The record-union., 1893-03-29
They Defy Arrest and Turn Upon
the Deputy ConstableS.
THE BRAVE BOY WOUNDS ONE.
4 Belief That the Villains are Either Cut
Of From Escape, or Have
Been Drowned.

A terrible tragedy was enacted on the
river early last evening, the victim being
Louis Todhunter, lad of is years of age.
1t was a needless sacrifice of life, as well
as most shocking crime on the part of
his murderers.
II seems that in the afternoon Con-
stable Ed Todhunter of Washington,
Yolo County, received a telegram from
an officer at knights Landing, many
miles above, to be on the lookout for two
counterfeiters who were on their way
down the river in a lead-colored boat.
Instead of going out himself to inter-
cept the men, Todhunter sent his father,
Richard Todhunter-a man apparently
65 years of age-and his brother Louis,
aged Is years, on the dangerous mission.
1t is said that all the elder Todhunter
was instructed to do was to look for the
suspects and follow them if they put in
an appearance.
The old man and his boy set off in
boat, the former armed with double
barreled breech-loading shotgun and the
latter with pistol. They kept sharp
lookout along the river about mile
north of Washington, opposite the mouth
of the American River, and about half
past or o'clock, as the shadows were
deepening into gloom, they
ESPIED A BOAT
Coming down the river, and as it came
nearer they saw that it was occupied by
two men.
The Todhunters pulled out from the
shore - intercept the mysterious skiff,
instead of trailing after it, and the old
man called three times to its occupants
to halt, but they made no answer and
kept steadily on their way.
A RECKLESS ACT.
The boy, who was a good oarsman for
one so young, bent to his work so effect
ually, however, that the pursuers were
soon within twenty feet of the lead-col-
ored skiff, and again the old man called
to the men to stop. Still no response
"Where are you from?"
From Fremont" replied the man in
the bow of the boat.
81 guess not" said Todhunter, 81 think
you're from Knights Landingl Consider
yourselves under arrestr'
By this time the boats were side by
side, and the elder Todhunter called out:
''Throw me your painter and We'll
tow you imp
AS he said this he reached over into the
other boat in an attempt to grasp the rope
in the bow of the skiff with one hand.
holding his gun with the other.
AS he did so the foremost of the coun-
terfeiters
CLUTCHED THE GUN
By the muzzle and gave it jerk, which
almost threw the old man overheard. In
his effort to save himself he was forced to
let go his hold on the gun, and for the
first time realizing the danger himself
and son were in, he called to the boy to
shoot.
Louis was evidently a cool and pluclly
lad, although not robust one, for he
dropped his oars, got out his pistol and
fired at the man standing in the stern of
the boat, who had by this time got his
own pistol and was about to shoot.
AT the first shot the man fell back into
sitting posture in the boat, as if
wounded. but managed to discharge his
pistol once or twice, Louis in the mean
time shooting at him a second time.
THE FATAL SHOT.
Then it was that the brave boy received
his cruel death-wound. The man in the
fore part of the boat had by this time
got full possession of the elder Todhunt-
ers shotgun, and turning it upon the lad
discharged load of No. shot into his
left breast, tearing hole
ALMOST THROUGH HIS BODY
And about two inches in diameter. The
poor boy sank dead into the boat with a
groan upon his lips.
In the melee the other barrel of the gun
effect. Five shots in all were heard by
persons on the shore-the two fired by
the boy, and three by the men in the
other boat, but whether the latter were
two from the shotgun and one from the
pistol, or two from the pistol and one
from the shotgun, is not known, al
though Todhunter declares that both bar
rels of the gun were discharged.
TIE MURDERERs ESCAPE.
The villains in the skitf then pulled
rapidly for the Yolo shore, leaving the
elder Todhunter alone in his boat with
the dead and horribly mutilated body of
his boy. They were seen to run their
boat into the brush near by and disap-
pear in the jungle.