The morning call., 1892-09-08
MeWhirter Told His Wife That lie
Feared Assassination.
POLITICAL ENEMIES on His TRACK.
He Expressed His Opinion So Openly That These Ey.
preSsiOns We're Very DistaSteiul to the Other
FactiOn-The Man Who Followed Him.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

FRESNO, Sept. THE McWhirter inquest
began at 3 O'Clock yesterday afternoon in
Judge Holmes courtroom. Coroner Brown
presiding. The room was crowded.
Deputy District Attorney II. Ii. Welch and
III. &. Tupper appeared for the people, and
w, Z. Thompson of Fresno and Crittenden
Thornton Of San Francisco represented the
inter ests Of the family.
Dr. A. j. Pedlar was the first witness
called. He said he was called up by some
one knocking at his door shortly alter the
shooting and ran all the way to the Nc
Whirter residence. He found there w.
n. Rohrer, A. NJ. Clark, Major Sturt S.
Wright, General Muller and Mr.. Gottshalk.
They had Just taken McWhrter into the
dining-ro0m and were placing him
on lounge. He was breathing
heavily and expired Immediately after
Witness and DIR. w. T. Maupln
held an autopsy and found a bullet wound
in the left breast, one and half inches to
the right Of the left nipple. The bullet went
downward and backward slightly toward
the medan line. 1t passed through the left
ventricle of the heart. The shock of such
wound would throw man down immedl-
ately. He might stagger after receiving
such wound. but only for an instant.
Policeman I. F. Babcock was On the cor
ner of Front and MaripOsa streets, when he
heard shots and some one shouting "mur-
der" He and Policeman Wells ran up
toward the direction Of the shooting and
reached the house in about seven or eight
minutes. He heard two shots, then there
was pause and aiterward more shooting
Witness went outsde with George Ru-
pert, Mr.. Rhodes and another man.
and made an examination of the
back yard. There they found two
clubs, two pistols, mask, two boards that
had been taken off the fence and some
footsteps. The mark Of bootneel was
plainly discernible in one of the footsteps,
and the other seemed to have been made
with a tennis shoe or moccasin. Witness
followed the footprints through the alley
going south and across the street and into
the next alley. where they were lost
There were similar footprints leading
toward the house.
Mrs. McWhirter, the widow of the de-
ceased, said that toward morning Nc
Whirter awoke her and said. Darling, did
you hear any noise around the house?" She
replied that she had not and he said he
thought he had, and he believed he would
go and see what 1t was.
He put on his pants and slippers. took his
pistol and went out of the front door and
the doorbell rang. He called back to tell
her that he had accidentally rung the bell
He then walked around the house to the
rear and she heard shot. Then she heard
two more shots and a groan.
She jumped hastily out Of bed, and found
him lying in the yard. She called the
servant-girl and sent her to arouse Mrs.
SouthwOrth. her next door neighbor. Sew
eral neighbors came in and carried her hus-
band into the house. She had several
talks with deceased before and since the
to the possibility that be might
be attacked and shot by some Of
his political enemies but she always had
an idea 1t would be an attack in which he
might be wounded or injured. She had
never thought he would be assassinated.
He Informed her every time be took out
new policy Of insurance upon his life. and
on one such occasion she asked him why he
had done so and he replied:
''In a country like this, when person
expresses his opinion as openly as | do,
YOU can't tell exactly what might happen"
lie told her also that he had observed
certain person, one of his enemies, follow
ing him one night, and that on another
night he had heard somebody proving
around the house.
When asked whether deceased told her
the name of the man who had followed him
she replied yes. and whispered it into the
ear OF the official shorthand reporter,
Matte Peterson, MeWhirter's servant
girl, said she was sleeping very souGdly
when she heard pistol shot. She sat up
IN BED and saw the flashes OF TWO other
shots. During the whole of the evening
before that she thought that there was
somebody around the house. That feeling
was in her bones.
Mrs. Southworth. who resides next door
north of McWhrter's, was sleeping very
soundly and was awakened by the shots
aud shuffling noise. She thought
there were burglars around her house.
She heard two shots first, and af-
ter pause three or four more.
She saw the flashes of the shots on her
closet door through the window. About
that time Mrs. McWhirter screamed and
said that Mr.. McWhrter was killed.
The further hearing of testimony was
continued until o'clock tomorrow after