The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-06
THE BRIGHTON TRAGEDY.


Tie waits and strays of evidence touching
last Thursdays tragedy at Brighton, near
Sacramento, point to another mysterious
crime. At four in the morning Of Thurs
day last Miss C. .. Ayres. station agent and
telegrapher of the Southern Pacific at BTlgh-
ton, was found dead in the cabin which she
occupied, which had been set on fire and
partially consumed. The body of the dead
girl was mutilated by the FIRE; the head was
burned off, and the legs and arms were par
italy consumed. 1t appeared that death
had taken place at about 2 A. NJ Miss
Ayres lived alone in her cabin, which served
her as Westinghouse, station and telegraph
Office.
On inquiry it turned out that Miss Ayres.
whose list OF acquaintance was small.w was
acquainted with a man named Jefers. or
.Jetferis, or Jeiferds, who was an engineer
on Paeifc railroad train running between
this city and Sacramento. This Jefferis
was a married man, living with his wife
and two children in Oakland; yet the mar
riage record of San Francisco shows that
man Of his name-GeOrge b. Jefferis-was
married on July 9, 1892. TO Clara Olga Ayres.
When confronted with this certificate JET
ferris denied that he ever married Miss
Ayres, but admitted that she had conceived
a violent passion for him, aud that she per-
secuted him with protestations of love-
When asked to account for his time at the
date of the murder he said that he did not
leave Sacramento from the time his train
arrived en- Wednesday evening till it left on
Thursday morning. about the time the
Brighton station was burned. Certain work
men say. on the other hand. that on his
arrival 10 Sacramento on Wednesday over
ing he boarded a locomotive that was going
ont on the road TO Brighton. and Travelled
some distance on it, which gave him time
to walk 70 Brighton and return before his
train left
Those who suspect him Of having mur-
dered the lonely girl assign robbery as one
motive and desire to get rid Of au annoy
ing rival to his wife as another. 1t appears
that Miss AyTes had saved up $500 and had
it, 10 Jefferis' knowledge, in the cabin. If
The deed was done for the sake Of plumber
it fai ed, for the money and Miss Ayres'
watch we're found in the cabin. A man
named Starkey is reported as having given
evidence that Jefferis had asked him TO help
in making away with the girl, who ''waS a
menace to his domestic peace" This theory
stanlia,e it. II seems likely, however, to be
adopted on the trial. Jefferis' LAWYER says
that Miss Ayres had threatened Mrs.
Jelferis' life and had begged Jefferis to sign
a marriage contract with her antedating
his marriage with his wife. The letter con-
tanning the request is in JefferiS' possession.
We are only on the threshold of inquiry,
and further evidence may oyerturn any
opinions formed on the incomplete testi-
mony at present in the hands of the public.
At Sacramento people seem TO have come
TO the conclusion that Jefferis is guilty.
Yet. unless new facts are shown. it will be
difficult to convince a jury that such was
the case. Up to q certain point the circum-
stances seem pretty clear. Here was an old
maid. living alone, aud for long periods Of
time enjoying 20 other society than that
of her thoughts; in love with a married
man. who probably half assured her that
he wonld marry her il he was free; man
with whom her intimacy was probably
close. And here was a railroad engineer.
with wife and children, whose society
promised more show Of happiness than the
company Of the Brighton telegrapher. He
would naturally seek to get out Of his en-
tanglement; but would the wish to do so
be powerful enough TO induce him to commit
murder TO realize il, and 10 throw the body
Of the murdered girl into the fire? On the
other hand the woman, who loved him. and
who erooned over her bad luck in her sBli-
tnde. would naturally worry him in every
possible way; but would she carry her
spite far enough to fatally wound herself
/ and then throw her body into the FIRE?
valuable elew may be obtained by look
! ing into The circumstances Of the marriage.
real or pretended. II Jefferis did really
/ marry Miss AyFes on July 2. 1892, the case
/ viii look black for him. Bigamy does not
| imply muTderous Instinct. Bat when n
! married man commits matTmony with an
unmarried girl the presumption is that be
| is a rascal, and suspicion OF other crimes
| may fairly light on him. On the oihsr
| hand, if Miss Ayres deliberately married
some man who persouated Jefferis public
/ opinion viii convict her OF wicked dis
| position. and will make it difficult for the
! people TO represent her as an injured victim.
| Now. a marriage is not n performance
which takes place in a hole and corner.
| Some one always witnesses it, and il should
! be possible for counsel 20 find that one and
| make him say: II was at that marriage
/ Jeiferis was tie man." oEts.JJeffeTis was not
the man." - For it iS>Gertain that some mar
I riage must have taken place.
Justice is constantly defeated by the rage
! which SEXES people when crime has been
! committed 10 pick out some one person and
! proclaim him the criminal TO the exclusion
| Of all others. That was probably the secret
| Of the failure of the inquiry into tie recen;
| murder at Fresno. 1t is in the highest
! degree improbable that Miss Ayres com.
! mitted suicide. nor is it likely that she fell
into the IRE in such way as TO burn both
her arms and her legs off. But there were
| other people besides Jefferis who may have
done to death that poor morbid girl in her
lonely cabin. especially as it was known she
had money secreted.