Died in jail or a lockup
Arthur Blessin
Arthur Blessin was held at the City and County Jail in San Francisco while awaiting trial. According to the Associated Press, he set fire to a blanket soaked in kerosene in his cell as a judge touring the jail passed by. His cellmate, John Olsen, tried to put out the fire and was also badly burned. Blessin was taken to an emergency hospital and died at midnight on February 6, 1908, and the newspaper headline describes his death as a suicide.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide. The Associated Press reported that Blessin set fire to a kerosene-soaked blanket in his cell and died of the burns at a hospital.
Reported by: Associated Press (reporters).