The record-union., 1893-04-01
AN UGLY RUMOR.
Suspicion That the YoIo Murderers
Had Assistance.
Delay In Instituting the Pursuit-A
Boat With Muffied Oars Heard
Leaving the Scene.

There have been no developments IN
the matter ofthe Yolo tragedy of Tuesday
evening, and it looks as if the slayers of
young Louis Todhunter will not be found
alive. There is, however, an ugly rumor
afioat that gives color to the belief enter
tanned by some persons that the men es-
capped.
1t will be remembered that nearly two
hours elapsed after the tragedy before the
Washingtonian braves had sufficiently
collected their wits to strike out and en-
deavor to cut off the retreat of the MUIR
derers by land. Nobody went far up the
river in boats to see if they were not es-
Gaping in that direction.
If the men escaped from the little island
on which they had landed. it must have
been between I and o'clock, and it was
by some boat other than their own.
Did they thus escape?-that is the ques-
ton.
About 10 o'clock on the night of the
shooting a RECORD UNION reporter met a
young nan on the levee who had been
spending the afternoon and evening with
family named Herget, residing close by
the \ olo shore and within perhaps two
hundred yards of where the shooting oc-
CURED. lie said reports OF the weapons
were distinctly heard, but aroused no
curiosity among the mem bers of the fam
lily, who were accustomed to such noises.
A short time afterward, and while they
were still ignorant of what had occurred,
they heard a boat pass by close to the
levee, as If propelled by mutiled oars, and
going up the river. The reporter thought
nothing of this incident, as it was under
stood that nobody had had boat stolen;
that the one the murderers had occupied
was in possession OF the officers, and the
men believed ut that time TO be on the
island.
Last night, however Il \ Oloite who was
in this city said that man living on the
other side, near where the counterieterS
landed, had made some remarks that
| caused people TO suspect that he had pro-
vided the men with the means of escape,
they leaving their own boat behind to de-
lude their pursuers into the belief that
they the counterieitersj were still hiding
| on the island.
II Is said that the man referred tO-aI-
though actively assisting the officers on
| Tuesday night-haS since declared that
the men did perfectly right i'll shooting
at the Todhunters; that tie latter had no
evidence that the men were outlaws; that
more than likely they were hunters, and
that he would have done as they did
under similar circumstances.
These alleged statements have, it is
said, excited some suspicion that the man
referred TO provided the men with a boat
and that they were far up the river while
the officers and people supposed they had
them corralled on the little island.
AS the story may be exaggerated, or
not based on fact, the name of the sus-
pected person is withheld, for the suspi-
cion may do him Il great injustice. But
if the drowned bodies OF the men do not
soon come to the surface in the locality
where they Abandoned their boat, 1t is
likely the suspicion that they were as
sisted in escaping will become stronger.
1t is also said That within the last day
or TWO Il SKIN was stolen from Il man
who livos on the bank OF the river some
miles above Washin. ..tun.
What should have been done immedi-
ately after The shooting on Tuesday night
was to send up the river one OF Tie small
launches lying at Washington, anG have
the stream explored for miles but there
was too much delay III doing anything,
and it may be that at least one OF the out
laws is alive and in hiding.