Los Angeles herald., 1890-03-25
THE INQUEST.
Story of the Tragedy 40 Developed by
the Coroner,

story OF the Tragedy 40 Developed by
the Coroner.
After the jury had examined the
bodies the inquest commenced with
closed doors. The first witness. called
was- MIR. Samuel Dei,art, father-ill-law of
Mr.. McConkey, who being duly sworn
deposed and said that he got up this
morning at 5 o'clock and came down
stairs and found Mr.. McConkev up,
which was very unusual He noticed
that MIR. McConkey was very much de-
pressed and said very little, but that he
attributed it to financial troubles and to
the fact that McConkey had been warned
to leave the hotel. He went outside to
catch horse and heard shot and
rushed in, when he heard a second shot,
and just as he got to the desk he heard
third shot, and found McConkey lying
on the floor, still alive but unconscious.
He spoke to him, but could get no
answer. He considered McConkey and
Gresham particular friends. Did not
know that Gresham was dead until about
half an hour after he discovered Nc
Conkey. McConkey had acted strange
for several days.
An Unreliable Witness.
Miss May Fackler, school teacher,
was next sworn, and testified that she
had known McConkey for six years and
Gresham for two years. McConkey
came to her room this morning at 5
O'Clock and told her not to get UP.
Ihls witness was very unreliable and
would not testify to what she knew, but
sald, In whisper, that McConkey was
jealous of Gresham, but why she would
give no reason. She evidently knew all
about the affair, as she was over-anxious
to get some letters from McConkey's
pocket, and she testified that she asked
him to go up stairs, but that he would
not. She was very unwilling witness,
and evidently knows more than she will
reasonably testify to.
Was Jealousy the Cause?
A. B. Jenny was then called, and tes-
titled that McConkey was very much
depressed, and got up very early. He
could not give any reason for the trag-
edy, only that he found McConkey very
angry because hiswife and others played
cards last night.
Gresham Armed Himself
X. Sheppard testified that he was an
intimate friend of Gresham's, and that
he went to supper with him last night,
and that Gresham went to the Citrograph
Office and got pistol, and he recognized
the one that was offered in evidence as
the one that Gresham took from the
office. He hid MT have any theory for
the tragedy.
The Jealousy Theory Discredited.
Miss Clara McConkey testified that
Mr.. Gresham and her brother were warm
and intimate friends, and that there was
no jealousy between them, and that she
knew that her brother shot Gresham
while trying to prevent him from killing
Mmself. she scorned the idea that there
was any jealousy on the part of Mr.
McConkey. She said her brother was
troubled about money matters connected
with his miserable business.
Mrs. McConkey Implicated.
nj. e. Bishop testified that the tragedy
was the result OF jealousy on the part OF
McConkey of Gresham, and that Gres-
ham told him that he had been intimate
with Mrs. McConkey and that he ex-
pected that McConkey would kill him,
as he had Winchester fixed for him.
AT TINS time there were several letters
from Mrs. McConkey produced, and the
Coroner adjourned the inquest until
O'Clock. These letters implicate Mrs.
McConkey, and give the true cause Of
the tragedy.
She Becomes HystericaI.
Mrs. McConkey, who was in bed at
the time of the tragedy, stated that Mr..
McConkey had been depressed for sew
eerai days, and on many other occasions
he had been partially insane, and had
told her that the world was against him;