Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-11
KELLER JUSTIFIED.
The Inquest Into the Kim
ball Killing.
Two Verdicts, Both of Which
Justify Keller's Act.
A Synopsis of The Evidence Given By
Witnesses.
Santa Monica People Greatly Excite d
Over the Matter-A Denial of the
Rumor That Mrs. Kimball win
AvanOo EJar

CnarleS II. hlmDall Dy deputy SHerlu
H. w. Keller was held at Santa Monica
town hall yesterday morning by DR..
Weldon. Two verdicts were eventually
arrived at, one generating young Keller
and signed by eleven iurymen, and the
other simply stating that Kimball was
shot by Keller while the latter was dis
charging his duty as an officer. The mi
nority verdict was signed by two jury
men.
The room in which the inquest was
held was filled to suffocation, while an
excited, surging crowd extended from
the Railways clear down the stairs into
the street.
The killing was the chief topic of con-
yersation in the town, and the churches
were completely deserted, every one GO
ing to the inquest.
Those composing the jury were: W.
Simmons. foreman; A. q. Ladd, John
Dixon, Il. r. Grimes, ]. M. Moore, s.
j. s. Wilson, Jake Rogers, L. Judson,
G. Knowlton and E. B. Schultz.
The coroner went thoroughly into the
mdbb6T, OIL WIZ hAOW oShJ
thing about the affair. The witnesses
were Frank Kimball, brother of the de-
ceased; j. w. Moore, proprietor of the
man; Benjamin Saunders. news agelt
Rochette. the prize fighter; MI. and
Mrs. Orr, Carl Rapp; Mrs. Mary Kim
ball, wife of the deceased; Constable
Dexter, Justice Twichell, Drs. Rogers,
Chaffey and Folsom, who made the
post-mortem examination; Fred Stinch-
field and Kaspar Tyler of the Southern
Pacific engineer corps.
Nothing materially differing from
what has already appeared in the HER
AID was brought out. All the witnesses
agreed that the tragedy was brought
about by the street and stable fight, and
that both the men had fight in the
saloon and also out in the street.
Several of the witnesses swore that
Kimball threatened Keller after the
disturbance in the saloon. Mr.. and Mrs.
Orr swore that they told Keller after he
left the saloon and was on the porch on
his way to Twichell's court, that he
had better look out for Kimball, be-
cause he had gone for his gun and
would surely kill him. Keller laughed
and said, 81 wonder what he would do
if he got it?"
May Kimball swore that Keller threat
ened to kill Kimball, but che was the
only witness who testified to that effect.
On the question whether Kimball had
gun or not the evidence is rather con-
Trajectory, though one witness swore
that he did not see any gun in Kimball's 8
hands. Karl Rapp testified that Kim
ball had gun in his hands, but that it
was not leveled at Keller, but was point
ing about eleven inches above the
counter toward the ceiling. 1t was a
double barreled shotgun.
Constable Dexter's evidence was just
the same az it appeared in the HERALD.
He swore that Kimball had the gun
already cooked in his hands and leveled
in the direction of Keller. When the
report was heard he thought that Keller
had been killed. He was blinded by
the smoke, but turned around and saw
Keller was all right. He then
looked in the direction Of Kimball and
went toward him and saw that blood
was running from the wound in his
neck. When the shooting occurred
Kimball was standing at the far end of
the bar. Keller was in the doorway
and the witness stood by the wall. Wit
ness took the gun from Kimball and
gave him the proper assistance.
The decision of the majority of the
jury was: "That Charles H. Kimball
came to his death from bullet wound
at the hands of III. w. Keller, and that
we exonerate the said H. w. Keller, he
being an officer in the discharge of his
duty"
The verdict of the minority was just
the same as the majority, only leaving
out the word "exonerate." J. M.
Rogers and Charles Knowlton were the
jurors who composed the minority.
Judge Morgan has been employed to
assist in the prosecution and Stephen
M. White has been retained by the de-
tense. A warrant for the arrest of Kel-
Ter was issued by Judge Austin.
Feeling runs very high in regard to
the matter at Santa Monica, but the
majority of the better class think Keller
was justified in his act. The feeling
toward him by the Kimball faction is
most intense, and number of other
citizens also condemn the killing. The
town is crowded with outsiders, who
have come down to find out regarding
the affair. Vague rumors were current
in the morning that Mrs. Kimball had
made threats against Keller, but it was
affirmed later on good authority that she
stated that she would never harm Kel-
Ter. In company with Frank Kimball
and another man she drove to Los An
geles this afternoon.
Bargains in real estate on our classified