Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-13

| dDDutS- anu Llldl Sl1C dIoO OE A1lotl U
mental in obtaining other information
Hume arrange TO take the next train 70
the vicinity of Wright's home, but befor
his departure, Goodenough came to hin
and expressed very grave doubts Of Mis-
! Wright 's,trustworthiness and expressed tn,
belief that the better and safer plan woul'
| be to induce Jones to write to her, and
| possible, obtain from her the knowledg
| desired of Beck's whereabouts.
{ Hume accordingly returned to San Fran
cisco to wait until Jones assistance coult
| be secured, and until something furthe
had developed under Mr.. Goodenough'
! management. Goodenough learned tha
Jones was in Contra Costa county, nea
Pacheco, and telegraphed the fact to Hume
Hume telegraphed Jones to come to Sar
Francisco, expenses paid, etc. On Marcel
9th Jones came as requested, but when ht
arrived Hume was in Lake county looking
after late stage robbery. Superintendent
Brastow paid Jones expenses and ar
ranged for an Interview when Hume should
have returned.
On the 2Sth of March, Jones, who is Z
school teacher, called on Hume while he
(Jones) was en- route to Eureka, Humboldt
county, where he had an engagement tc
teach school, Hume told Jones that his
theory was that Sykes was the murderer Of
Henderson, and was the person whom Beck
had sheltered and concealed in the barn on
Gooderough's ranch. Jones was at first
slow to accept this rs a correct theory, be-
ing unable to at once believe that former
companion could be guilty of such crime
He was willing, however, to give Hume
all the information he possessed about the
two young men, and did So Jones knew
that Sykes had a sister, brother-in-law and
brother living at Live Oak, in Sutter
county; that he was well acquainted there
making his home at his sisters house
when he was in that locality He
knew that Beck owned pistol
which Sykes took with him when
he left Goodenough's on the 18th of Octo-
Der: he knew that shortly before the mur-
der Beck had sent to San Francisco for a
handspring for this pistol, and the spring
was procured from Ladd & Co, Kearny
street: he knew also that Beck let Sykes
have all the money he had when the latter
left Goodenough's, and even borrowed from
Jones to supply Sykes; he knew that
Beck's home was in Fresno county, near
Bates station, about thirty miles from
Fresno; he knew that Beck corresponded
with Clara Wight; that on the trip down
to Fresno, Beck had in his possession Il
silver watch, which he claimed to have
won at poker in Redding.
Jones also stated that besides buying
Beck's ticket to Fresno, and paying his ex-
penses, he had paid ten or fifteen dollars
in settlement Of debts in Redding, in order
to get him out of town, and accompanied
him to Fresno in the hope of inducing
Beck to dIvrlge the secret of the attempted
robbery and murder, and which he pre-
tended he was afraid to tell in Redding
he knew that Clara Wright received a
letter from Sykes, written from Anderson,
October 18th.
Jones promised to write friendly letters
to Buck and Miss Wright, and endeavor
to learn from them something of Sykes
whereabouts.
Hume went at once to Ladd & Co.'S, and
found that the handspring ordered by
Buck, and sent by mail to him at Redding,
was for 45-caliber Colts improved pistol,
carrying a swedged ball, such as was taken
from the body of Henderson. Hume then
went to Live Oak and learned that Sykes
relations had heard nothing from him
since October q, 1887. He learned further
that S. F. Ruff, of Live Oak, had taken
dinner with Sykes. at Anderson, October
18th, and that Sykes told him that he
Sykes had been working for man near
Redding, that he had not been paid and
that he was going TO Redding on the even
ing train, and thence out to the ranch to
get his pay, and would be in Live Oak in
a few days.
These and other facts which Hume had
obtained strengthened the theory that
Sykes did not leave the vicinity until after
the killing, and that Buck knew all about
it, and would probably have shared in the
proceeds had the robbery proved success
ful.
On this trip to Anderson Hume inter
viewed Miss Clara Wright, and notwith-
standing Mr.. Goodenough's previously ex-
pressed opinion, he found her to be lady
of unexceptionable character, and fully
worthy of confidence, willing and eager to
furnish any information she possessed and
to aid in every means in her power to OBJ
tain some knowledge of the locality Of
Sykes. Without Becll's testimony, how
ever, there would not be sufficient eyi-
dence to warrant the arrest of Sykes even
if it were possible to find him. If Sykes
were the murderer it was almost certain
that Bscs knew where he was, and that in
all probability they were somewhere in the
same neighborhood. If Beck were inter
viewed, therefore, and failed to ''peach, .
Sykes would be informed and would skip
the country.
No description of Sykes could be pro,
cured to enable an officer to find him by
that alone. If Beck were arrested and
Sykes heard of it, he would then, Of
course, take warning and skip" 1t was
believed as stated, that without Beck's teS-
timony no case could be made against
Sykes even if he could be found, and or
the other hand, it was certain that il
Sykes could not be found the case would
be a failure, even though confession were
obtained from Beck.
While driving wood wagon to Redding
for Goodenough, Beck had received a
watch from Joseph Covey to take to Red
ding for repair. Beck claimed that he lost
the watch from his pocket before reaching
Redding, but Hume at once concluded that
the watch seen in Beck's possession by
Jones, while en- route to Fresno, was Co
vey's watch, and if this proved to be true
Beck was guilty of embezzling it. Hume
therefore, sent on April 9th special officer
ThaeKer to Fresno with good description
of the watch obtained from the owner by
A. NJ. Goodenough, to learn, if possible,
whether Beck had sold or pawned silver
watch soon after his return from Shasta
County.
Thacker called to his assistance in the
matter officer c. w. Fraser, but they were
unable to make any discoveries in regard
to the watch, aside from the fact that Becl
! had been seen to have a silver watch in
his possession. No very critical search
could be made, on account of the danger
of Beck's hearing of it and thwarting the
whole scheme
Hume again visited Redding and ad
vised Mr.. Goodenough to see Covey, and i
he was willing to swear to complaint
charging Beck with having embezzled the
watch, to have this done, and the warrant
sent TO Hume. This was done, and or
May 9TH Hume received the warrant
which he at once sent to officer Fraser, al
Fresno, with instructions.
On the 18th of May, Frazer wrote tt
Hume that he had horse-stealing case
which had originated in Beck's neighbor
hood, set for trial on the 10th of June
| That he would subpoena Beck with othel