Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-12-27
SHOOTING ON LAS BOLSAS.
Fatal End Of a Quarrel Between Two Neigh
b,rs-Ths Shooter Committed to Appear Be-
fore tio Grand Jury.

Deputy Sheriff J. G. Hickey, of
Santa Ana, yesterday brought to
this city Uriah Humphrey, one of
the settlers on the disputed lands
Of the Las Bolsas rancho, who was
committed to Jail by Justice Rush
ing, of Santa Ana, for killing a
man named E. Domeny, also a
settler on the disputed land, to
await the action of the next Grand
Jury. There had been bad blood
between the parties for some time
past, growing out of the destruction
of some fence and wood belonging
to Domeny by fire alleged to have
been kindled by Hum phrey and for
which the deceased had threatened
to take his life.
We get the following particulars
flom Deputy Sheriff Hickey: Hum
phrey, in his own defense, testified
that, OH Friday last, lie started up
to Santa Ana TO have Domeny, who
had made frequent threats against
his life. bound over to keep the
peace. Inc road runs close to DOM
eny's house and as Humphrey ap
preached the former was sitting in
chair from which he called, "You
can't pass this way much longer,n
at llinn 70 Il
rose from his chair, at the same
time making a motion as if to draw
a pistol, which, with a knife, he al
ways wore In his belt. Hum phrey,
who was on horseback and armed
with double barre,ed shotgun,
loaded with buckshot, seeing this
t ,reatening motion, fired, the
charge passing through u ewspa-
per held by Domeny and entered
his breast. Humphrey then rede
to the residence of Justice Holli-
day, who lives on the mesa near the
scene of the shooting, to give
himself up, but not find
ing the Justice at nome
he continued his course to Santa
Ana. On his way back home he
again called at the Justices and,
after racounting his story, surren-
dered himself, but was told to 60
home and report the next morn.
ing. When he went back the next
morning Justice Holiday turned
the case over to Justice Rushing,
before whom all investigation,
lasting three days, was had, with
the result stated above.
A number of witnesses testified
that they had heard Domeny
threaten Humphreys life, but no
testimony was ELECTED as to the ac-
tual killing except that given by
Humphrey and, had he not sur
rendered himself, the probability
is that he would not have been sus.
pected of the shooting. The body
of Domeny, who was alone on the
day of the shooting, his wife being
absent at neighbours, was found
some feet from the chair and near
the door into the main part of the
heuse which, it is supposed, he
tiled to enter after the fatal shot
was fired. By his side was the
newspaper, covered with blood,
which he held in front of his breast
as he rose from his seat, and which
bears the marks of the sixteen
buckshot that passed through it
and entered his body in the region
of the heart.
Domeny, who, with his wife,
lew months ago, took possession Of
a claim that had been deserted, was
a peculiar man and, by some of his
neighbors, was considered not alto.
gether sound mentally. In his
tramps about the settlement he
usually went armed with an old
musket, with bayonet fixed, and al
ways wore pistol and knife in his
belt. Indeed, SO warliss and bel
ligerent was his appearance that
he was an object of terror in the
neighborhood, especially to
women and children. Ho leaves O
wife and two grown daughters, the
latter living at Santa Ana. Wheth-
er lie had any more children or
where he came from, our informant
was unable to state.