of his predicament and hired attorneys to represent him. On their mo-
tion, the trial judge agreed to take testimony to determine the degree”
of guilt but denied their motion to allow him to withdraw the guilty
plea, Testimony was offered by redatives and friends who sought to
show that he was insane but the prosecution offered medical testimony
showing that he was sane and the judge then ruled the degree as first
degree and sentenced him to hang again, The case was appealed to the
California Supreme Court largely on the grounds that he should have |
been allowed to withdraw the guilty plea but the conviction was _
affirmed and he was hanged at San Quentin on March 15, 1915, A highly
emotional man, Bostic broke down completely the night before the execu-
tion but he had regained his composure when the time game for him to go
to the gallows and he walked unagsisted with his jaws firmly clenched,
LOS ANVELES TIMES, Los Angeles, Calif., March 16, 1915
11 PACIFIC 380
TRUE DETECTIVE CASES, February, 1938, page 20-CALIF.
BOOK. AND. MAGAZINE EXCERPTS.
of his predicament and hired attorneys to represent him. On their mo=
tion, the trial judge agreed to take testimony to determine the degree
of guilt but denied their motion to allow him to withdraw the guilty
plea. Testimony was offered by redatives and friends who sought to
show that he was insane but the prosecution offered medical testimony
showing that he was sane and the judge then ruled the degree as first
degree and sentenced him to hang again, The case was appealed to the
California Supreme Court largely on the grounds that he should have
been allowed to withdraw the guilty plea but the conviction was
affirmed and he was hanged at San Quentin on March 15, 1915, A highly
emotional man, Bostic breke down completely the night before the execu-
tion but he had regained his composure when the time game for him to go
to the gallows and he walked unassisted with his jaws firmly clenched.
LOS ANGELES TIMES, Los Angeles, Calif., March 16, 1915
141 PACIFIC 380
TRUE DEVECTIVE CASES, February, 1938, page 20-CaLIF,
BOOK. AND MAGAZINE EXCERPTS,
of his predicament and hired attorneys to represent him, On their mo-
tions the trial-judge agreed to take testimony to determine the degree
of guilt but denied their motion to allow him to withdraw the guilty
plea, Testimony was offered by redatives and friends who sought to
show that he was insane but the prosecution offered medical testimony
showing that he was sane and the judge then ruled the degree as first
degree and sentenced him to hang again, The case was appealed to the
California Supreme Court largely on the grounds that he should have
been allowed to withdraw the guilty plea but the conviction was
affirmed and he was hanged at San Quentin on March 15, 1915, A highly
emotional man, Bostic broke down completely the night before the execu-
tion but he had regained his composure when the time game for him to go
to the gallows and he walked unassisted with his jaws firmly clenched,
LOS ANGELES TIMES, Los Angeles, Calif,, March 16, 1915
Us1 PACIFIC 360
TRUE DELKCTIVE CASES, February, 1938, page 20-CaLIF.
BOOK. AND MAGAZINE EXCERPTS,
aos noms 2085, toe Meter, stay Marah by 15
ua nics 380
LMS Massie cans, monary, 1058, page SOAP.
‘BOSTIC, John
Bostic, alias Ralph Farris, a 23-year-old white man, boardedthe train,
"The Lark" at El Monte, Los Angeles Co,, Calif,, around 8:30 on the
night of Dec, 1, 1913, He hid in the washroom of the rear Pullman car
until the train left the station and then, with a revolver, robbed the
brakeman, the conductor and eight passengers of their money and jewel-
ry. Another passenger named Horace E, Montague entered the car carry=
ing his valise and when he approached Bostic, he was told to raise his
hands and hand over his valuables, Montague refused to comply and
dropped his grip as though he meant to offer resistance and Bostic
shot him. Montague then fled in the opposite direction and fell mor-
tally wounded before he reached the door, Bostic forced the brakeman
to have the train's speed lowered to fifteen miles per hour and then
leaped from the moving train into the darknes, There were no clues
and Bostic was not a suspect in any way, but on Dec, 2l, he was seen
in San Francisco by a woman who had been in the car and robbed by him
and she notified authorities who took him into custody, §n the train
trip to Los Angeles, he made a complete confession of the robbery-mur-
der and at his trial he entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced to
hang by a judge mxw who did not take any testimony, Subsequently
his parents with whom he had been out of touch for some time Learned
BOSTIC, John
Bostic, alias Ralph Farris, a 23-year-old white man, boardedthe train,
"The Lark" at El Monte, Los Angeles Co., Calif., around 8:30 on the
night of Dec. 1, 1913, He hid in the washroom of the rear Pullman car
until the train left the station and then, with a revolver, robbed the
brakeman, the conductor and eight passengers of their money and jewel-
ry. Another passenger named Horace E, Montague entered the car carry=
ing his valise and when he approached Bostic, he was told to raise his
hands and hand over his valuables, Montague refused to comply and
dropped his grip as though he meant to offer resistance and Bostic
shot him, Montague then fled in the opposite direction and fell mor-
tally wounded before he reached the door, Bostic forced the brakeman
to have the train's speed lowered to fifteen miles per hour and then
leaped from the moving train into the darknes. There were no clues
and Bostic was not a suspect in any way, but on Dec, 2h: he was seen
in San Francisco by a woman who had been in the car and robbed by him
and she notified authorities who took him into custody. $n the train
trip to Los Angeles, he made a complete confession of the robbery=mur-
der and at his trial he entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced to
hang by a judge mixx who did not take any testimony, Subsequently
his parents with whom he had been out of touch for some time learned
BOSTIC, John
Bostic, alias Ralph Farris, a 23-year-old white man, boardedthe train,
"The Lark” at El Monte, Los Angeles Co,, Calif,, around 8:30 on the
night of Dec. 1, 1913, He hid in the washroom of the rear Pullman car
until the train left the station and then, with a revolver, robbed the
brakeman, the conductor and eight passengers of their money and jewel-
ry. Another passenger named Horace E, Montague entered the car carry=
ing his valise and when he approached Bostic, he was told to raise his
hands and hand over his valuables, Montague refused to comply and
Gropped his grip as though he meant to offer resistance and Bostic
shot him, Montague then fled in the opposite direction and fell mor-
tally wounded before he reached the door, Bostic forced the brakeman
to have the train's speed lowered to fifteen miles per hour and then
leaped from the moving train into the darknes, There were no clues
and Bostic was not a suspect in any way, but on Dec, 2h: he was seen
in San Francisco by a woman who had been in the car and robbed by him
and she notified authorities who took him into custody. n the train
trip to Los Angeles, he made a complete confession of the robbery-mur=
der and at his trial he entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced to
hang by a judge mia who did not take any testimony, Subsequently
his parents with whom he had been out of touch for some time learned
[stpeternd wit sion had een oof-oftocth or Sone tine
