Millionaire's Slaying May Have Been Tragic Mistake

Newport Beach, Calif - Spanish born Manola Gallardo, unable to speak English, may have fatally stabbed multimillionaire William A Bartholomae after mistakenly believing he had harmed her sister, Orange County Dist. Atty Kenneth Williams said.

The DA's office dropped murder charges Tuesday against Bartholomae's sister-in-law, Carmen, 25, and booked her sister, Manola, 32 on suspicion of murder.

Bartholomae, 70, a yachtsman who made an estimated $11 million in ranching, oil, and mining, died Sunday morning in the kitchen of his $500,000 mansion on Newport Bay.

the district attorney said Bartholomae died in a "real, choice battle" in which he was clawed and stabbed to death.

Williams said a lie detector test given Mrs. Bartholomae and further police investigation Tuesday led to her release and the arrest of her sister. The DA said investigation gave this picture of the fatal stabbing:

Manola had just left the kitchen to take care of her sister's 3-month-old son. On her return, she saw her sister lying on the floor. Bartholomae leaning over her. She either thought Bartholomae had harmed her sister or was about to.

A scuffle ensued. Bartholomae was stabbed. Manola's left hand was nearly severed.

The lie detector test confirmed Mrs. Bartholomae's story that she fainted because of abdominal pains while her sister was out of the room, Williams said.

Miss Gallardo waived preliminary hearing and will be arraigned in Orange County Superior Court Jan 16. Her attorney, Paul Caruso, said she would plead innocent. Miss Gallardo came to the US 3 months ago to help her sister care for her newborn child.

Published in The Ada Evening News, Ada, Oklahoma, January 8, 1964.

= = =

Military Service — World War I Vetetan

5 June 1917 • Oakland, Alameda County, California, USA;

William August Bartholomae age 24 born 23 Jan 1893 in New York City, USA enlisted at Oakland, California as a single person. Engineer employed by Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company.