The morning call., 1893-06-15
SHOT FIVE TIMES.
MurderOuS Assault Upon
a DefenseIess Man.
THE ASSAILANT A YOUTH.
The Cause of the Crime an Alleged
Outrage on His Sister-He Eiudes
the Police.
Special to The MORNING CALL

VIsALIA, June 14.-Shortly after Q
o'clock this morning John Asmus shot ano
fatally wounded Edgar E. Mathews, better
known as Billy Mathews. or Billy Smith.
Asmus formerly lived at Porterville, this
county. He arrived here last evening from
San Francisco and started out on still
hunt for Mathews. He dropped remark
in SpanishtowH saloon that he would put
lump in Mathews and another man be-
fore morning. Word was sent to Mathews,
but he was not home.
About midnight Asmus asked the night
clerk at the Visaia House if Mathews was
in the hotel. Being told that he was he
said. 81 would like TO see him." The
clerk went to Mathews room, but found it
vacant, and so informed Asmus, who then
left. Later he was seen on the main street
peering into saloons and talking to him
self
Mathews, on returning to the Visalia
House, sat down at the further end of a
long writing-desk, and NJ. f. Lnventhal,
the night clerk, sat on the desk looking at
paper over Mathews left shoulder.
Asmus at that moment stepped inside OF
the open street door with his gun pointed
at the sitting figure of his victim. Loven-
thai slid off the desk and Asmus pulled the
trigger, shooting Mathews in the left
elbow. Mathews jumped up and ran
toward Asmus. AS he reached the door
Asmus fred four shots in rapid succession,
each shot taking effect. The assGilant
then ran around the cerner along Church
street in the direction of the courthouse
square. where, it is thought, he had a
saddle-horse, and escaped in the darkness.
Word was sent Immediately by telephone
TO Tulare TO watch the southbound trains.
Officers have been out all day. II is
thought Asmus has gone to Portervlle. If
so he will be captur ed tonight. Mathews
has two bullets in his left arm and three
in his left side. He is pretty low and it is
thought he will die.
Mathews Is 25 years of age. His father
is chief of police of Sydney, Australia.
He is a pugilist and travelled with Cor
belts combination on Corbett's first trip
East.
The trouble that led to the shooting
began early in the year. One afternoon
Mathews was talking TO some friends on
the main street"of Porterville. Presently
they left and Asmus, who had been wait
ing, pulled ont his gun and took a shot at
Mathews. The latter jumped and ran nto
AouuS sue pptu dtlDo5 llIF Nlleeb
to the Justices office and gave himself up,
asking how much his fine would be. He
then told a story about Mathews making a
criminal assault on his sister month be-
fore. The court heard his story and fined
him 81 for shooting firearms.
Asmus subsequently swore out "a COM
plant charging Mathews with the sednc-
ton of his sister Amelia, on or about De-
cember 12 Mathews went to Plano, hut
Constable Herkett followed and arrested
him. The case was tried January II, with
closed doors. Mathews proved an alibi,
but Judge Gillian held Mathews to appear
before the Superior Court under $500
bonds. Mathews laid in the County jail
until March 90, when his case was called.
The witnesses for the people failed to an
swer and on motion of the District A tor
ney the case was dismissed. Up to June l
Mathews acted as night clerk at the Visa
liza House He IS we'll spoken of both here
and at Porterville.
About one month ago Amelia Asmus
had George Pressey. a rancher of Wood
VILE, arrested for whipping her while in
his employ. The case was tried a. Porter
Vile and Pressey was found guilty and
paid a fine of 500. 1t is thought that
Asmus is heading for Pressey's ranch for
the purpose of killing him.
Asmus is young man, aged about 90.
His sister Amelia is young woman of
about II years. She cannot read or write.
though she has received the advantages
afforded the inmates of the Orphans Home
at st. Joseph, La. She is so ignorant she
does not know the State she came from.