Popular.com

Chicago, Illinois, January 14th, 1906.

The author of one of the most wanton murders in the city's crime annals

narrowly escaped

meeting quick vengeance late yesterday afternoon.

Richard G. Ivan's, on the witness stand at a coroner's inquest in the North Hallstead

Street police station, had just concluded a calm and careless recital of how on Friday night he attacked and strangled Mrs. Bessie Hollister,

wife of Franklin Hollister, a member of the firm of Hollister brothers employing printers.

The murder, having finished his fiendish story, took a seat behind a desk and started to read a transcript of his confession, preparatory to signing it.

More than one person had been inwardly aroused by the tale, but the murdered woman's brother-in-law, William C. Hollister, was unable to restrain himself. Mr. Hollister had been

watched all the afternoon as he wandered nervously about the station. Before the inquest began,

his revolver was taken away from him by orders of Inspector Lavin. Mr. Hollister repeated several times,

that fellow will never see a trial in this earth, I will shoot him. He was as one in a deep frenzy

over the crime which had struck deep into his own family. Ivan signed the confession,

and the police motioned him to rise. As he did so, Mr. Hollister walked quickly into the inquest room. The detectives had neglected him for half an hour,

and in some manner he had procured another revolver. As he walked into the room filled with police and witnesses,

he was followed by detectives Bidinger and Kane.

But they were too late to prevent him from pointing his revolver at Ivan's,

who had risen to his feet to follow the police to his cell. I'll shoot you now, cried Mr. Hollister.

Ivan's dropped to the floor behind the desk.

As the revolver was pointed,

coroner Hoffman stood in direct line to receive the shot.

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