Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-18
MYERS TAKEN TO THE SCENE OF
THE MURDER.
He Now Claims That His Gun Went
Off Accidentally, and That
Olsen Shot First.

WIZ p" 90 oiouSHi W tue CITY on SATURDAY
night by Deputy Sheriff Warden, of San
Bernardino, and who was delivered at the
State Prison at Folsom to serve term of
four years for assault with deadly weapon
with intent to commit murder.
Nj. I. Bennett, District Attorney of Ell Do
RADIO county had been telegraphed to by Chief
Lee to meet him at the scene of the MUIR
der, in the hope that something new would
be brought to light which would assist in
the conviction of the three men charged
with the murder of Lowell. Ii was hoped
that the gun used by Myers would be found
and that IN his explanations at the scene
of the crime he would come out with the
truth.
On the night Myers was brought to the
city he made long statement, every mate
rial point of which was published in the
RECORD UNION on the following morning.
In this statement he admitted that he shot
Lowell, and while asserting that both Olsen
and Drsger were present and assisted in
bnrying he body, he did not say that either
OF them took any part in the killing He
claimed, however, that the murder was
agreed upon by all three while Lowell was
getting breakfast for them. This state
ment was probably nearer the truth than
any that has been made by either the pris-
oners since their arrest.
On Friday night Myers and Drager were
brought face to face in Chief Lees Office,
and for the first time Myers discovered that
DTager claimed that he was not on the
Lowell ranch at all. Myers then asserted
that when he shot Lowell and the latter
fell, Drager seized sledge hammer that
lay near by and struck the old man on the
head. On Saturday morning Myers had
another addition to make to his story, He
asked to see Chief Lee, and informed him
that Olsen had fired upon Lowell first,
with revolver belonging to him. That
his gun went of an instant later, and that
then Drager struck Lowell on the head
with the sledge hammer.
MYERS AND OLSEN MEET.
On Saturday afternoon Myers was taken
to the County Jail and brought face to face
with Olsen. in the presence of Sheriff Drew
and Chief Lee. They were questioned in
the same manner as were Myers and
Drager on the preceding evening. Olsen
stuck to the story he told when first ar
rested and which was published in full in
the RECORD UNION as signed by him after
it had been written out. He claimed that
he had no idea that the murder was con-
templated until he heard Myers gun 60 off,
as he was walking ahead of Lowell, Drager
and Myers, and looking back. saw Lowell
on the glound. That he did not assist
in the burial but did help drive off the
stock, because Myers threatened he and
Drager with the same fate as Lowell had
met if they did not do so.
Olsen was visibly affected when Myers
stated that he had first shot Lowell with
! the revolver, and denied it vehemently
He said that he never had the revolver in
his hand until on the Sunday following, on
the grant, when he took it from the bot
tom of the wagon.
How could you say that had the re-
volver?" he demanded of Myers.
You did, said Myers, and you had it
before that. You borrowed it couple of
weeks before to shoot young Reed, because
he got you off his fathers ranch, on the
other side of the river. You were going to
stand on the bridge some night and shoot
him."
1t is known that Olsen did work at one
time at Mr.. G. w. Reeds place on the Yolo
side of the river.
With the exception above noted, both
men adhered to the statements already
made, exhibiting great deal of bitter feel
ing during the controversy.
ON THE ROAD.
The case stood in this condition when the
party started yesterday morning for the
scene of the murder. The drive up to
Folsom, in the fresh morning air, was de-
| lghtful. On the way Myers pointed out
various places, naming the owners and
showing great deal of familiarity with the
country. Passing along on the other side
of Brighton be pointed TO a small house by
the side of the road and said There is
where Mr.. Lowell used to live. He built
that little house"
AT Folsom the party took breakfast and
proceeded at once to the Lowell ranch,
eight miles further on. Here they found
| Sheriff J. NJ. Anderson and District Attor-
ney NJ. ?. Bennett, of Ell Dorado county.
| VIM Lowell, son of the murdered man,
| Constables McComber and Hawk and sew
eral others arrived on the scene about the
same time. Among the latter were Levi
| bennington, the owner of the ranch next to
! Lowelis, and James c. Murray, who was
working near Lowells house on the day of
| the murder. Darlington stated that he saw
three men at the house as he passed along
I the road about 8 o'clock on the Saturday
afternoon Lowell is supposed to have been
murdered. Murray saw Lowell and three
men walking around the ranch together
| that morning.
ON THE LOWELL RANCH,
| And close to the roadside, once stood a
wayside hotel, kept by a Mrs. Collyer, and
well-known to the army of teamsters who
used 10 make trips in to the mining camps
in that vicinity. This house was burned
down something less than a year ago and
only a portion of the old brick chimney
remains. 1t was in the cellar of this build.
ing that the body of the murdered man
was found. Some twenty yards farther from
the road stands the little cabin in which
Mr.. Lowell lived when on the ranch, while
hundred yards off to the right stands 8
large barn and cattle-shed. The whole
face of the country is more or less thick ly
covered with timber, and it is lonely
dreary place.
Myers was taken out of the carriage anG
asked to show exactly the position of each
of the parties at the time of the murder
He led the way to the cabin, before the
door of which and about ten feet distan
stood large rwo-horse wagon.
THRILLING DESCRIPTION.
Passing between the cabin and the wagon
he said: Here is where Mr. Lowell was
killed. He was standing near the hinc
wheel of the wagon, with his face towards
the road. Olsen stood about two feet bach
OF him on the side towards the wagon anC
Drager about the same distance back o
him on the side towards the cabin. l wa:
about six feet farther back. The first thin,
l knew Olsen shot Mr.. Lowell will
the revolver At that time l hat
my gun on my shoulder, with th'
stock over my back and thu
barrels toward the front. When l hearC
the shot tried to get my gun down, anC
somehow the snapper caught on my coat, o
something and it went off, and | thinl
shot Mr.. Lowell somewhere in the back o
the neck. Then Mr.. Lowell fell down an,
caught hold of the wheel of the wagon, AM
Dagger got the hammer that lay there ant
struck him on the head"
Myers then stated that, after Olsen fired
the old man staggered but did not fall unit
his gun went off. He said that he threw
his gun down by the cabin, and that the,
left it there when they came away at night
He said that Lowell was killed about L
o'clock in the forenoon, and was imme
diately picked up and carried into tn
cabin,
WHERE THE BODY REMAINED ALL DAY.
In the evening they took it out and burie,
it in the cellar, as already detailed. Myer
then led the party around and pointed on
various things TO corroborate the state
ments he had made. A heavy sledge ham
| NOR Uss foupd which he identified as tn