The record-union., 1892-09-10
UNRAVELED At LAST.
A Murder Mystery of Four Years Ago
Finally Solved.
How A. G. Damon Was Dragged and
Left to Die-Dick Reeds Confess
sion-Poisoners In Jail.

Manuel and Dick Strauss, brothers,
were arrested and locked up in the City
Jail Thursday night by Captain Bradley
and Officer Gibson.
The men are notorious characters, and
are said TO live at Davsville, but make
frequent incursions to this city.
They were locked up, presumably for
vagrancy, but yesterday it transpired
that they are accused of murder, and
that secret they have succeeded in
hiding for nearly five years is out.
WHAT REED KNEW.
officer Gibson discovered a clew
through one Dick Reed, who claims to
be painter, and was at the time of the
murder an associate of the Strauss
brothers. Gibson was familiar with the
story of the murder and learned by
chance that Reed knew something of it.
By little strategy he succeeded in get
ting him to admit what he knew, and
yesterday he was persuaded to unbosom
himself to Deputy District Attorney
Buckley, Captain Bradley, City Attorney
| Hart and officer Gibson in the District
Attorneys office.
| The circumstances of the murder are as
| follows: on the night of March Z, 1888,
| the body OF a. q. Damon, otherwise
known as Doane, was found in an alley
| in the rear of notorious house kept by
| woman named MOllie Jones. The
! house is situated on Second street, near
NJ, and was inhabited by several disrep-
utable women and their male consorts.
On the night in question a young man
who was passing the alley discovered the
remains lying near the fence in the rear
OF the house. The police were notified,
and an investigation disclosed that the
unfortunate man was the victim of foul
play. An examination of the body
proved the correctness of this theory, as
number OF
BRUISES WERE DIsCERNIBLE
About the head and face of the dead man.
Suspicion was fastened on Mollie Jones
and her evil companions, and the police
decided to place the disreputable crowd
under arrest. Mollie Jones and woman
known as Katie Cooper were first incar-
cerated, and subsequently Dick Strybd,
alias Strauss, and Edward Strybd, his
halt-brother, who is also known as Ned
Burton, were apprehended. At the City
Prison they maintained a logged silence,
and emphatically refused to throw any
light on the mysterious murder.
The police were nonplused, but facts
proved beyond peradventure that the
prisoners had murdered Damon or Doane
into the alley.
1T WAS POISON.
An autopsy on the body revealed that
the dead man had been poisoned. Traces
of chlOrOform which he had inhaled were
noticeable, as We're also several bruises
| about the head aud face, which had been
caused, presumably, by his murderers
while administering the poison.
When the result OF the autopsy was re-
ported TO ex-ChIef Dillman, who was then
at the head of the Police Department, the
TWO women and Dick" Strybd and his
half-brOther were charged with murder.
During an investigation of the mysteri-
Gus case by ex-Captain OF Police Lee, he
learned that Damon, or Doane, was III the
habit Of visiting the house of Mollie
Jones.
The dead man was a carpenter by occu-
patton and lived in Marysville. AS soon
as he would have little money he would
visit the city and Immediately seek the
company of Katie Cooper. The latter
lived in MoIlie Jones' house, and fire.
quently boosted of her conquest over the
carpenter from Marysville.
To several friends Damon, or Doane,
said he was smitten with the charms of
the Cooper woman and intended to marry
her. On the night of the murder Damon
or Doane reached this city early in the
evening. He Immediately repaired to
MOllie Jones' house and foolishly dis
played $3.50. He had been drinking dur
ing the evening and positively refused
several offers to further imbibe. At the
solicitation of Katie Cooper, Damon laid
down on bed in rear room of the house
and was soon fast asleep.
Just what occurred after that was not
known until yesterday morning when
Richard Reed, who was an eye witness OF
the foul murder, told the story of the
killing.
REED TELLS 1T ALL.
Following is the story of the killing of
Damon, as told by Reed yesterday morn
ing in the District Attorneys office. The
| statement was taken down by an official
reporter.
Mr.. Buckley notified Reed that what
| ever he might say would not be used
against him, and that ii he became wit
ness Tor the State he would promise and
agree on behalf Of the law not to prose
cute him. Buckley added that the prose-
| cutiDn realized that without Reeds evil
| dence no conviction could be made in the
case at all.
Reed was very chary even upon this as
| surance and wanted all explanation of
| what being witness upon this point
| meant. He was informed, and then pro-
ceeded, without emotion or hesitation. to
| unfold the dark secrets that for more than
four years he has kept hidden in his
breast.
1T was four years ago." said Reed,
that l happened into the back portion or
kitchen of the Mobile House. That
is on Second street. between L and NJ.
| Dick and Manuel Strauss were there.
Mollie Jones had kept the place, but she
was in jail serving six months, and ate
Cooper and Manuel Strauss kept it then.
1 came in and they said: We've got an
old ---, and he's got stuff, and
we're going to do him up. We've got a
! pudding. Kate said He's got money,
and Manuel said, Amt there any NOR
phine around herep Somebody said
! there was some in Kate's drawer. The
| whisky and the morphine were brought
in and ID Dick and Manuel mixed it,, Dick
| said, You're putting in too much but
| Manuel said, To h, L know how to
dope these fellows; pve done it before.'
! l left and went down town. About
| O'Clock met them and they said, we
c0ne f bi@ ont in the aoy AND mad Mdb to
uel who said this. We walked to Second
and L, and there was Matt Karcher. A
crowd was in the alley, and Manuel said:
| what does this mean?' And Karcher
said: oh, man sick in the alley
WENT TOO FAR.
''They only thought they had drugged
him. l think they only intended to drug
him. l said, You'd better duck Late
| in the evening Billy Arlington came to
I my room and said that Manuel and Kate
| Cooper had been arrested and wanted me
to go and look after the young ones. /
| told him TO let the police look after them.
| Doane was the man name they poisoned.
| Cooper knew him near Grass Valley or
| somewhere up there near Auburn; knew
| him when she married Cooper. He was
carpenter and worked for the railway
| company.
''rhey claimed they got $3.50, and said
| that somebody got away with Sl00; they