The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-20
THE MURDER OF KING.
Only Slight Evidence to Connect
Morrison With 1t.
connEcr,on wTnFETnsocAsE
Kings Meetings with the rettisgs Since
They offered Reward fhs Prob
able caase--streng Theory.

iass Friday evening vas undoubtedly the
second climax In the Charlotte Fstting
tragedy. whici occurred 10 this city Sep
tefnber T. The police OF both cities accept
the theory that King was put cut Of the
way 70 keep his mouth shut. bat, while Il
10 believed In this city that the $50 re-
ward offered by William Fetting last sesk
for discovery of the murderer caused the
crime, la Tacoma different view 10 taken.
There the police hold that there IL no con-
nection betwe the crime and the offering
Of the reward.
YESTERDAYS Developments in the Ia
coma half Of the mystery fail TO turn sns-
picion upon any one aud. instead. tend 70
show that A. q. Morrison, who was ar
rested on aspIcion, will be released. His
arrest was brought about solely by his osn
actions and not By any previous sus-
picions connection with King. Ii appears
that Kings body vas found Ia shallow
water st the side OF graded walk that
crosses the tide hats, aud from evidences
given by persons living within a reason
able distance IL would appear that he was
shot ard then thrown in the water.
King WAS presumably on his way home
when be met his fate. Three shots were
fred, or at least that - the information ii
the hands OF the Tacoma police. but only
one TOOK effect. II was the work Of an
assassin. and one who did not intend to
give bis victim chance for life. Had the
bullet entered the head in front, there
might be n chance for the theory Of
struggle. but instead the leaden messenger
pierced the skuIl about two inches back OF
the left ear and passed through the brain.
lodging in the skin.
When the body was discovered Morrison
was Mt hand, but Immediately skunk away
In q suspicious manner, making himself
the more an object Of attention by throw
ing something into the bushes. As
soon M the police learned OF this
they commenced an investigation, re-
suIting In the discovery OF n set
OF brass knuckles. Such implements are
not carried by honest. peaceable citizens,
and the police were justified in following
the clue TO the end. Morrison was fonnd
and jailed. bu; nothing has been discov-
cred 20 make IL appear that he did the
deed. lie WAS acquainted with King,
loafed around the same saloon and in APP
pcarance IL a worthless character.
In investigating the case, the police of
both cities have not spared people from
sympathy. The whereabouts OF many
people have been looked up and reported
on. Louis Bohn. who was under susni-
cion for a time in connecticn with the
murder Of Mrs. Fetting, has cleared him.
self according to the belief Of the Tacoma
police. Ernest Fetting was in this
city. and the Otis have . similar
aiibi. The question then Is. who
did the work and what was the object.
There are not many theories, il being
pretty generally accepted that King.
owing to his destitute circumstances, was
In danger of telling what he knew in Or
der TO get the $50 offered by the state
end the $500 offered last week by William
Fetting. Tho Fetting brothers were in
Tacoma several days ago and had long
talk with King. After this the reward
was offered. Surprising that the man
who did the first murder was in
Tacoma and witnessed this hob-nobbing
between the lettings and King, who Is
presumed to have known considerable
about the matter, he would naturally con-
slider his position insecure and watch King
with distrustfni eye. IL might even be
possible that King did not get his
share Of the booty. and on this
account contemplated telling what
lac knew. realizing that at the
worst he could prove conclusively
that he did not do il. With these facts
before HIM desperate man would as soon
hang for two murders as one. If he proved
successful in the second murder he re-
moved the only probable witness against
him, and in the future would have only
TO battle with his own conscience. II this
theory should be proved by the facts, it is
clear why King was an obstacle necessary
20 be removed.
Taking the second murder in connection
with the first, one who has followed the
case more closely than any other person
believes thar King was the originator of
what was intended 20 be a robbery, but
which turned out to be not only
robbery but murder. This opinion
is certainly strengthened by the ac-
tions of King before and after the
affair in this city. According to his belief.
King. who knew rs we'll as Bonn that the
money was in the Fettings' possession,
talked with Ernest Fctting as To wha,
could be done with his tking'a) children
and old Mrs. Fettinr. fctting is supposed
TO have offered King $500 IL he would take
the old lady and the children aud provide
for them. King refused aud in a
few days his stepson, Bohn. came
over to Seattle from Tacoma
after the youngest child. Again the
gold was discussed, and Bohn thought
the lettings mean to refuse TO care for the
children of King, then IN charge of Mr..
and Mrs. OFT. neighbcr. Presumably
Bohn told King, on returning to Tacoma.
all about what had happened while he was
in the city. Then King decided within
himself 10 have some Of that money. The
thcorist believes that King got q con.
federate in Tacoma, planned the work
from there and came here 10 execute his
share of IL. lie took fctslng in the after
noon preceding the murder 20 the csme-
toward evening. After supper he per
susded Fetsing to SO up town, thing con-
trary 20 lettings customs, and after
watching the Salvation Army for while
concluded tina. the Peoples Standard
theater would be = good place 70
pass the evening. fe,,ing had $40 in his
pocket. yet King was master ofceremoaies
and paid Tor the tickets King KEEP, Fet-
ting in tho theaIer. while q different play
was going on st the Feyting cabin Kings
confederate. having been previously tod q
the location of the gold. bad only To Ee,
into the shack, keep the old woman
auiet, run the chances OF being seen
by person Of peer eyeslght at
best and, having coae his work. get back
20 Tacoma on the FIRST train that stoppesf
NJ the junction Of the narrow aad broad
suage tracks. Sgppossng the robser to
have entered the shack by any means be
chose. the dried blood indicating that the