The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-01-03
NOT AN OLD MAID.
Miss AyreS' The Wife Of
a Railroad Engineer.
WAS ALREADY WE'D.
j They Were Married Quietly in
San Francisco in July.
GEO. JEFFREYS ARRESTED.
GEO. JEFFREYS ARRESTED.
Also Another Tram Theories Con-
corning Suicide and the Origin
Of the Fire.

There seems to be good reason for be-
ieving that sensational developments are
about to result in connection with the
death of Miss +. o. Ayres, the railroad
telegraph operator at Brighton junction.
Indeed, some facts have already devel-
Oped that may be considered sensational.
To begin with, Miss Ayres, the
alleged "old maid" was a married
woman, and her husband is no less per-
sonage that George Jeffreys, the engineer
OF railroad train running between this
city and Oakland, and who is-or is re-
puted to be-the husband of another
woman in San Francisco, whose two chill
dren bear his name.
1t has been ascertained that the gallant
engineer (whom many of Miss Ayres
friends had noticed was on rather friendly
terms with herr and she were married in
in San Francisco last July. This is said
to be a matter of record.
So, then, there was at least romance
in the life of the woman whose charred
body was found in the debris of the
burned station last Thursday morning
II is said that the wife of Jeffreys and
Miss Ayres have had stormy meetings
on account of the latter's passion for him.
AS to what bearing, if any, these facts
may have on the tragedy it may be too
early yet to speculate, but the law officers
of the county seem to have placed suffi-
cient importance in them to warrant the
arrest of Jefreys in Oakland yesterday,
where he arrived on his regular run from
this city.
The warrant for his arrest was issued
by Justice of the Peace Henry yesterday
afternoon at the instance of District At
torney Ryan, and the Chief of Police of
Oakland was telegraphed to arrest him.
In the meantime Detective Burke left for
that city armed with the warrant.
There is said to have been some gossip
in the Brighton neighborhood to the
effect that on the night which closed over
Miss Ayres' life at the lonely little sta
ton, she had sent message to this city
requesting Jeffreys to come to her, and
in some quarters it is believed he an
swered the summons in person, that
quarrel ensued, and that as the result the
woman was killed.
In this connection, however. certain
other facts must be considered. Jeffrevs'
train arrives in this city about 10 o'clock,
and leaves here at 1870 A. NJ. He was in
this city on that night, but was in his
cab when the train left the depot at 1870
o'clock on the morning the Brighton Sta
ton was burned. 1t was about 4:IO A. NJ.
when George c. McMullen and others
discovered the building on fire, hence the
question arises:
Could the :, 1man's death have resulted
from a quarrel with her husband jeff
reysl, who was at the depot in this city,
five miles distant, while the building was
burning?
On the superstition that the woman's
death and the breaking out of the fire
were simultaneous, Jeffreys would be
free from suspicion.
But there is still another side to the
matter. A well-known physician of this
city passed Brighton Station about 2
O'Clock that morning, returning from a
visit to a patient in that vicinity. He
was accompanied by his wife, and as they
crossed the railroad embankment, close
by the station, the latter called her hus-
bands attention to the strong odor of
burning rags.
II, then, Miss Ayres was murdered. it
is not unlikely that the deed was COM
mitted some hours before the fire broke
out, and that the latter had been smolder-
ing all that time in the woman's clothing.
or the bedding.
Again, the wa ch belonging to the de-
ceased, and now in the possession of the
railroad officials, shows that it was
stopped at five minutes past a. NJ.
Was that, then, the hour at which Miss
Ayres' death occurred? 1t certainly
looks that way.
1t Is possible that Jeffreys may be able
to prove an alibi by showing that he did
not visit Brighton at any time on the
night the woman lost her life. If he can
not, suspicion will be apt to rest upon
him until the mystery is wholly cleared
up.
The smell of burning cloth in the vi
cinity of the station some hours before
the fire broke out bears out the theory of
suicide. Up to the present time no plaus-
ible motive has been advanced for her
taking her wn life, but now that it is
known that the deceased was welded to a
man already having a family, the suicide
theory gains some strength.
1t will be remembered that one of the
cartridges in Miss Ayres' pistol had been
discharged by the hammer OF the weapon.
This shot she may have fired at herself,
and in so doing have set fire to her cloth
ing, or bedding. A fire set in this way
would be likely to smolder for hours be-
fore breaking out into flames.
This, too, would account for the odor of
burning rags referred to.
THE TRAMP THEORY.
On the heels of these developments
comes word that a tramp, answering the
the description of mo. ~ of the trio that
were seen about the station on the even
ing preceding the tragedy, has been ar
rested at Strawberry Valley, FL Dorado