Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-08-03
THE LOWELL MURDER.
DRAGER AT LAST CONPESSES iF
WAS PRESENT.
All Three Held to Answer to the
Charge of Murder Without Bonds
Myers Remains Silent.

The examination of John Henry Myers,
John Olsen and William Drager, for the
murder of John Lowell in March last, was
concluded at Placerville yesterday, before
Justice Marks, resulting in all three of the
men being held to answer before the Su-
perior Court on charges of murder, without
bonds. District Attorney Bennett con-
Quoted the examination for the people, and
the prisoners were not represented by
counsel. 1t is understood that c. G.. Blan-
chard has been retained to defend Myers,
but Olsen and Drager have no counsel
as yet
The RECORD UNION has already pub
lished the full details of the murder of Mr..
Lowell, and the various statements made
by the three assassins up to the time they
were taken to Piacerville. Nothing new
was developed at the examination, except
the statement of VIM. Drsger, who has at
all times heretofore declared that he did
not go with the others to Lowells ranch,
but remained in camp some distance this
side.
Nicholas Wubbena, Levi Darlington and
]. G. Murray testified to the finding of
Lowells body on the I'd of June, and to
seeing three men with Lowell on his ranch
during the latter part of March, two OF
whom had guns. Chief of Police Tim.
Lee, of Sacramento, testified in regard to
the arrest of the men. and the various
statements made by them at different
times. Coroner Spencer testified to the
facts connected with the inquest, and Wm.
Lowell, son of the deceased, to his fathers
disappearance and the recovery of the
horses.
MYERS AND OLSEN.
AT the close of the testimony for the
prosecution, the prisoners were sked if
they wished to make any statement or had
any witnesses. Myers said he had no
statement to make, and Olsen repeated his
account of their trip to Lowell's ranch in
nearly the same language that he used in
Sacramento, giving his account of the
shooting in the following words: when
we returned to the house between and 10
o'clock, Harry Myers gun went off and
Lowell fell. | was ahead of him and Bill
Drager and Harry Myers behind with a
shotgun apiece. As the gun went off the
shot went right past my head, what didn't
take effect in Lowell. | went right back
past them into the chicken house. Myers
got mad because | would not help him
take the body into the house. and conf
menced swearing and broke the gun on the
wagon, which | heard but could not see.
After the body was taken into the house
he packed the gun away. When | saw it
the stock was broken and the barrel split
He went toward the road with it, but
where he left ii | don't know. In the
evening he and Drager buried the body in
| the cellar while l was in the barn. |
would have nothing to do with it and
knew nothing about it."
While Olsen was making this statement,
Myers watched HIM sharply with sarcas-
tic grin on his face at times, and Drager sat
with his head down, leaning on his hand.
DRAGER's STATEMENT.
Drager also wanted to make a statement,
and he told an entirely different story from
what he related in Sacramento. he said
| that they went out to Lowelrs ranch by
| Myers request and under his direction to
chop wood. He did not know the country,
ana Myers directed them. When they
got 20 Lowell's ranch he was absent, out
returned late that night while they were
| sleeping in the barn. In the morning he
proposed 10 show them the timber they
were to cut. Before starting Myers ex-
amined LoEelPs gun, which was on the
wagon, and Lowell told them that he had
killed man with that gun and it had cost
MIN $o,oUU. Ihe four then went to the
| timber Drsger and Myers having their
own guns, and leaving Lowell's gun on the
wagon. AS they got near the house on their
return, Lowell was ahead, Drager and Ny
ers behind, the latter farthest and less than
ten feet away from Lowell. Drager did
not know whether Olsen was behind or
ahead. He suddenly heard Myers fire,
and saw Lowell fall, bleeding in the neck.
Lowell shouted feebly. Olsen jumped to
one side, and Myers fired again, but ap-
parently without hurting Lowell. Lowell
tried to get up by clinging to the wagon
and said: Where is my gun ?" when My
I ers struck him on the head with his gun,
! which broke. Drsger then ran off to where
he had seen man blowing, to see if he had
noticed the crime, but found he was too far
away. When he got back the body was in
the house, aud Myers was sweeping the
| bloodsiains with broom 10 conceal them
The broken gun Myers threw into the
well. taking Lowelrs gun in place of it, In
the afternoon, Drager says, he went into the
woods and sat on a rock for about an hour
When he returned the three men buried
the body, and at Myers suggestion they
secured the horses and returned with them