Motography (Apr-Dec 1911)

November, 1911. MOTOGRAPHY 233 Assassination of Francis Boggs REAL tragedy, as grim as any that ever brought tears to the eyes of the picture theater devotee, has visited the ranks of the motion picture men since Motography last issued. A producer of the silent drama in its highest conception has been cut down in the midst of his usefulness by the act of a madman. Francis Boggs, western manager for the Selig Polyscope Company, was shot and almost instantly killed, and William N. Selig, film manufacturer of Chicago, was shot through the right arm and seriously wounded October 27 by Frank Minnimatsu, a demented Japanese gardener employed at the Selig Edendale plant. This tragedy of reality in the midst of the locale of so many fictitious tragedies came to a climax suddenly and unexpectedly. But it had been carefully and cunningly thought out in the mind of Minnimatsu, with all the detail and exactitude of a writer composing a scenario for a picture film. Circumstances, in fact, indicate that the Japanese not only deliberately determined to kill Boggs, but that other members of the Selig Company were marked for his bullets. Mrs. Bessie Eyton, wife of Charlie Eyton, who has handled many of the feminine roles in motion drama f or the Selig company, had a narrow escape from death after the shooting of Boggs and Selig. The double tragedy took place about 10 o'clock in the forenoon, in the general offices of the Selig company, adjoining the mammoth glass studio on Alessandro street in Edendale. Mr. Boggs and Mr. Selig, who arrived Thursday, October 26, from Chicago, were in consultation with M. L. D. Scott, contractor. They occupied chairs in Mr. Boggs' private office, which is separated from the main offices of the Selig company by a thin partition. Francis Boggs. right arm Shortly before the shooting took placed "Big Otto" Bretkreutz, professional animal tamer for Selig, who accompanied Mr. Selig to the coast to assist in the staging of several jungle pictures with wild animals, discovered the Japanese peering through a keyhole into Mr. Boggs' private office. Minnimatsu left immediately, retiring to the dressing room occupied by Hobart Bosworth, leading man for the Selig Company, which also adjoined Mr. Boggs' office. Several minutes later members of the company heard four shots fired in Mr. Boggs' office and rushing in, found Mr. Selig and Mr. Scott struggling with the fighting Japanese. Mr. Boggs lay on the floor in front of his desk. E. PL Philbrook, secretary and treasurer of the company, who was in the outer office, was the first man to reach the door leading to Mr. Boggs' private room. W. T. Santschi, a member of the company, was at his heels. They burst in the door as the struggling Japanese and had been shot, reached Mr. the Selig, whose entrance. Partially eluding the men intent on his capture, the Japanese succeeded in reaching the door leading from the offices to the glass studio, where members of the, company were lounging about, having been informed that no pictures would be taken that day. Mrs. Eyton and several companions were standing in the doorway when the Japanese half turned and fired another shot. Witnesses say it was intended for Mrs. Eyton. The bullet plowed through a wooden partition and traversed the length of the studio, breaking the glass at both ends of the building. Instantly the entire studio was in an uproar, the men surrounding the struggling Japanese who attempted to ward off the captors by brandishing a huge knife and Frank Minnimatsu, the Japanese employee who shot Francis Boggs to death and painfully wounded William N. Selig, is undoubtedly demented. He was known as the "gentleman janitor" of the Selig western plant on account of his habitual politeness. Besides janitoring he acted as gardener in the beautiful grounds surrounding the studio. He is said to have been acting queerly for sometime prior to the tragedy; and his explanations of the causes for his action have no coherence or intelligence. He admits that Boggs had always been good to him, and his only possible source for enmity, so far as is known, lay in his being discharged at one time by Boggs for disorderly conduct while apparently intoxicated. He was reinstated, however, when he apologized. He is said to have carried a long knife habitually; but the pistol he used on Boggs and Selig he stole from the property room at the plant. He evidently had no deliberate intention of shooting Mr. Selig, and only did so when Selig seized him after he had shot Boggs. The Japanese is 29 years old and has been in America about three and one-half years. Under the laws of the state of California the maximum penalty for his crime would be life imprisonment.