Of
Southern California in 1916 and
joined his father in the oil business.
He was president of the Temescal
Petroleum Company and vice-presi-
dent of the Petroleum Securities
Company. He recently became a
member of the board of trustees of
the University of southern Califor-
MIA.