Weekly Trinity journal., 1879-10-18
THE LONG RIDGE TRAGEDY

dlspatch publshed IN the ,. 4. CdU, I
The parties we're residents of this county
and MS has since transpired the affair oc-
CURED in this county and not in Mendos
elmo as at first announced. Mr.. JIM. |
Myers writes us from Mad River, Trinity
County, Oct. Sth, 1879, as follows:
"EDIToR TRINITY JoURNAL:-I will
attempt to give you an account of the !
most terrible tragedy that has ever taken |
place in this part of the country, or dare
say many other part. T. w. MePher-
son, who has been Justice of the Peace
and la;e partner of j. d. Wathen at this
place, recently quarreled with his part
Ger and dissolved co>partnership with
Wathen. Taking his two children he
informed his wife tha: he was going to
leave that she could go her road and he
would go his. That was about month
ago. Last Thursday he came back and
went to sec his wife who was stopping ut
the Lightfoot place on Red Mountain -
He said to her that he had come back to
talk to her, ard that one of them had to
die. She told him To go away and turn,
ed to leave him when he shot her. The
shot did not kill her Instantly, ST. ne shot
her five times and killed her. He then
went back to where he formerly lived
but the folks who lived there were all
away. He then crossed the North Fork
of Eel River and went up by White &
Wathen's shea ing corral, where he was
overtaken by ii man who saw him kill his
wife, and this man informed some men
who were shearing there and they all
tried to take him. l vas not present AT
the shooting, but this is about as got ii
from those who were. l should have
written from Long Ridge where [ live,
but happened to be at Mad River and
good as could. Ifyou can make reads
able item OF this and wish to do so you
may. Respectfully Yours Sc
j. NJ. MEYERS.
A more particular account, OF the affair
and the parties engaged therein appears
in the Russian River Etag, published at
Hoaldsburg, Sonoma county, of the 9th
instant. 1t is rs follows:
Our community has been terribly
shocEed by the above intelligence. We
we've aware that for ten years the parties
have not lived ut all times happily to-
gether, and that only IL lew weeks since
they have agreed to separate. Mr.. Me- |
Pherson hgd brought their children, II !
boy OF and girl OF years of ago. to
his btother Lycnrgus, near Geyserville,
and lett them in his charge. This was
supposed by al to end the trouble tor
ever. But IT seems that he made his !
way hack to the lanch in the wids of !
Trinity county, and on Saturday last
found his wife in the cabin preparing |
dinner for the sheep shearers working
near by. Hea,ked Tor private inter-
view and upon being refused fired upon |
and killed her with his Iiile. 1t is said |
that she first threatened hIm with gun |
aud was by him Gisnrmed. An Indian |
working ON the premises ran to.the sheep
shearer- and gnve the alarm. In the |
meantime the now maddened man turned |
To young man in the house threatens
lugly. but finally, after writing note to
and promising suicide, mounted his horse |
tnride oft. Atlhi- junction Moore, Of
Gevserville, boss of the sheep,s hearers, |
ordered him 20 surrender, and on being |
refused fired nine shots, unseating his !
man ut the seventh shot, aud having four
shots fired Mt him III the meantime, in re-
urn. "A dispatch seht XIX to the scene
accompanied 10y his brother n.law, ChAs. |
Moore. Upon arriving they found both |
bodies buricd uncoHned npnreach other. |
and MS Weck had been the Justice OF the |
Peace, no inquest had been held. Fou? |
bundled dollars wert missing from
Weeks person, so besides Moore, the
other shpMp. hearers, six in number,
were under arrest. XIX accompanied |
the party To Weaverville to await pre-
Iiminary examination, hut Moore return
ed ard being in Head> burg yesterday,
gnve the above facts in the case. MiIler
Mcpherson, youngest brother, will join
Kirk in Trinity. Mrs Mcpherson was ~
daughter OF the late p. IL. Heghler, who
suffered hnrrid death month since of
hvdrnphohm from skunk bite, but we
are informed, was only step daughter
to Mrs Hrghler. She was married to
Mr.. McP Pher+on, aud lived for time in
Alexander Valley. about l3 years ago.
and died ut about 32 years ofage. Anolh-
er man, whom it is supposed she intend
ed to live with, was in Humhoidt county
at the ii ne of the shnoting. Week, ns the
deceased husband was lam iliHrly called,
was u neighSnr Of ours for many years,
was always generous. honest, and agree
able and we sincerely regret To record
such mn unhappy life aud violent death
for both of them.
The Healdshurg Enterprise of October
9th give the following account OF the
dual tragedy @
On Sunday last Kirk MePhe son, who
lives near Gryservile, II few miles above
Head, burg, received a Telegram that his
brother. Thonas W.. iamilmrIy called
Nv eek y had killed his wife IT, the south
ern parl OF Trinity county, and that he
u lso had been killed. Ii company with
Charlie Moore, Kirk left his home about
noon on Sunday iur the scene OF the trag
edy, on Weeks old place, about thirty
miles north of Covelo. Mendoc mo coun-
ty. Monte started home OF Tuesday aud
arrived here yes sterday morning, bringing
the following particulars 0t the awful af
lair, which are correct in the main, ii not
in the detail Week left here on Wed
nesdty OF last week, on horseback, taking
with him several hundred dollars for the
purpose OF buying beef cattle. A short
time ag, he sold bis interest in the ranch
and tt0rk to one John Wathen. aud
brought his two children down To Kirk's
place. HIS wife refused 10 come with
him, preferrng Ia remain on the ranch
with Wathen. When Week went up 10
buy cattle he called ut the ranch and
found his wife in the house. WatheE
was away ut the time, having gone to
Humboldt county. The ranch was TEN
porarily in charge of one Tuttle. whp
had the shrep>shea;ers there In the
house with Mrs. McPherson was man
named Tilly when Week entered it was
n surprise to his wife he said he wanted