Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-10
KIMBALL KILLED.
Yesterdays Tragedy at Santa
Monica.
H. w. Keller Charged With
Shooting Kimball.
An Account Given by the Only Eye
Witness.
Constable Dexter Gives an Account of
tho Affsay-The Story From Santa
Monica-Facts About the Careers
of the Participants.

Charles H. Kimball, proprietor of the
Club House near the depot at Santa
Monica, was shot by Deputy Sheriff H.
W. Keller at O'Clock yesterday morn
ing, and died at 9 AS. The bullet from
Keller's 44-calibre Smith & Wesson had
passed through Kimball's left arm and
had entered the left side of the throat
Immediately beneath the jaw. Keller
Immediately after the shooting went
over to Justice Twichell's court and
gave himself up. He was brought to
Los Angeles by Constable Dexter, and
locked up in the county jail without
bail. There he was visited by HERALD
reporter last evening, but stated that by
advice of his counsel, the Hon. Stephen
M. White, he would not speak about
the affair.
The principal eyewitness of the kill
ing, however, Constable Dexter, ex-
pressed his willingness to give COM
plete and straightforward story about
the shooting, and this is exactly the
form in which the matter will be placed
before the coroner's jury today.
Mr.. Dexter's statement, which was given
in simple, unhesitating and honest
way, was as follows: cat 80 this
morning Keller came to my house and
wanted me to go with him to Charley
Kimbal's saloon. He said that terri
BILE row and big fight had been going
on over there. Keller was all covered
with dirt, and had blood on his hat, so
that by his looks / decided that there
must indeed have been a row.
IT went out with him, and we went
to Twitchell's court and got warrants
for Kimball and for two other men,
whom we called Richard Roe and John
Doe, because we did not know their
names. As we stepped out of the court
room the proprietor of the Jackson
house, Mr.. Orr, came up to us and told
Keller not to 60 to Kimball's, because
Charley would certainly kill him. Orr
said that Kimball had gone out into the
street and had shouted: sI'll kill the
- of a would-be deputy sheriff !!
This is the last day he'll live in Santa
Monica We then went over, and at
the top of the hill where we crossed the
railroad track we met Mrs. Orr, who
asked US whether we had seen her hus-
band.
'As we went on, we saw Charley
Kimball and Rochette, the prize-fghter,
standing in the door of the saloon. We
walked up to within ten feet OF the two,
and l said: Good morning, Charley
Kimball did not answer me, but looked
at Keller, and said: you
you've got a gum As he spoke, he
turned and ran into the saloon. / fol-
lowed him as fast as l could run, for
expected to find the gang which we
were after. The swinging screen doors
slammed against me, and was delayed
a moment. Keller was right behind
me. As rushed into the bar-room, 1
just saw Charley picking up his shot
gun with his right hand from the end of
the bar, where it stood, while he looked
toward the door. He cooked both ham
mers, and then raised the gun slowly, at
the same time sighting along the bar
rels. / shouted: For Gods sake,
Charley, - and was interrupted by
a report. I knew / wasn't hit, but
thought Kimball had shot Keller. l
expected to get the other barrel myself,
and ran toward Charley. Just as l
reached him, he staggered little, but
still held the gun. grabbed tie
weapon, and wrenched it away. Then
/ saw for the first time that Kimball
was bleeding, and put my arm around
him and took him into a bedroom,
where laid him down. Keller ran over
and called Doctors Folsom, Chaffey and
Rodgers, who took charge of the case.
AS soon as they arrived went back into
the bar-room, and in the presence Of
Mr.. Hopf, of Eckert & Hopf, l picked up
the gun. Both barrels were loaded and
cooked. turned over the gun to Judge
Twitchell. / don't think Rochette saw
the shooting, but he came in just after
it occurred, while / was holding Kim
ball up in my arms. The only other
witness to the killing was little Karl
Rapp, a small boy, who was trying to
make fire in room adjoining the bar.
He saw the whole business by peeping
around the edge of the door,"
tits very well established by this
statement that young Keller fired the
fatal shot while Kimball was covering
him with the shotgun. The causes
leading up to the tragedy are very
well authenticated. On Friday night
number of sports from the city drove
down to Santa Monica in two carriages.
They put up their conveyances at III. G.
Beville's stables. and then went over to
Charley KimbalPs and made night of
it. Yesterday morning at about z
O'Clock they appeared at the stable but
refused to pay the stable boy, AL. FL
lott, the rs cents which he charged
them for each team. They declared the
amount exorbitant, and finally one OF
the men slapped young Elliott. The
latter defended himself with buggy
whip, and the fight began. The three
strangers all jumped Elliott, who fought
in self defense like a wildcat. The strug-
gle soon was adjourned from the stable
to the street, and continued with un-
abated violence. Mr.. Orr saw what was
going on and ran over to Keller's room
and asked the deputy sheriff to come
over. This Keller did, but when he ar
rived at the scene nobody was there
but the poor battered-up boy Elliott.
The others had gone into Charley Kim
ball's to wash themselves, and were
there found by the deputy. The latter
went up to one Of the strangers and de-
clared him under arrest.
Are you an officer 2" inquired the
stranger.
II am"
well, then you ought to have sense
enough to know that you can't arrest
me without warrant
discussion ensued, and Kimball
fnailv intarfared IIa efr,xol1 K.,lIo~ ~