Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1893-11-16
TRIED FOR MURDER.
Story of the Killing of James
Richards.
Schaffer's Trial Proceeding With a
Degree of Dispatch That Breaks
All Previous Records.

The trial of Fred Schaffer for the
murder of James Richards last July
began yesterday afternoon and was con-
Quoted with so much dispatch that
within three hours all the evidence
was submitted.
The defendant was represented by
Messrs. Fitch & Campbell and A. Buck.
District Attorney Williams was unas-
sisted in the prosecution.
Some difficulty attended the selection
of jury. The regular panel was ex-
hausted and special venire of twenty
was ordered.
At l 80 jury made up of the follow
ing mem bers was obtained: E. Allen,
W. L. George, Jr., j. M. Gardiner. F.
J. Duncan, j. G. G. H. Boone, W. A.
Schorr, G. L. Richmond, W. E. Law
renee, G. E. Holland, A. W. Taylor and
J. W. Curns.
There was no preliminary legal
diminishing before the taking of evil
dence and no waste of time during it.
The first witness was Willie Moore,
the 14-year-old stepson of the prisoner.
His story did not differ from his testi-
mony at the inquest and the prelimi-
nary hearing. On the morning of the
killing, he said, Schaffer had hitched a
team to his wagon to come to Phoenix.
He first drove to Robert Archer's place,
soon returned and asked his wife if she
wanted anything from town. She re-
piled that she did not. Schaffer then
wanted to take his little boy, but his
wife objected, saying that he was not
properly dressed. Schaffer drove away
a short distance and returned very
angry, swearing at his wife and calling
her vile name. He brought a gun
from his wagon, seeing which, Mrs.
Schafer told the witness to bring an ak
for her defense. He did so, but in the
meantime Mrs. Schaffer retreated to-
ward the house. The witness had been
sent away by Mrs. Schaffer for help
and saw no more but heard the report
of the gun.
The story of the killing was com
pleted by his younger brother, Arthur
Moore, who said that Mrs. Schaffer
entered the house closely followed by
Schaffer. At the door Richards step
ped in the way holding bucket in his
hand and said. "Schaffer, don't 60 in.
With an oath and warning to "look
out" Schaffer leveled the gun and fred.
Richards fell within two feet of the wit
ness and Schaffer passed on through
the house in pursuit of his wife, who
had escaped from an opposite door.
The witness ran around the house after
her mother and saw Schaffer snap the
gun at her twice. One point in the
testimony of both witnesses was that
Schafer did not usually take the gun
in the wagon. The latter witness testi-
fed that just before the shooting
Richards reached for the gun, but did
not seize it. At the inquest he said
that the murdered man had grabbed it
near the muzzle with mis- left hand. At
the time of the shooting the muzzle was
within two feet of Richards face.
Harry Packwood's evidence consisted
of an exhibit of plan of the premises
drawn soon after the tragedy.
Sheriff Murphy and Deputy Sheriff
Widmer, testified as to the arrest of
Schaffer and his subsequent remark to
the sheriff who proposed to go to the
prisoners ranch to investigate the
story of the shooting, You needn't 60
l shot" or 81 killed the s-of b
all right"
The territory rested and the defense
introduced DIR. Helm, who only testified
that if the muzzle of the gun bad been
within two feet of Richards face, the
face would have been powder burned.
j. G. Kellum and ]. w. Crenshaw
swore that they had examined the wall
back of where Richards stood and had
found that the lowest point at which
the charge had struck the wall, was
seven feet six inches and extended
above that % inches it's breadth was
IS inches, showing that the gun had
not been held level as had been de-
scribed.
Robert Archer testified that it was
not unusual for Schaffer to carry a shot
gun with him in a wagon.
Last, the prisoner himself was put
on the stand. He denied in a general
way all the incidents of the killing az
related by his stepson, and did not ask
to take his little boy to town with him
He went back to the house after som
papers and was met at the door by
Richards, who struck him with a club
and with a bucket; the gun was dis
charged by accident.
This closed the evidence and cour
was adjourned until this morning
when the arguments will be begun. q
The prisoners wife, prevented by law
from testifying against her husband
was an interested, but an apparent,
unsympathetic listener,
THE RED AND THE BLACK.