Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-29
SUNDAYS MURDER.
THE SHERIFF AND ASSISTANT DISTRICT
ATTORNEY At WORK ON IT.
Belief that the Police Had the Murderer,
but Let Him Go-New Facts
Learned.

Despite the unsatisfactory result of the
Coroner's inquest and the police investiga-
ton into the mysterious murder of Ed
ward Goodwin last Sunday morning near
the beet.sugar factory, the mystery bids
fair to be soon unraveled-if it is not al
ready SO.
Goodwin with his dying breath told q
remarkable story of the manner in which
he came to his death, the truth of which
was greatly doubted. The theory that he
had been shot while engaged in some rob-
berry or attempted robbery gained ground,
and when the inquest shed little, if any,
light on the matter this theory was aene,-
ally adopted as the correct one-Goodwin's
story being looked upon as improbable.
But singular as it may have appeared, it
has now been established beyond doubt
that he did meet his death in Just the man
ner described by him, if circumstantial evil
dence can be accepted.
The Swede spoken of by Goodwin is the
murderer, and the present indications are
that he was one of the men whom the
police captured Sunday afternoon, but SUBJ
sequently released because Goodwin
whether Intentionally Or otherwise-re-
fused TO recognize him.
THE RIGHT SORT OF OFFICIALS.
Assistant District Attorney Alvin ].
Bruner and Sheriff George c. McMullen
had consultation regarding the mystery
yesterday morning, the result of which
was determination to start out and inyes.
tigate every minute detail connected with
the affair, and, if possible, unravelit Both
were confident that considerable light
could be thrown on the mystery by such
course, and they resolved to leave no stone
unturned. subsequent events will show
that their confidence was not misplaced.
Two teams were secured and, accompanied
by representative of the RECORD. UNION.
the officials left the Courthouse shortly
after noon for the scene of the tragedy.
The first thing to do was to find ont who
was the first persons or person on the
scene after the shooting.
Special officer Sullivan testified at the
Coroner's inquest that the II year-old son
OF DIR. Forbes, of the Railroad Hospital
had seen and talked with the diving man
before any of the officers had arrived.
Master Forbes, therefore, was the first
individual to be interviewed. At his home
it was learned that the lad was at school
the American river district school-so the
teams were headed for that place. 1t was
recess time when the party arrived and
young Forbes had wandered down the east
levee. His chum, Pete" Mcintyre, was
there. however, and brief conversation
with him elected the fact that he. too had
seen Goodwin before the police officers
none of which was developed at the in
quest or by the police investigation on Sum
day. Pete" jumped into one of the bug.
gles and directed the party to where young
Forbes was, and then the latter was taken
aboard, and all hands drove over to the
levee.
THE FIRST PERSONS THERE.
Master Forbes proved to be an unusually
bright lad for his years, and the intelligent
and ready manner in which he told the
officers what he knew about the mysterious
affair was refreshing.
First be took the party to q spot about rs
yards west of the levee, close to a fence
which runs at right angles with the levee,
and stated that there was the first place he
had seen Goodwin.
well how did you come to know that
he was there" asked Mr.. Bruner
ON said the little fellow. Mr.. Burke.
who lives near Mr.. Burns, where l am
stopping, drove by Sunday morning, and l
heard. him tell Mr.. Burns and Mr.. Dolan-
gentleman who had been to see Mr..
Burns about pasturing a colt-that he had
seen man down the road near the leyee
who had been shot, and that he thought
the man was one of the chaingang who
had escaped and had been shot BY the DO.
lice the night before. Mr.. Burke said he
was going in to inform the officers of it
Mr.. Dolan then said that he guessed he'd
go down and see the man, and jumped in
his cart and went with him. We found
the man lying right here inside the
fence. Mr.. Dolan tied up his horse
and looking through the fence said to the
man. Well, Captain. what can / do for
your The man replied, oh, inform the
officers that's ALL Mr.. Dolan said he
would, but wanted to see where he was
hurt first. The man pulled up his shirt
and showed us where be had been shot in
the stomach. Dolan then asked who had
shot him, but he would not tell, saying that
he was too weak to talk. We then drove
off, and got out at Mr.. Burns again. a
little while after gentleman named Mr..
Dixon drove by on his way to the leyee,
where he had some stock. Pete and l told
him about the man who had been shot, and
he said be would go down and see him. as
he might be able 10 help him. l got
a bottle of water to give to the
Mr.. Dixon. We did not find the man
where had last seen him, but found him
about fifty yards further west, alongside of
that old cabin over there. 1t seems that he
had
cRAwLED ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES
To that place while we were gone. Mr..
Dixon went up 20 him and asked him
where he was hurt. The man replied, ooh,
never mind now, and / don't want the Off
GERS informed of it either Mr.. Dixon per-
sisted and finally was allowed to see the
wound. He said it was pretty bad, and
then drove off TO look after his stock, leav-
ing me there. l then handed the poor
man the bottle of water, and he drank it
greedily. | went to take the bottle back
again, but he said, For Gods sake, boy,
don't take the water away He seemed to
be kindly toward me for the water, and
thought | would ask him about how he got
shot. First he didn't want to. but when /
told him | would not tell the officers, he
consented.
HE said he came up from San Francis
co on Saturday as he needed rest. His
name was Ed Goodwin. He had been
working regularly, he said, but when l
asked him where, he said, Never mind.
He then went on to say that he went out
to the levee Saturday evening to hide his
blankets, so that they would be handy in
the morning when he wanted to strike out.
As he placed the blankets in the brush
near the railroad track, he noticed a man
who he said was Swede or q German,
looking at him from the door of an empty
box-car. He spoke to the man and the
Swede said those are pretty good blankets
that Goodwin had hidden.
THE BOYS KNEW THE swKDE.
81 then asked Goodwin continued
Master Forbes, what kind looking fell
low the Swede was, and he said he was q
heayy-set man, about five feet ten inches,
and weighed about $50 pounds wore a
black mustache and black hair.
'As soon as he told me this, remem.
bered right away that had seen that same
Swede several times around the levee dur
ing the last week, and Pete and l both had
talked with him."
Sheriff, District Attorney and reporter all
pricked up their ears at this. This was
really the first genuine clew found since
the police let the two suspects go Sunday
afternoon. The Swede had been branded
as myth, but now he was reality.
Yes resumed the little lad, Pete anc
] saw him several times and -
Now let's keep the story straight" in
terrupted Mr.. Bruner, finish up abou
what Goodwin told you first, and ther
well talk about the Swede'
.All right. Well, Goodwin said that a
about o'clock Sunday morning he re