The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1891-01-25
Elk GROVES MYSTERY.
Morrow Was in all Probability Shot
by a Madman.
Thomas BALI Is Arrested and Admits
That He Did the Shooting-His
Queer Statements.

The mystery surrounding the shooting
of Joseph Morrow at Elk Grove last
Wednesday, full account of which was
published in the REcoRD-UNIoN-ha
been cleared up.
The police, constables and deputy
sheriffs had all been furnished with
descriptions of the mysterious shooter,
and all were making diiigent search for
him.
Yesterday forenoon police officer Sim
mons encountered man in front of the
Western Hotel, who was acting strangely
and who tailed with the description ex-
actly. The officer Immediately placed
the man under arrest and took him to the
police station and afterward to the
County Jail.
The prisoner gave his name as Thomas
j. BALI.
District Attorney Ryan interviewed
BALI shortly after his arrest, and soon
became convinced that the prisoner was
either a lunatic or was feigning insanity.
ADMITS THE SHOOTING.
BALI admitted readily that he was the
person who shot Morrow.
Il had been looking for him for years."
he said to reporter who interviewed him
later: II always felt confident that some
Gay would find him, and kill him."
why did you wish to kill him ?" he
was asked.
why? Well / had cause enough. It
was he who caused my downfall. / was
King of this country once, and my mother
was Queen. But Morrow plotted against
us and we were thrown out. I swore
then tbnt + u-ntslI Lii r {,.,o
best to kill him the other day. You see
when | was about eight years old he cut
me on the left side of the stomach-he
wanted to do away with me you know
and then after he saw it didn't kill me, he
said that after | grew up that 1 would get
cut in a saw mill on the other side of my
stomach,
AND WOULD DIE
From the wound. His prediction came
true, because only little while ago / was
working in a saw-mill in San Francisco
and was cut on the right side of my stom-
ach, just as he said 1 would. But didn't
die, though, and / knew that he would be
after meagain, SO | made up my mind to
kill him first"
'What relationship, if any, do youbear
to Morrow" asked the reporter
"Oh, he is my son." replied BALI.
"How old is he?'
"About co."
And how old are you?'
Thirty"
We'll, how can he be your son, and be
older than you?''
''Oh, that's simple enough. 1 had sew
eral children before was born myself''
Continuing, BALI said that Morrow was
sentenced to six years. imprisonment at
San Quentin, for cutting him, and, when
released, Morrow said he intended to kill
him (Balz) when he became of age-if he
Il mr. N Rn1 L. IL,
81 knew that I would kill him." said
BALI, 80 got little lot out near Court
land, and had it fenced off so that he
could be buried there, and when died l
should be buried there, too. / was over
fixing up the lot the day before L shot
him, and it looked very well.''
BALI TELLS OF THE SHOOTING.
After relating some more strange
things BALI consented to tell about the
shooting. He said he started out to find
Morrow on Sunday last, but was unsuc-
cessful.
Il finally located him, though" he
said, land on Wednesday went out to
finish up the job. 1 found him chopping
trees out there at the ranch with some
other f e .S | stepped up to him and
that. 1 said Yes and felt for my revol-
Yer. / felt sorry for him and hated to
kill him, but ] knew that I had to do it.
and it was no use being chicken-hearted.
/ waited until he turned his back and
then fired twice at him. I know that is
not very nice way to kill a man-to
shoot him in the back-but you see /
didn't want to disfgure his forehead.
Morrow always prided himself on his
forehead, and thought he had the finest
shaped one in the country, so I didn't
like to hurt his feelings by disfiguring it.
i wish you would state that in your
think | was a coward. l want them to
think well of me when / go upon the
throne again.
THE HAND THAT CUT HIM.
s'Well, as I said BEFORE" continued
BALI, 81 fired twice at him, both into the
back of his head. He turned and looked
at me, and | said, DO you know me?'
He said no. and raised the pistol again.
He put up his hand as if to stop me, and /
just put bullet through his hand. That
was the hand he cut me with. l told him
how l had been looking for him for so
many years, and then shot again, hitting
him in the stomach, in the same place
where he cut me. | fired two more shots,
but they didn't hit him, because thought
i had put enough holes into him."
BALI then wandered off on another
story about his royalty, and could not be
brought back to the subject of the shoot
ing, except to say that after it was over
he walked to Hicksville and there took
the train for this city, arriving here that
evening. Finally he refused to talk at
all, explaining that it would be more APP
propriate for him to issue formal state
ment to his people, telling them all about
it, and setting date for his remounting
the throne.
Later in the afternoon complaint was
issued by Justice of the Peace Devine
against BALI, and it was sworn to by Dep
uty Sheriff /. NJ. Smith of Gait. He was
charged with assault to commit murder.
POLICE COURT