Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-20
CHOKED TO DEATH.
MURDER OF NICHOLAS sKERRErF, An
ELDERLY CAPITALIST.
Els Body found in Closet in an Unoc-
cupied House-Wright Leroy, IA ex-
Convict, Arrested for the Murder.
lsan Francisco Call, August 18th

/
known capitalist and at one time dry
goods merchant of this city, had rooms at
| No. 503 Bush street, corner of Dupont
He rented the whole building and sub
let portion to stockbroker who
was his personal friend, and who
with his wife occupied it as their residence.
! Mr.. Skerrett was IN the habit of calling in
every day at the rooms of his friend, the
broker, and having social chat. So uni
form was this habit, that If a day passed
without his calling, it was noticed. He
never entrusted the keys of his rooms to
any person. Last Monday his usual visit
was missed, nor was he seen on Tuesday.
The family were surprised at this, but were
| disposed to attribute it to milf on the
| part Of Mr.. Skerrett, because the husband
| had gone TO Petsluma day or two before
and did not invite the old gentleman to ac-
| company him. Still another and another
| day passed, and he did not appear. To
add TO the many Inconsistencies surround
| ing the disappearance of Mr.. Skerrett,
| Samuel Dixon, the broker residing at the
house, received the following telegram on
Wednesday:
SACRAMENTO tCall Aug. l5 1ss3-2:l0 P N.
S. Dixon, OF Stock Exchange: Have made clean
sweep OF my real estate and personal propertytwo
parties from COlOTaQO 20 IflSTe lLnmSQldtely TO
complete sale. Have one half on hand. La Rue
will take charge. Favor him. Heis solid and reli-
able. Say to Schmedell have closed out
N. SKERETr
A SURPRISE.
Mr.. Dixon's surprise at this accounting !
for Mr.. -Skerretts sudden departure was in J
no wise abated, when upon reading the tele.
gram to friend of Skerrett, the latter
produced the following dispatch:
SACRAMENTO, August 15 1ss3-2:l5 p NJ
Donald McLea, No. 657 Folsom street, San Fran.
cisco; Have closed cut ] my real estate at good
prices to from Colorado. Office furniture goes
also. Mr.. La Rue will call you. he is reliable
''''4 ''''' ' N. sKERRETT.
Mr. McLea is the gentleman from whom
Mr.. Skerrett leased the house in which he
he lived on Bush street, and the explana-
tion contained in the telegram did not half
satisfy him as to the cause of his tenants
sudden departure, aud he, with Mr. Dixon,
called on Donohoe, Kelly & Co, who acted
as bankers for Mr. Skerrett. Here another
complication confronted them, for, although
Mr.. Skerrett's bank account remained in.
tact, and no transaction of his had given
indication of his Intention to leave the
State, yet the following telegram had been
received:
SACRAMENTO, Cal, August Is, 1sS3-2:20 PM
Donohoe, Kelly & Co., Bankers, San francisco
Have disposed OF my real estate in a lump to Col
orado men, one-half in hand, paid here. Go to
Colorado at once to complete sale VIII advise you
from there. Mr.. La Rue will call on you 1t once
he is solid n. ShERRETE.
The kilograms excited the suspicion of
the gentlemen that all was not right. The
language was not that which Mr.. Skerrett
was accustomed to use, the similarity of
the dispatches and the effort TO impress the
statment that Mr.. La Rue was solid
were not strictly in business form, and the
parties placed the matter in the hands of
Chief Crowley and Captain Lees, whose
investigations have developed facts, among
which are the following:
AN INVESTIGATE
The house in which Mr.. Skerrett lived, |
at No. 503 Bash street, is three. story |
brick, but twenty. two feet square, and |
leased by Mr.. Skerrett from Donald McLea, |
and sub let. The lower floor IS occupied |
| as liquor saloon, aud the other stories, |
WEIGH contain but two rooms and q toilet |
each, are occupied-the first by Mr. Sker-
rett, the second by Samuel Dixon and wife, |
and the third by another gentleman and |
lady. The rooms of Mr.. Skerrett were |
used as parlor and chamber, the parlor |
also serving as an Office. Some two weeks
prior to Monday last, q man called st the |
Office with the ostensible purpose Of pur. |
chasing large piece of real estate, and !
stated that he and his partner had made |
considerable money in mines in Colorado. |
They had had considerable trouble in set
Ting up their business, but had finally |
wound it up favorably and wished to invest |
in real estate. The visitor claimed to have |
known Skerrett ten years ago. aud finally |
succeeded in convincing him that such was |
the case. The negotiations continued up |
to Monday last, when Skerrett disappeared. |
Skerrett told his friends Dixon and McLea |
that his customer was much pleased with |
the property, and he expected to make
good sale. Mr.. Dixon only once saw the |
customer, and then he was
TALKING WITH sKERRETT,
On Sunday last. Skerrett did not visit |
his rooms on Monday or Tuesday after this |
interview, and this deviation from his regu-
lar habits created comment by his friends. |
On Wednesday a man calling himself !
La Rue called at the residence of Mr.. |
Skerret5 and entered his rooms. Mrs. |
Dixon observed him from the landing |
above, aud when che spoke to him he said |
that he had bought Mr. Skerrett out, and |
had come there to take charge. Mrs. |
Dixon became alarmed and sent for her |
husband. In few minutes the mysterious !
visitor went ont, taking with him bundle (
corresponding in size to that of four laun- |
dried shirts.
From the description given Of the man
by Mr. and Mrs. Dixon, Chief Crowley |
and Captain Lees became satisfied that he /
was one Of two persons, photographs Of |
both of which grace the rogues' gallery. !
Several points that it was thought might |
be visited by the mysterious real estate |
! customer were covered. Detective Byrsm |
was sent out to Mr.. MoLes's house on Fol |
som street, but before the detective |
reached there the man had called and gone,
but not until an engagement to call again
had been made. Detective Byram was
concealed in the house, while Chief Crow
ley and Captain Lees stationed themselves |
outside to await prearranged eignai by |
which Byram was to inform them of the |
return of the man who was wanted. After
short wait the signal was seen, and the |
Chief and Captain Lees entered the house,
the latter
COVERING THE MAN WITH REVOLVER,
And causing him to throw up his hands,
and hold them up until searched. The
prisoner was Immediately recognized as
Wright LIE Roy, an old convict. The
search resulted in the discovery of consid-
cradle property belonging to Skerrett, and
three punches of keys, which he insisted
were his. He was taxed with sending the
dispatches, but emphaticslly denied being
their author, and then refused to answer
any further questions, and left the police
still in the dark as to the whereabouts Of
Skerrett Captain Lses obtained the orig.
inals of the dispatches from Sacramento,
and found that they were in LIE Roy's |
handwriting, which is familiar TO the po-
lice. Ls Roy was shown these originals,
but stubbornly denied their authorship, |
and refused to talk any further. On Thurs. |
day Captain Lees had talk with LIE Roy |
in the Chiefs Office. The prisoner made |
long statement, TO the effect that Skerrett |
went to Sacramento on Monday last with |
John B. Tognsend and German named |
William Miller, who claimed to own large |
interests in mines near Denver, Colorado. |
They intended TO make transfer of money |
to Skerrett at Denver, they having pur- |
chased all his real and personal property in
this city. He, LIE Roy, went to Saora-
neutn m TueEdav and nat .Skarrett