The morning call., 1892-09-03
THE FEES o. MURDER.

Inc Ia.eSt news oil the ilunt Tor tne asSaS-
sins of McWhirter Will be found in another
column; it may be we'll: to read it in the
light OF an exact and impartial account of
the facts. -.
+ At quarter past three in the morning
OF Sunday, August %, Lonis b. McWhirter,
a lawyer and an active politician in Fresno,
was awakened by a;nOise in the rear of ibis
house on l. street. He arose from his bed
put his trousers on. took bis pistol and'Went
out. 4 few minutes afterward his wife
heard pistol shot. then a groin, then
several shots in rapid Succession. She
rushed out ami found in the yard at e point
about.ffty feet frpm the rear of her house fte
body OF her husband with a. bullet wound
through bis heart. His pistol lay. by his
side with all the chambers empty lie. sgas
still living, but he never spoke. and expired
in a few mipu Near him were two
sticks of Gsage orange wood Which looked
. like clubs; 10 the handle Of one Of. 1heh3a
cotton string Was ATTACHED. NeiglIGors
; quickly gathered from the adjacent
but-none of them saw or heard the foet-
stepssf f6gftfTes. They found two pistols.
. McWkirter's and All other, and .peee of
knitted eIo til, cut. FROM: an undetsGiEt,
which they ASSUMED to lave been used as a
l. HASA 4 nc lHg. Hiue 40 sAuEh aliu sAo:sVEt
of ihe4back yard soft; thus ii was Impossible
to see:any. enc: alta distance, and the fUet-
prints in the yard; were so numerous that It
was Impossible @tp distinguish those OF the:
murderer or 'imuEderers.: when day broke:
and the weltd story circulated athreugh.
Fresno. the widest excitement broke cut.
and tslk of lynch1ng and vigilance commit
tees vas rifes3 Fer; tie apprehension of The.
ID ,rt4ar 81.
amount at the present time to S125, ESQ. Yhe,
deceased was; apt:a:man: Of: MEANS: bit he
/ bad insured bis life for $4,000 and had APP.
piled for S4o,00O more. Hswas a Tenhes-
seean, and had erly bean: a few years. in
California. From his first settlement ia
t FTesne'he had taken. an aetfYe part in poll
ties and had identffed himself with one OF
the two factions. into which. Ihe Democratic
patty is divided in that obAnty. 1T is said
that he had made himself particutaryob-
noxious to the etRer faction, and: .that;::h he
i had expressed fearSthat irs.membeIS would
resertto yiOlanee:tO get'ritfaof. him.. Apart
from this l,e s&enis To have. had no enemies.
| i'll {: liYed peaeeallyy with his wife, and sp-
pears TO have abeen on friendly terms; with
!! HIS .neghbora.:@ g. -;
These are the facts by which the-detec-
s!9Co u ~ Lsfc %o W EulASI III 4lcla 9tii Fl!
/ for .ti4e murdeIer4 AZ first every one
| Jumped to The conclusion. thatit was a case
| :of: assassination frcm= political: enmity.
I+Now this may tarn outto be the casesyet
J. sill there are difficulties iia the way of The
-aCceptarce of this theorY:: a pofitieian:de-
| String to rid liinSalf Of a dated rival w0nld
/ 'ffardly.ehOoSe 81 ii the morning as the hGuf
sr:the back yard OF the RIVALS .lrOuse as the
L MI fkalx-
| TO pick cut place W,here<he would pass, at.
/ az earlier hcur. If the assassins for The
/ two Gibbs prasuppose two men-went 0ut'on.
+ that Sunday mogning-tO pat New hitter:6ut.
l.iof the way the. meeting 10 the back yard
/ gggst have BEEN an ubeXpeeted accident.
+ Their 4uTpose. must have been to break fntJ5
the MeWhirter :ksuse. and kill him By tile
| side of.hss. wife; But this would have been.
+ a daring undertaking. considering that their
| proposed victim was Seutherner, familiar
Wi Ia the use. OF. arms. WIFI bis weapon ready
+ ID his band, better acquainted with the To-
calitY than the assaihnts enHd be. and, with
bis wife and lpigh bCrS. close byte render
/ aid. Ifthe murdereTs went out on any such
/ enterprise as this they NEST have been rash:
I to tile verge OF madness ~.
T "A burglar in quest Of booty might have
/ selected -MeWbirter's hoHse to operate:ah,.
/ with the melton. that ii, contained .inoney ::
SHch a miscFeant,: stumbling over. a :pile<of:
boards in the back yard and fading himself.
confronted by the wner OK the house, who.
I 6peiTed@fire incentinently. might have. sliut.
|: to kill in order to. make his escape. Or a..
couple of beiated revelets, having spent
she night in carousihg at tavern, might.
l:bavs s,rayed into: MrWhifter's back yard;
|. without, feioni5us intent. Finding them.
/ selves detected and roughly. accosted by the.
ewuer, and being bCOzy from drink and in:
!. anangfy n cod, they hight have been forcsd.
To fight and have fired at close range with
deadly effect - = =. 81. :
!, twill become the Fresno iuryt weigh
/ these various theories and to consider them
| with cool heads. 1t will not; do to.admt
that poli,ical assassination has become one.
| Of the institatiOns of California without.
evidence. -. :. =