The record-union., 1893-06-01
IN TIE SECOND DEGREE.
Manuel and Richard Strybe Con-
Wcted of Numbering Damon.
The Crime Was Committed Five Years
Ago-Dick Reeds Story as to
How 1t Was Done.

For the second time within a week
jury in the Superior Court has returned
verdict of guilty in murder case, and
each verdict involved two persons, max
ing four convictions The first was in
the case of Chin Hane and Hoey Yen
Sing, who were tried for the killing of
Lee Gong year ago, and the other case
was that of the Strybe brothers, Manuel
and Richard, who were arrested some
six months ago for the murder of \. q.
Damon. committed several years ago.
The latter case was concluded about
o'clock yesterday afternoon, and the jury
was out only about two hours, when it
returned verdict of guilty of murder in
the second degree.
The prisoners were ably defended by
Hiram w. Johnson, but the jury evil
IDENTIFY regarded the testimony as being
very strong against the prisoners. DIS
trict Attorney Ryan and Deputy j. c.
Jones conducted the prosecution.
Damon, it will be remembered was
found dying in the alley near the Mobile
House, on Second street. one night in
March, 1883. 1t was demonstrated that
he had been poisoned and robbed, and
suspicion rested on Kate Cooper, propri-
etress of the deadfa1 mentioned, and
afterward released, as no proof could be
obtained of their guilt.
Last November, however, one Dick
Reed, who was a habitue of the Mobile
House, was induced to make confession
to Officer j. 4. Gibson of what he knew
about the crime, and the result was the
rearrest of Manuel Strybe and his brother
Richard.
THE STORY OF THE CRIME.
bn ol+
there was considerable that was corrobo-
rative-against the prisoners was that of
Reed, and his story, as told in court,
briefly stated, was substantially as fol-
lows:
He said he had lived in Sacramento
twelve or thirteen years. In March, 1855,
Kate Cooper lived In the Mobile House,
also Moilie Jones. Manuel Strybe lived
at the Mobile House. Witness, Manuel
and Richard Strybe and Kate Cooper
were there in the Mobile House on the
9th of March, 1888, and a man named
Damon. Kate Cooper went out and got
some whisky, and Manuel Strybe put
some morphine in the portion poured out
for Damon. Some one asked what they
would do for morphine. and Manuel said
there was somei in Mollie's bureau drawer.
When witness went into the house that
night Kate Cooper remarked: We've got
8 sucker in the front room, and the old
fellow has got stuff" and Manuel Stry be
said, ''Well fix him with morphine!"
Witness went up town, and afterward
met the Strybe brothers and asked them
what they did. One said: 1--WE doped the
old - -, and dragged him into
thealley."
They went down to Second and L
streets, and there learned that there was
excitement over the affair, and witness
said to the Strybe brothers: "Boys, you'd
better duck" and they went of.
After Manuel Strybe got out of Jail he
told witness to 90 to the yard of the
Mobile House and he would find $3.50 hid
there-Sl50 in one handkerchief and 500
in another. Witness hunted for it and
could not find it, but later on Manuel
told him he had found one handkerchief,
but supposed the officers had got away
with the other. They told witness they
could prove an alibi by Officer Ash, who
saw them up town about the time the
affair was supposed to have occurred. 1t
was about 5 o'clock when the morphine
was administered to Damon.
ATTEMPT TO BRIBE HIM.
Since the Strybe brothers were arrested
this time, said the witness, a man had
been 20 him and offered him 500 to leave
town. He did not know his name, but
he had been arrested for something or
other and released again.
When it came to his cross-eXamination
witness said he was running with the
boys in those days, and frequently went
to the Mobile House. He sometimes ate
there with the inmates. There were two
or three women in the house. Witness
was running a bootblack stand at that
lime at Orth's barber shop. He had taken
his usual four or five drinks on that day.
DOPING THE SUCKER"
In response to questions by counsel,
witness said he went to the Mobile House
that evening because he had not seen the
Strybe boys up town and knew he'd find
them there. He went in the back wav,
so as not 10 disturb Kate Cooper, who he
thought might be entertaining company
in the front room. He was there only
about ten minutes. Kate Cooper took
the drugged whisky and one other glass
of the liquor to the front room, where
''the sucker" was. The morphine was
put into the whisky with a spoon. Man
uel said he knew how to fix the drink.
Witness said nothing, as the affair had
nothing to do with him. He didn't think
the man would be killed-only drugged
and robbed. What the others did was
nothing to him; he didn't lose mo sleep
over it."