Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-29
BECKLEY's EXAMINATION.
He is Held for Manslaughter and Admitted
to $1,000 Bail

for the shooting of DR.. IL. A. Summers 6
Constable from Isleton came up, armed witt
warrant, issued by Justice George A
Knott, of Isleton, for the arrest of Beckley'
who was then confined in the County Jail II
charge of the Sheriff. A complaint had
previously been filed in the Court of Justice
Rogers, at Walnut Grove, and the defendant
was now held by the Sheriff upon the warrant
issued therefrom. The District Attorney and
defendants counsel had entered into an
agreement previous to the arrival OF the Isle
ton Constable for the examination OF the case
before Justice Rogers, commencing al III
o'clock on Monday, and subpenas had been
issued to witnesses accordingly. Justice
Knots, on the other hand, had arranged for
the examination at Isleton to begin on
Tuesday. and the same witnesses had all
been legally notified to be and appear before
him at that time and place. IN which to fan
not under pain and penalty of the law The
Constable, upon arriving here Sunday even
ing and making his business known to the
Sheriff. soon after returned to lsleton with
his warrant, but not the prisoner.
The Sheriff and his deputy, with the de-
PENDANT, accompanied by District Attorney
Buckley, defendants counsel, Z. L. Jones,
and Win. J. Davis, official reporter, went
| W
arriving there about IL o'clock. Prior to
their reaching there Justice Knott OF Isleton
had relipuuished jurisdiction of ihe case, but
the witnesses, who had been served with sub
penas by both Justices, were somewhat con-
fused as to which to obey and the examina-
ton, therefore, which finally took place before
Justice Rogers, did not commence. owing to
the conflict of jurisdiction till about o'clock
ON Monday afternoon.
THE EXAMINATION.
The testimony for the prosecution was
mainly repetition of that given before the
Coroner's inquest, which was published in
full at the time in the RECORD UNION. There
was the additional testimony, however, now
given. Some of the witnesses testified that
the first words at the wharf at the time Of
the occurrence was an exclamation by DIR.
| Summers of Its false" That the defend
ant then said, . You can call me ID
81 of a BIB, but you cannot call my
wife one," and then commenced firing One
of the witnesses testified that after the shoot
| ing the defendant remarked, am 81
of b-h when l get started The testi-
mony was also given that on the 5th of July
the defendant was in the saloon having q re-
volver in his pocket, in reference to which he
was cautioned as he might injure some one
with it, when he remarked that there was no
danger Of any one being hurt by it, as he had
no enmity against anyone except DR.. Sum-
mers, and then went on and related, in part,
the cause of the difficulty between them,
which grew out of alleged improper advances
which Summers had made to his wife.
THE DEFENSE.
Upon opening the case upon the part of the
defense the defendant proved by large num-
Der of prominent citizens of the place and
vicinity his good character for peace and
quietness, since 1852, including his childhood
days. By others it was proved that Summers
was of very overbearing and quarrelsome
disposition, and that he had the habit
of carrying q pistol, and of being q
man who would take any advantage, fair or
unfair, in fight that he had been at times
very abusive from slight provocation. An
effort was made to prove that at 1sleton he
had seduced the wife of one Robinson and
driven Robinson away from home at the
point of a pistol; that he then for time
lived unmarried with Robinsohs wife, and
having afterwards procured for her a divorce
married her; that the trouble between Rob-
inson and Summers was investigated in the
Justices Court at lsetoD. The admission of
this testimony was objected to by the prose
cution and excluded.
MRS. BECKLEY,
The wife of defendant, was placed upon the
stand and made a lengthy statement, con-
corning the conduct of the deceased towards
her. She stated that while acting in the
capacity of family physician, he from the
first visit commenced making improper and
insulting advances, and covertly expressed
proposals for criminal intimacy, and III every
instance she Indignantly repealed them.
She only made the matter known to her
mother and an intimate lady acquaintance
at the time, and they advised her
to keep it from her husband, fear
ing there might be trouble resulting
proposed to her husband to discontinue the
Doctors treatment of her, which Beckley re-
garded as woman's within, indicating lack
Of confidence. Subsequently, suspicioning
that the Doctor was giving her medicine for
an evil purpose, she asked her husband if he
thought the Doctor would do such thing.
This aroused Mr.. Beckley's suspicion as to
the cause of her antipathy against the Doc
tor and he asked his wife If she was conceal
ing anything from him, and, after exacting
from him promise that he would take no
violent measures against Summers, she told
him all about the advances and the proposals
that had been made to her. This was about
three weeks ago Her testimony was cor
roborated by the lady friend to whom she had
related itpreviops to her husbands knowledge
of the affair.
BECKLEY'S TESTIMONY.
Mr.. Beckley testified to having received
the knowledge from his wife of the Doctors
conduct as above stated He said that upon
hearing this he promised his wife he would
not speak to him, and avoid him. That soon
Summers apparently noticed that there was
an unusual reserve about his action. On the
day of the homicide Summers came to Beck
ley's on a matter of business connected with
the stage line, and after the business was
transacted the Doctor said: g | want to talk
with you" Defendant replied Il don't wish
to talk to YOU" to which the Doctor said in a
bantering spirit and manner, " Are you afraid
to talk to mef" Defendant said he answered
that he was not afraid to talk to any man.
Whereupon a similar question and answer
was repeated between them in an unpleasant
manner several times, after which they
walked down street together as far as the
meat market, when defendant went in and
purchased some meat as an excuse, so the
Doctor would go on and leave him.
defendant was accompanied by two of his
stepsons at the time. The Doctor, however,
did not go, but stopped and again insisted
upon having talk with defendant, and in
vited him to the saloon to take drink with
him, which they did Then at the request OF
the doctor they walked over to the wharf
together, across the street. Here they took
position side by side, leaning with their
elbows upon some bales of hay which were
standing on end The bales of hay were be-
tween them and the hotel, their backs being
towards the river. The Doctor here again
demanded Of him TO know what was the
trouble, and upon defendant declining to an
swer the Doctor said, Spit it out" and de-
PENDANT finally told him
WHAT HIS WIFE HAD STATED
To him. The Doctor then said, 4" If she said
that, she is a Cd id, low, lying 81
of a b-h" To this defendant said he i'm.
pnlsively demanded him to take it back, or
he was gone man. The Doctor replied that
he would take nothing back. and thereupon
dropped his right hand to his pocket as il to
draw weapon. Defendant then Immediately
pulled his pistol and fired.
This statement was corroborated by two Of
defendants step-sons, who are small boys, and
were upon the wharf at the time in position
to see the bodies of the two men. 1t was also
! corroborated by one of the principal witnesses
for the prosecution, except that this witness
testified that the Doctor put down his left
hand instead Of the right, and could not see
from his position where the hand went to.
The defendant also testified that he had been
informed that Summers was a desperate, bad
man.
During the examination OF the case large
number Of ladies from the place and vicinity
attended the sessions of the Court, manifest
ing much interest in the case and sympathy