The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-10-22
TRACKING A MURDERER.

Il N MS appearance WIS SUdnulnS hehr Ile
door of the telegraph Office in Sacramento,
when a lad came out with a dispatch, and
stepping up to.the man said: care you Mr..
BlackP" Receiving an affirmative answer,
he handed him dispatch which read as
follows: .-... 1qr
MARYsvI LIE, June 49, 49,
To Mr.. Wm. Black, Police Department.
Sacramento:
An atrocious murder has just been dis
covered here. A woman named Mrs. Wolf
is the victim. Her husband is suspected
and in custody, but no evidence against
him. Hasten to us, by the first boat, while
all is fresh.
L. MORTON,
Sheriff of Yuba County.
VIM. Black was a Sacramento detective,
and at that time undoubtedly the most sa-
gacious in California. The boat was to
leave for Marysville in an hour. Mr.. Black
entered the telegraph Office, dispatched to
the Sheriff of Yuba county the words "All
right ~
That evening man with red shirt on
and of very ordinary ppearance-landed in
Marysville. He was miner, of course,
if one may always judge by indications !;
but he had a lazy look, as if weighed down
by woeful lack of energy, and person
might have wondered if ever such man
did pluck up courage enough to climb the
mountains.
The same lazy looking man, later in the
evening, was in secret consultation with
the Sheriff and several other officials.
+" At what hour was the murder discover
ed ?' he asked.
"Nine o'clock this morning, exactly"
"In what way?'
"The news came through her husband.
He rushed exctedly in a saloon, on the
edge of the town, saying that his wife was
dead, and some person had killed her.
They had lately come from the mines, and
were living in tent of their own, quarter
of mile out of town. We will conduct
you to it by and by"
ga physician made an examination
eyes, skillful one. He says it was clear
that the woman was murdered-strangled
to death by pair of coarse hands, the
marks of which he found on her throat"
"Did he say how long she had been
dead ?"
eyes; many hours"
"What does Wolf say
"That he did not sleep at home. He
says he was drunk that night, which have
found to be true, and that being unable
to reach home, he lay down under tree,
between here and his home, apd slept sound
ly. When he awoke, according to his story
it was nearly nine o'clock. Then he got
up, hastened to his tent, found his wife
dead and gave the alarm. Everybody be-
lieves he murdered her himself, and we
have some fears that an attempt will be
made to lynch him. In fact there's little
doubt of his guilt, but there is no positive
evidence; and the case needs working up"
"Were no traces ofa stranger left?'
"No."
"Not thread-a shirt button hairp'
"No."
"Tracks p'
"No." The ground is SO dry and hard,
you know"
HAS any stranger been seen lurking in
that neighborhood?
"No"
HAS any stranger been in town?'
"Well, we have miners down here from
the mountain every day; but it was none of
them"
Detective Black, who wore a red shirt,
was conducted to the scene of the murder.
He saw the body at the Office of the coro-
ner; he saw the physician; he saw every
body in Marysville; he saw and talked with
Wolf three quarters of an hour. Then he
said 70 the sheriff:
"He didn't do It,"
The sheriff was fairly thunder struck.
"But," said William Black, "keep him
in custody until you hear from me- Don't
let the people get hold of him though, for
/ suppose they would lynch him at vent
ure."
"They would"
+" You might arrest and detain any sus-
picious looking person from in the neigh
borhood-always remember he's innocent"
"I will"
The conference thus ended.
Next morning fresh miner made his
appearance at Pine Camp, about fifteen
miles north Of Maryville. He was very
lazy looking man. He lounged about from