THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 27, 1939
TO-DAY'S STRANGE STORY OF REAL PEOPLE
THE WHITECAR MURDER
CASE
By Vance Wynn
Late in the evening of March 10, 1936, there was great commotion in the Los Angeles home of Samuel Whitecar, a motion picture house or- ganist. There was a rain of bullets, agonized shouting and then the figure of a slim looking man was seen sneak- ing away in the darkness of the night. As the excitement died, Mr. White- car was found holding a revolver in his hand while lying on the floor
was the dead body of his wife. When the police arrived, the agitated hus- band said that a young man
who had apparently been hiding in the house had attempted a hold-up and in the battle which ensued had shot and killed Mrs. Whitecar.
(FLEES FROM SCENE OF THE SHOOTING.)
The husband was quite indignant over the questioning to which he was subjected
and insisted that the insurance was 4 perfectly natural thing for any normal husband to arrange.
A careful investigation by delec- tives confirmed the story told by the "woman friend" for whom the fake husband. Some of the neighbours | hold-up had been planned. testified that they had seen the strange man fleeing from the house imme- diately after the sound of the shoot- ing had died away. Bloodstains in- dicated the direction taken by the fugitive and the police of the city were turned loose on the man-hunt. In a remarkably short time they had arrested James Eagen, a young Kentucky mountaineer, who, only a few months before, had arrived in California in the hope of bettering his -shattered fortunes. He was shabbily dressed and his peaked face indicated that he was sorely in need of nourishment.
Questioned by the police he frank- ly admitted that he had been in the house when the rain of bullets occurred. His explanation of his presence there at that time was high- ly sensational, He said that White- car had called on him earlier in the day and had given him money to simulate "a holdup" in order to thrill a woman friend. It was a curious request, but Eagen said he was So badly in need of money that he had immediately consented.
used Four
The investigators next gave their attention to the two revolvers in the make-believe holdup. bullets had been found in the body of the woman, and it was proved that the revolver used by Eagen only held three. Where did the fourth bullet come from if not from the weapon of the husband?
car
required but a moment to decide that he was suffering from a serious heart attack.
The usual remedies were applied, but in a few minutes the condemned
man breathed his last,
ADRIFT ON
WRECK
HONG KONGS WAR FUND
Following is the latest list of sub- scriptions received to 'date for credit of The British War, Organisation Fund, Hong Kong Branch-
Previously Acknowledged $270,430.- 79; G. Riddell Carre (Monthly) $25; The Prison Officers Club $140; Hum- phreys Estate and Finance Co., Ltd. $1,000; Bunnan Tong $100; D. W. Hume $10; M. G. Carruthers (Monthly) $30; The Civilian Dept. of H.M. Dockyard, the Armament Dept. at Stonecutters and the Victualling, Torpedo and Boom Defence Depot at Kowloon $643; European Staff, Hong Kong and Kow- loon Wharf Co., $250; Kwong Sang Hong $1,000; Fung Kook Tin, $250; Fung Wai Shing $150; Zung Ying Kuen $100; Fung Wo In $50; Officers and other ranks of the Hong Kong Regiment, Hong Kong-Singapore R.A. $157; The Busy Bees Working Party $6; Deacon and Co., Ltd. $200; Mr. and Sang Mrs. J. Ring $10; Cheng Kok $500; In Memory of Bays $20; C. Carr Mrs. J. H. Seth $250; H.M.S. Tamar $5; Dr. L. D. Pringle $100; Mr. and Ward Rooms Mess $70; H.M.S. War- rant Officers Mess $6; H.M.S. Ships Company $59.50; H.M.S. Stonecutters W/T Station $80; H.M.S. Thanet $100; H.M.S. Thracian $144.70; E. L. Tavern- er (Monthly) $15; Ex Service $5; Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Alabaster (November) $50; and G. P. de Martin $100; Total $276,062.99.
BANKER'S "ORDER Dr. L. D. Pringle (Monthly) $10.
rescued, but the manager, Wong Hong Kee, and two other men, con- tinued to cling
overturned to the vessel and were only rescued many hours later well out to sea by a passing junk. The junk-master and two seamen The lost cargo, of paper, was swam to another junk and were valued at $1,200.
The manager of the Kwang Hsa On the strength of this, and of other | Steamship Co. has reported that at 1 facts in their possession, Mr. White- p.m. on Thursday, while he was on was arrested on the charge of board a cargo junk, P2172-H, an- having murdered his wife for the chored off Sha Ng Chung, in Mirs purpose of obtaining the insurance | Bay, a violent storm arose and the on her life. Eagen was placed on vessel capsized. trial at the same time and the case attracted widespread attention. From the outset the police insisted that the organist was guilty, with the young mountaineer as an accomplice, innocent or otherwise.
The state presented evidence that one or more of the bullets which caused the woman's death had come from her husband's revolver.
The jury deliberated for some time and the verdict was guilty. They fixed life imprisonment for Whitecar and five years as the penalty for the boy from the Kentucky mountains.
That night, he went to the house and concealed himself during the absence of the Whitecars. When they came home he confronted them with a revolver with a dramatic cry of "Hands Up!" The mountain boy testified that Whitecar immediately drew a revolver and started shooting. Acting under instructions, he also joined in the shooting, but claimed dict, he lifted up his hands and ex- that he had no knowledge of hav-claimed: ing shot Mrs. Whitecar.
The organist denied the story and said he had never engaged Eagen for that purpose. He declared he had given the boy money earlier in the day, but that it was simply as an act of charity because he had come to him begging for something to eat. Eagen was placed in jail while the police made a further investigation into the fantastic affair.
a
Whitecar protested his innocence of the crime and when he heard the ver-
"May God strike me dead before I get to my cell if I am guilty of mur- der!"
van
Even the old and seasoned court they heard attaches shivered when
But the these terrible words. had come to take the prisoners to the famous San Quentin penitentiary, and the exciting events of the day were soon forgotten by all of those con- nected with the trial,
They discovered that Whitecar had In the meantime, when 'Whitecar insured his wife for $18,000 in
reached the prison he was all but a policy which contained a double in-physical wreck. Dr. Leo L. Stanley, demnity clause. That
immediately the prison physician, examined him, cast suspicion on his, particularly and decided that the organist
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as they were unable
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in no condition to be placed in cell.
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At the close of the fourth day, the doctor was suddenly summoned by the nurse in charge of Whitecar,
It
1043
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* No matter how we plan to evade
It time has a way of sneaking up and running ahead of usi
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