Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-10-15
CoRoNER,s INQUEST.
Evidence Given at the Inquest Held Over
the Remains of w. ii. Harris.

/ SfiucHCc OiN6n ut the lnfuCst oOAN Wv Oi
the Remains of w. 81. Harris.
AT 7:30 P. NJ. yesterday an inquest wa.
held at Coroner Clark's Office on Fourth
street. over the remains of Henry Harris
| who was shot on Sunday morning last By
NJ. Zeller, in front..o Paine's stable, on K
street, between Fifth and Sixth. The wit
nesses testified as follows:
Thomas McCants said he knew the de-
ceased since he was child. Think he was
about q years of age. Was present at the
difficulty that resulted in his death. Harris,
| myself and man by the name OF Lewis
| were on our way home. A man asked
us 10 take a drink. and we went into
the saloon at Fifth and K streets
| When / came out there was difficulty. l
saw Harris retreating from the crowd, and
apparently trying to defend himself
Heard the shot that killed Harris but
don't know who fired it. Don't know
whether he was armed or not. Never
knew him TO carry a weapon. Did not
know that Harris was shot at the time, and
did not know it until l was arrested by
| officer Brissei in an oyster house above on
| the street a short time afterwards. Before
| the shooting was asked out of the saloon
| by man whom | thought wanted to
JUMP me l06Il IL WIS ludl otN anu
| heard the row. The man who asked me
out was not very drunk. Harris was pretty
full at the time but could walk straight.
| was at the end of the crowd when
the shot was fired and after that
l could not find Harris. L had been
drinking considerable myself, and did not
know any one had been shot until | was
arrested
Nathaniel Lowe came to this city last
fair week. When at home | live on Pine
street III San Francisco. Was at work at
my trade, that of printer, for Harry
Weaver, during fair week. l happened to
Saw some men quarreling in front of
Paine's stable. Was attracted to the row
somebody was down, and saw two men adj
yanclng upon each other. One had his
hands up the other his hand on his hip
pocket. Did not see Which one fired the
shot. The man who had his hands up
fired the shot, think. Harris afterwards
ran across the street The air was full of
oaths; could not tell who it was that u sed
the vilest language. My hat was knocked
off in the row. On going home, which |
did with Mike Zeller, he told me he fired
the shot, saying, lie pulled upon Inc, and
| shot him" At that time we neither
thought Harris injured. Mike Zeller was
sober. and claimed that what he had
done was in selfdefense" Zeller ap-
parently was endeavoring to get away from
Harris. 1t was so dark that could not
distinguish the features of any one. l was
in the company of Mr.. Fogarty, who is
employed as a pressman at II. S. Crocker &
Co.'S. | stop at the Pacific Hotel. Harris
and Zeller came from the crowd, the latter
apparently retreating. Harris ran imme-
diately after the shot, across the street.
Zeller said to me, going home, that he was
obliged to carry pistol. He did not say
anything about having an old grudge
against Harris.
J. NJ. Sullivan, police officer, who ar
rested Zeller at his residence, on Fourth
street, between and T, said: When Zeller
was arrested he admitted the shooting, say
ing that Harris put his hand behind him,
saying, g will fix you" and then Zeller
said he shot him.
District Attorney Buckley said he called
to see Harris on Sunday last Harris said
at that time " he expected to die" He said
that on the night of the row he was in the
saloon with some twenty others. There
was row. a Skye terrier kept biting his
pantaloons, and he kicked the dog several
times. He was standing near the edge of
the sidewalk, and said a man came up,
and, pointing a pistol to his breast, shot
him. He did not know why it was done,
unless tne uoS belonged 10 tne man, or else
he was annoyed at his kicking him He
made that statement knowing, as he said,
" that he was dying
Leonard Harris, father of the deceased,
said: William Henry Harris was native
of California, 81 years and 10 months old.
The surgeons who held the post mortem
said that the cause of death was a bullet
wound in the upper part OF the left side of
the chest, near the median line fracturing
the first rib near its junction with the
breast bone and partially severing the sub
clavian vein, which caused a hemorrhage
The jury retired, and in very few mo-
merits returned the following verdict: "At
an inquest held upon the body of a man
who was shot on Sunday morning. October
Il, 1885, on X street, between Fifth and
Sixth, south side, and died at his fathers
residence, Tenth street, between 0 and ?,
on Wednesday morning, October IA, 1885,
we, the Coroner's jury, being duly sum
moned and sworn by the Coroner to in
qUire into the death of said man, do find
from the evidence before us that said mans
name is William Henry Harris, a native of
California, aged p years and 10 months
That his death was caused by pistol shot
fired by Michael Zeller."