Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-20

fact by letter addressed to Denver. He
went with Skerrett, Miller and Townsend
to the ticket office at Sacramento, where
they purchased tickets for Denver. This
was between l and 2 P. NJ. of Wednesday.
He supposed they left for Denver, as they
said they would. Before leaving the
Golden Eagle Hotel, Skerrett dictated the
kilograms and he, Ls Roy, wrote them and
delivered them to the telegraph Office in
Sacramento and paid the charges, Skerrets
having given him 81 80 for that purpose.
Skerrett altered the dispatch to Dixon af-
ter it was written, adding, "Say to
Schmiedell, | have closed out" Tue pris.
Oner further stated that he took the train
that night for S1n Francisco. He acknowl.
edged having seen Mrs. Dixon on Monday
when he went to Skerrett's room. Skier.
rett had given him the keys, one On
Wednesday, in San Francisco, and one in
Sacramento. The bundle which he took
away he stated contained two undersbirts,
which he gave TO friend who was in need
and, said he, "whom I refuse to name"
The prisoner further stated that he had
visited Skerrett's rooms on Tuesday.
Later in the day the prisoner told Captain
Lees that Townsend and Miller, while in
this city, stopped at the Russ House. He
met them three months ago in Sacramento
had met them casually az the Palace and
other phases in this city. He then de.
scribed Townsend and Miller. After be-
ing pressed on other points, LIE Roy told a
story of how; On Wednesday, while he
was In Sacramento, Townsend in his pres.
ence and that of Miller
MN otrrpDur., e=O 0nO
Being fifty 81, 600 bills. This payment was
made in the porch OF the Golden Eagle Ho.
tel, while We were sitting out there. Skier
rett put the money 10 a memorandum
book he carried in his pocket. This was
at the came time of the writing of the dis.
patches. The prisoner concluded by say
ing, I" This is all / can say TO aid you in
finding Skerrett."
At o'clock yesterday lie Roy sent word
that he wished to see Captain Lees, and
being brought into the Chiefs office from
the prison he said CAN that told you
yesterday was G pack OF lies, wish to
tell you the whole truth; out wait min
ute, l am so overcome" The prisoner then
wept, or pretended to weep, but soon COM
posed himself and spun the following yarn
Three weeks ago met John Il. Townsend,
and he said he was going to make raise /;
this was in the vicinity of Geary and Du-
pont streets. Skerrett was passing at the
time, and / remarked, If you had that
mans money you would not need to make
any more raises Miller came up, and
Townsend introduced him as his friend,
and they said that they proposed to make
Skerrett check his money out of Donohoe,
Kelly & Co.'s bank. advised them to let
it alone, but they said they would not
They agreed to give me share, and I
thought / would take it and get out of
town if l could. Townsend had paid sew.
eral visits to Sksrrett, and said he proposed
to capture his person. The next time 1
saw them they said they had captured him
already. l was afraid his friends would
miss him, and I proposed to do something
TO THROW THEM OFF THE TRACK
And SO got them to have Skerrett write
those dispatches. They did so, and went
up to Sacramento and sent them down.
Before l left for Sacramento I asked
Townsend and Miller where Skerrett was.
One of them laughed and said he was in
Contra Costa county and o. X, This was
all could get from them. They said they
had him all right. My impression is that
they were both well armed. l know that
Townsend was. was with Skerrett and
visited and examined his property on Ellis
street, near the Baldwin Hotel.
"A MURDER THEORY.
Chief Crowley and Captain Lees were
of the opinion that a murder had been
committed and went to work with that
view. An examination of Skerretts room
showed that every article of wearing sp-
parel had been removed, probably for the
purpose of giving the impression that he
had left town, but that this was without
substance was shown by Captain Lees,
who, on opening drawer in the secretary
in Mr.. Skerrett's room, found $50, two
diamond studs and a ruby ring, which
articles the missing man would have never
left behind had he been going out of the
State for q long or permanent stay. a box
containing deeds and other papers was also
found. j. r. Chichester, who did occa.
sional work for the missing man, was ques.
toned, and he said he had met Skerrett at
about A. M. on Saturday week age and
Skerrett asked him: "What do you sup
pose l have been offered for my property p
meaning piece on Ellis street, near the
Baldwin.
"Sixty thousand dollars" guessed Chi.
chester.
YOU'RE wrong replied Skerrett sits
S65, 600.
There was a strange man with him at
the time, and again they were seen to-
gether on Monday by Chichester while
they were making the rounds Of Skerrett's
IS ~, \
on Ellis street, between Cough and 0cta.
via. One of these houses is vacant, and
Captain Lees caused it to be searched Oh
Friday morning by detective Hogan, who
was accompanied by Chichester. By means
of an cd key the door of the house was
opened, and no sooner had the detective
entered than the odor from
DEcoMPosING HUMAN FLESH
Showed him that all was not right, and he
sent for Captain Lses. and they together
explored the hoese. Guided by the sick
enlng odor Of puirid flesh they found in q
closet Of the rear room in the third story
the black and swollen corpse Of Nicholas
Skerrett. The closet vas small, being but
about four feet in width and two and q
half feet in depth, and upon small bench
III lillo " AZ hfAt Qtol htaNt Win Llh
clasped behind his terribly disGgured head,
with his legs stretched out as far as the
limited space would permit, and over the
badly decomposed figure was thrown a
blanket. The key to the house had been
left by Mr.. Skerrett at ll26 with Mrs.
Kempe, by whom it was given to persons
desiring TO look at the house. Some man,
TO be LIE Roy, or one of his con.
had obtained the key, stating
.hat he had rented the house, and the
theory of Captain Lees is that the conspi.
rators in viewing Skerrett's property en-
tered the empty house and decided that If
they could entice the old man into it be
would fall an easy victim, their object be.
ing to get him into their power and then
force him
TO SIGN CHECKS FOR HIS MONEY
In the bank, so that they could draw it
out, and then in similar manner to force
him to sign over his real estate. One of
their number lessed the house and the way
was clear, but in trying to force Skerrett,
who is known to have been very stub.
born man, to concede to their demands, he
probably resisted stoutly and they choked
or strangled him more than they intended,
and the result was that they killed him.
He was probably killed before Monday