Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-23
THE MURDER OF MISS DRELL.
Arrest of Lodger-suspicious Circum-
stances

stances.
lSan Francisco Bulletin, December 22d.l
The man who was arrested by the police
yesterday and locked up on suspicion of
having been concerned in the murder of
Miss Frederick Drell, of 702 Dupont
street, is named Henry Bays, otherwise
known as LUCKY" He occupied room
separated from that of the deceased by a
closet, through which entrance could be
had from one room TO the other The
door, leading from Miss Drell's room to the
closet was found locked yesterday morning
when the officers arrived, the key remain
ing on the inside. Bays is reported to be
gambler. He is said to have been indebt-
ed to the deceased for rent, and lately had
been pressed to pay, which he promised to
do every day, but as frequently failed to
keep his promise. A short time ago Bays
is said to have sold some jewelry for Miss
Drell, but instead OF returning the money,
lost it in gambling. Police officer Dowd
arrested Bays on New Montgomery street
at about II o'clock. Some years ago the
deceased made her will, and gave it to
Mr. Reichling, who was named as executor.
The will was dated May II, 1878, and in
it bequeathed all her property to her niece
Dora Scherpel. The deceased was unmar-
ried, native of Nienburg, Hanover, Ger
many, and was aged about 20 years.
A close examination which was given to
the body of the murdered woman after it
had been taken to the Morgue, disclosed
evidence showing that the crime was not
committed exactly as was at first supposed
The towel tied tightly about the throat is
not now thought to have been used in
strangling her, but only as "blind. !"
When the towel was removed it was found
that there were tinger-marks on the neck,
and there was also discoloration on the
upper lip, which is thought to have been
produced by the hand that was probably
held over her mouth while the other hand
of the murderer was clutching the throat
The grasp of the murderer was so tight
that it crushed the partially ossifed car
tilages of the larynx. Upon making the
autopsy DIR. Clark, Police Surgeon, found
that the thoracic aorta was ossi6ed, show
ing that the old lady was near that stage
when death would ensue from senility.
DIR. Clark thinks that she must have
been between 65 and 20 years of age
There are many suspicious circum.
stances in the case Of Bays, the
suspected murderer, which render the
police confident that he is the man who
committed the deed. His room was the
back parlor, and from it door led into a
small closet, from which another door
opened into the room of deceased. Both
of these doors, the police say, were found
unlocked when the body was first discov-
cred. The door from Bays room into the
hall was locked, as well as that of the de.
ceased, as was discovered by Mr.. McGib-
bon when he tried to get into the ROOM
In all of the rooms of the house except
Bays there were two towels. In his there
was only one, which is regarded as sig
nifcant Another suspicious circumstance
is the fact that Bays was in the house at
o'clock on the evening previous to the dis
covery of the crime. He was never known
to have entered the house before u clock
previously. When he was arrested and
was taken to his room, where everything
was in confusion, he did not ask what the
matter was, what the officers wanted, or
what had occurred in the house. He said
he had slept in the house that night, but
had arisen at about o'clock and had gone
out to the sand hills.