Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-28
THE RENAULT CASE.
The story of How He shot the
Sheriff.


Court, Sixth Department, before Judge
Mckinley. The case involved was the
shooting of Sheriff Aguirre, the evening
of the 3rd of last May in small house
belonging to Captain Moore, while the
Sheriff was attempting to arrest Renault
on a warrant, he being charged with
rape alleged to have been committed
on the person of an old woman named
Mary Summons. The case against Rem
ault for the last named offense was tried
last week, and the defendant was ac-
Quilted by the jury without their leaving
their seats.
The story of the shooting, OF the burn
ing of the little shanty and OF the chase
and CAPTURE of Renault was very graph
ically sketched in the HERALD on the
morning following the exciting episode.
Much evidence was adduced on the trial
Yesterday, which need not be given here,
as it would be merely repetition OF what
was said at that time. The Sheriff g ac-
tual shooting and some details of Re-
nault's capture will be of interest here.
When the attorney for the defense
came down to the point where the shoot
ing was done, Sheriff Aguirre, being on
the stand, Salu IN substance:
"When the first shot was fred I was
talking to Brady. We were 800 feet
away from the house.
"Altogether there were six men from
the Sheriff's Office present.
81 went to the rear of the house, two
other officers were with me.
mo; l could not swear who fred the
shot. l could not see who was in the
house.
"No; it could not have been any of my
people. 1 had told them not to shoot"
Later in the trial Sheriff Aguirre was
recalled, and testified that as he turned
after being shot in the arm, a second
bullet from the inside of the house
struck him in the body, the ball
being arrested by half dollar in his
pocket. The coin was put in evidence
and showed plainly that it had met with
a severe conclusion, as it was bent al
most double.
Deputy Sheriff Hammell was next put
on and detailed the facts in connection
with the capture of Renault. He said ::
'We went to Judge Brouseau's, hav-
ing heard that the Frenchman was
there.
"We got permission to search for him,
and were about to go away, when one Of
the men looked into the coal house, and
jumping back, yelled out, 'J-C he is
here
"Mr. Brouseau came to the window,
and we asked him to call the man out.
Judge Brouseau spoke, and he came
out, his pistol in his right hand, the
muzzle pointed to the ground. told
Renault we were officers, and, if he
would go with us, We would do him no
harm.
81 held his wrists, and Kemp came up
and took the pistol and belt from the
Frenchman.
"We spoke of putting handouts on
him, but he said that would not be neces-
sary, that he would go along with us.
GAS we were going along asked him
how many shots he fred. He sald a,
laughing, 'Oh, l do not know. 1t was
pop! pop! pop! all the time; perhaps
twenty five or thirty Shots
''He spoke in English.
81 took charge of his armament"
The deputy here identified big Colts
revolver, a belt and holster as thoee
taken from Renault.
Carlton Kemp, another deputy, next
told his version of the story. He said:
81 was placed in line with the back
door. Brady, Darcy and went up after
the Sheriff to the back door. The Sher-
if took tho knob of the door in his
hand and shook it once or twice. He
said: am the Sheriff, and will protect
you
"Then came the shots. There were
two or three.
''At the time of the arrest he heard us
talking OF the irons, and he said: Oh,
no! will go without that He spoke
in English"
Mr.. Broueeau, the we'll known attor-
ney of this city, was put on for the de-
tense. He said, substantially:
81 have known the defendant since
1885. He did not appear to understand
English at that time.
"On the night of the shooting he came
to my house. 1t was between l and
O'Clock at night. l heard the door bell
ring and heard voice speaking French.
1 recognized it as that of the defendant.
He wanted to get into the house and
sleep. He seemed to be much excited
and frightened. l told him l had no
place for him. Then l went to bed and
heard the dogs barking through the
night. Sometimes heard voice outside.
About 5 O'Clock. or at daylight, heard
some one talking outside. l went to
see who was there, and saw man, who
said he was Deputy-Sheriff. He asked
me if French Jerry was there. l told
him 1 did not know such person. Then
he described the man he was looking
for, and knew who it was. told him
about the man being there, but that if
he was there at that time | did not
know. 1 told the man he might search
the back yard for him. Soon after 1
heard voices, and went to the win
dow. 1 eaw three men in the back
yard. The one whom 1 had been
speaking with, said Renault was in the
coal shed, and asked me to tell him to
come out. l said, perhaps he will come
out himself. Then the door opened and
he came out. He had pistol in his hand.
He asked me if 1 knew the men who
were after him. 1 told him they were
officers. He said, if you know they are
all right, and tell me to go with them, l
will go. When he came out he had a
handkerchief tied around his head and
he had no shoes on. The Sheriff asked
me to tell him to throw up his hands.
told him in French, and he did 80. Then
they took his pistol from him, and then
they went away"
One or two unimportant witnesses were
next examined, and then the prisoner
was put on in his own behalf. A little
legal wrangle took place as to allowing
an interpreter to give the mans testi..
l.