DUAL SLAYING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 201, 25 August 1937, Page 18

DUAL SLAYING.

DOCTOR KILLED. MURDER BEFORE ALTAR. HORRIFIED CONGREGATION. (I"rom Our Own Correspondent.) SAN FRANCISCO, August 3. Almost anything can happen in Cali-' fornia. | Before the horrified eyes of 65 members of the congregation, Fred W. Simmons, 40 years of age, El Centro hatch-' ery owner,, shot and killed Dr. O. L. Webster, 37, Holtville physician, and then killed himself at the altar of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in El I Centro, amiut 150 .miles south-east of J Los Angeles. | Simoiis did the shooting with a thirtythirty rifle, just after the Adventists', Sabbath services ended. The bodies' dropped near a placard which read: "Thej law of God;", i Police Sergeant - George Bucklin said investigating officers reported Simmons •frequently-had expressed dissatisfaction J with the church and at his wife's conduct iw|th certain members of the con-J gregatipn. Mrs. Simmons saw the shoot- 1 fagg/, I ' s Members of the congregation told' officers they had been unaware of any, personal enmity between Simmons and Dr. Webster. Simmons drove up to the church door as services were' breaking up. -He bran-' dialled the rifle and shouted: "I want Dr. Webster." i i He espied the physician outside the' building and shot at him, but the bullet missed. Dr. Webster then ran back into the church. Simmons followed him, and men, women and children of the congre- j gation recoiled in fright. ° 1 Dr. Webster dropped on his face near; the altar to escape further firing. Sim- j mons ran to him and fired into the back' i of the prone victim, killing him in- ! stantly. He then fired a bullet through 1 his own heart. j j