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THE TULARE
MURDER.
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The Story as Related by the Dead Man's
Companion. |
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The body of W. H.
McAuliffe, the young man who was murdered in the Mussel Slough settlement last
Monday, has been brought to this city and taken to the residence of his
sorrowing parents, on the corner of Twentieth and Hampshire streets, where it
lies in state, incased in a handsome casket. Last night numerous friends of the
family gathered at the house and with their sympathy contributed floral
offerings.
James H. Riley, who accompanied young
McAuliffe to Mussel Slough, came down with the body, and last night, in a
conversation with a CALL reporter said that they left this city on October 29,
for the purpose of taking charge of the Cockrell ranch, about two miles from
Hanford, which had been purchased by a Mr. Knox of Sacramento. At Lathrop they
were joined by United States Marshall Drew, and the three arrived at the ranch
on Wednesday. Everything was in shipshape order on the farm, but no person was
around. As previously published in THE CALL the Marshal could not purchase the
livestock about the place for the reason that no one was there to represent the
owner, and it required two to make a bargain. Everything was taken out of the
house, and the Marshall put Riley and McAuliffe in legal possession of the
place. There were |
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NO SIGNS OF RESISTANCE |
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And nothing
presented to cause forebodings of trouble. During the forenoon of Wednesday J.
J. Doyle, the agitator, paid a visit to the place, and during the afternoon
Major McQuiddy and Mr. Allcorn called around. They asked Riley and McAuliffe if
they were American citizens, and upon being answered in the affirmative, wanted
to know if they were married men. Riley answered yes and McAuliffe jocularly
said he was not, but hoped to be before long.They both then were entertained
with a severe lecture in which their course was denounced, and one of the
visitors said it was a shame for them to be there in the interests of those who
were intent upon robbing the people of that part of the country. They said they
were afraid there would be trouble should the men remain. RIley says that while
no direct threats were made, his impression was that the men were warning them
against staying. He would not have understood the matter better had the threats
been other than only implied. While the actions and words of the visitors were
apparently more or less friendly, it was evident that they were there to give a
warning. After their departure the two settled down to housekeeping, and
arranged matters so that one of them was to be in the building all the time.
Matters passed along without event till Sunday, when a man, apparently a
Mexican, came up and inquired the way to the ranch of a man named Simmons.
Receiving his answer, he appeared loth to go, and kept up a conversation on
various topics. He finally started to enter the house, which was prevented by
Riley. The man then |
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ASKED FOR A DRINK OF WATER. |
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Riley, not liking
the man's actions, walked backward to the well, keeping his face all the time
toward the visitor. Getting the water he gave it to the man and the latter,
instead of drinking, just touched his lips to the liquid and then threw the
contents on the ground and went away. Instead of starting towards Simmons's
ranch he started off in an entirely different direction, after which nothing
was seen of him by Riley. On the following day J. J. Doyle came from his ranch,
about seven miles distant and asked, "Are you men keeping house yet?" Being
answered in the affirmative, some further talk followed, and Doyle as one time
remarked, smilingly, that "twenty-five men from yonder clump of willows could
kill a thousand men in the field." He also expressed surprise at seeing the two
men on the ranch after the talk they had heard on Wednesday. He departed about
ten o'clock in the forenoon. About 4 o'clock that afternoon, after Riley had
completed one of his daily three rounds about the place to see that no one was
trespassing. McAuliffe picked up his double-barrelled shotgun and said he would
go out and shoot some doves. Riley told him not to go and McAuliffe asked him
what he was afraid of. Riley answered, "Nothing, but it is safer not to go far
and started off. Fifteen or twenty minutes later Riley heard two shots from the
shotgun, and a few moments later three rifle shots in quick succession
followed. The firing seemed t obe about a quarter of a mile distant. Riley
immediately went out into the road to ascertain the cause of so much shooting,
thinking big game had been struck, but never for a moment imagining anything
serious had happened. He did not see any one about, and shortly
afterward |
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TWO MORE SHOTS |
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From a shotgun were
heard from another direction. McAuliffe not returning by dusk he became
somewhat uneasy, but finally concluded that his partner had gone into town with
some of the neighbors. At ten o'clock he became very nervous, and went out with
his lantern and began a search. Whistling and hallooing brought no answer. He
went within fifty feet of where McAuliffe's body was lying, but saw nothing of
it. He even then had no real misgivings, but, as a precaution went to the ranch
of a Mr. Clough, where he ascertained that McAuliffe had not been there.
Becoming thoroughly alarmed, a strict search was organized, and during the
morning young Clough discovered the dead body lying on his back in open ground,
about twenty yards from the clump of willows. There were six external wounds on
the body, three bullets having gone clear through the deceased. Over the
remains stood watching McAuliffe's large hound, and it would not for a long
time permit any one to approach. The body was finally taken to the house and
subsequently to Hanford, where the coroner held an inquest. There was no sign
of a struggle where the body was found, but footprints were found in the slough
in the clump of willows. Near the body were four five or doves that had been
killed by McAuliffe, and the latter's gun was fully loaded and cocked, while
its position on the ground would indicated that its owner had placed it there
while he was picking up the doves.
The Mexican
who had called at the ranch Sunday was seen in Lemoore Tuesday, and his
suspicious actions caused attention, but, at the time, the murder had been
unheard of, so there was no occasion to molest the man.
The Mussel Slough settlers were very indignant, and
pronounced the killing a cruel and cowardly murder, and seemed anxious that the
culprit or culprits should be apprehended. Riley thinks three men must have
fired almost simultaneously at McAuliffe, from the willows, but he is ready to
admit that an expert with a repeating rifle might be able to shoot as fast as
these three shots were fired. From indications, thought, he is satisfied that
three men are concerned. Mr. RIley proposes to go back to the ranch within a
few days, and he says he apprehends no further trouble, as in his opinion, the
settlers themselves will protect him, it not being policy for them to use
force, even should they desire to, for their purpose is to encourage
immigration to that section.
McAuliffe's funeral
will take place from the family residence to-morrow
afternoon.
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