Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-09-19

and readily identified. The pants, of light
tweed, had almost entirely disappeared, only
few square inches of the material being
found. The boots appeared almost perfect
when taken out, but after brief exposure
opened at seam which ran from the toe ur
the center of the instep, but otherwise re-
main intact.
THE INQUEST.
An inquest was held at Lincoln on Satur-
day afternoon by J. D. Redfern, Coroner OF
Placer county, before jury composed
of E. Jarvis, DIR. John Rea, III. G. johnson,
John Haeney, 7. H. Jeter, Elisha Heryford
and Newell Gates. The examination was
conducted by District Attorney w. 3. Lard.
ner, of Placer county. The testimony, in
response to interrogations, was as follows
JOHN PURCELL,
The first witness, was sworn and testified as
follows have seen the remains in the care
Of the Coroner, and have examined them and
the clothing found with them. From my
examination, and according to my judgment,
they are the remains of james Singleton.
My reasons for that conclusion are, from the
teeth and the boots which were found upon
him and the number of them. I last saw
Mr.. Singleton in the month Of November,
five years ago this fall, at MIR. Reeves place,
adjoining the ranch where the remains were
found. cannot give the exact date, but i;
was in November. I had known him three
vears ar mara Of that time T tnou a man
named Ambrose S. Niles. 1 heard him tell
where Singleton went to from Lincoln at the
time he was last seen here. He said he took
him from his place to Sheridan, from which
place Singleton expected to go to Sacramento;
that he left him at Sheridan, which was the
last he saw of him. The June following !
was working for Mr.. Niles, and he said Single.
ton before leaving his house had one OF Niles
children on his lap, and the child was play.
ing with Singleton's watch, when Singleton
said to the child, This was your pas watch
once, and will now give it to you to wea,
when you become man" and so saying gave
it to the child. believe Singleton had pur.
chased the watch from Niles some time pre-
vious. Singleton appeared to be feeling bad,
Mr.. Niles said, about the time he gave him
the watch. This gift of the watch to the
child, Niles said, was the day before be took
Niles to Sheridan. Mr.. Niles told me sub.
sequently that the last he heard from Single
ton was at Prescott, Arizona, to which place
he went from Sacramento He said Single.
ton wrote that he was in poor health down
there and didn't expect to live Mr.. Niles
made this statement the June following Sin
g!eton's disappearance. I never saw the
watch mentioned in Niles possession.
G. GRAY
Testified that he knew James Singleton.
was under the impression, said he, that il
was four years ago that last saw him here
he then had on black coat and vest, light
colored pants and black hat. I had a con.
versation with him, and he remarked about
A. S. Niles owing him some money, but did
not say how much; the conversation occurred
by his asking me how Mr.. Niles was fixed
financially. THE clothing exhumed with the
deceased was here exhibited to the witness.
He continued: These are of the same colo,
as those worn by Singleton at the time re-
ferred to, but I could not identify them any
further than that, except that I think if ]
was locking for his overcoat would readily
have decided upon this ore; I am satisfied
that it is the one he had upon his arm when
we had our conversation. THE small piece
or tha nsnta which rrara ro,,J ,,;tl, IL. -,
mains was shown to wifnsss. This piece
is the same, light tweed goods,
as those he had on. I remember very
distinctly about our conversation at this time
about Niles owing him, and that he had come
to makes an effort 60 get it, for Niles also
owed me between two and three hundred dol
lars, and was anxious TO make sure Of get.
ting my pay, and so did not say much to Sin.
gleton about how Niles matters were. ]
wanted to get my pay first. 1 made an ef
fort, and Niles paid me few days after
wards. The suspicious in regard to the mat
ter of Singleton's disappearance has not, il
seems, been very generally known, for
never heard anything about it until this
morning, and supposed he was still at Sac
ramento.
MRS. CASSIDY
Was the next witness knew James Single.
ton. l saw him last in November, and ]
think it was in 1876; it was just before
Thanksgiving, remember. He stopped al
our house, having just come from the cars
he was an old friend of ours, and took dinner
with US. It was the day he came to Lincoln
to go to see Mr.. Niles about his money. He
had dark, heavy overcoat on his arm
remember it distinctly, because we joked him
about having such heavy overcoat when il
was warm weather up here. His pants were
light, and his coat and vest were not very
dark, 50 far as can remember, but fine line
goods, looked pretty new and dark. He
wore small shirt-studs and a white shirt. He
had few days previously sent letter to my
husband inquiring about Mr.. Niles business
affairs and he came up about that. Towards
night he got into Mr.. Fuller's wagon at
our house and drove down to Mr.. Niles
Mrs. Fullers folks lived down beyond Niles
place. Mr.. Singleton at this time was wear.
ing a watch and chain. He always wore a
gold watch and chain. 1 should say that he
was so or 80 years of age. His hair was
light, not very dark, and sprinkled with a
little gray. His health was good, SO far as ]
ever knew. He was single man, of good
habits, and never knew of any one seeing him
intoxicated. He had but two or three, il any,
upper teeth, and his lower teeth were irregu.
lar and poor. His letters to my husband In
dicated that he was not feeling easy about
the money that Niles owed him. 1 wrote to
Mr.. Singleton for my husband, in answer to
letters received from him, and told him that
probably he had better come and see about i!
for himself, and he came a few days after.
wards. When he came up and left to go to
Niles on the day L have mentioned, he
said he would come back in day
or two or three days and make us visit, but
he never returned afterwards. [The clothing
and boots of deceased were shown witness.
That is the coat he had on at the time, and
the vest is like it. That is the same over
coat, too, as near as can tell. Think these
are the boots, He always wore fine, trim
boot. When he was at our house the last
time my husband asked him why he came SO
quick after we wrote, and he said, "Oh,
don't know; feel uneasy and not Just right