The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-02-19
SANTA ANA.

Inquest as to Ahe Cauee OF Le"is
Yorba's Death.
SANTA ANA, Feb. 18.-The all-sbsorb-
ing topic of the hour is the shooting of
the Mexican yesterday by George EN-
erson.
The body of the Mexican was brought
in last night to the undertaking parlors
OF S. W. Smith & Son. Three balls from
a revolver entered his body, one from
the left side passing clear through the
body and lodging in his shirt on the
right eide. Another entered the breast
about three inches below the right nip
pie, while the third ball entered the
breaet below the left nipple, glancing
downward.
A coroner's jury was at once sum
moned and promptly at the appointed
hour this morning the jury was called
and the inquest begun by Coroner Ely.
The first witness called was Lewis
Emerson, who testified in substance az
follows.
live on my ranch where this shoot
ing occurred. My postoffice is Rincon.
Mr.. George and got up Saturday morn
ing about 6 o'clock and got our break
fast and loaded up several things in the
wagon and started up to where we were
going to build house on our claims.
We had been on our claims about one
month. About little after O'Clock on
the morning of Saturday, February 18th,
l was walking ahead of the team and
my brother George was driving.
When near this Mexican's tent
lewis Yorba's) | saw the
Mexican, Yorba, coming toward me
from his tent; had picked up some
hak fol ha
trees, and one in each hand / held them
in about the middle. They were about
one-half inch in diameter and about six
feet long. Lewis Yorba, the Mexican,
came up to me and grabbed hold of one
OF the pieces OF brush, and at the same
time he was muttering something could
not understand, while had not said
word. The Mexican Immediately put
hEo6eSaa th fon r S aiif os saw tbss Rs@H
lean was in great rage. l Immediately
let go the stick | had in my hands
and started to run, and at the
same time l saw that ne was
pulling something from his side. At
first l thought it was a knife, but as [
ran and looked over my shoulder l saw
that 1t was club about two inches
thick and two feet or mora long. 1 ran
to get q safe distance out of his way.
As was running and looking over my
shoulder l caught my toe in some brush
and fell on my right side, and at the
same time the Mexican was over me
with the clab ready to dash my brains
out. At that moment heard shot.
and scrambled ON my feet and turned to
the right. and noticed my brother George
who had run up to Yorba; when the
Mexican turned on him George fred the
first shot. 1 don't know whether he
tired from the wagon or on the ground.
When the Mexican heard the shot he
turned around to George with his club
still raised to strike and George lodged
down, which brought the Mexican al |
most over him, and as he lodged George
fired again at the Mexican. said. |
don't shoot him, Georges This was the |
first words l had spoken. George was
still running and Yorba was in pursuit,
but did not run very fast and George
ran around at the side of the
wagon and Yorba dropped on
his knees and then on his face. At that
time saw woman up in front of Yor-
ba's tent door. She immediately came
toward us. We then threw out what
things we had in the wagon as fast as
we could, and in the mean time the
woman had got down to Lewis Yorba.
We drove back down the hill to the
camp, and put on the seat and cushion,
and drove 20 Santa Ana, telling several
parties along the way of our trouble and
asking one fellow to come with us. NV
object in telling these men of our
trouble was that we were in
Mexican settlement and we
feared we might have more trouble.
George fred with a 32-caliber re-
volver. l don't know how MANY cart
ridges it had, nor how many times
George fired. l had nothing with me
to defend myself with. ! never carried
a revolver in my life. The club saw
In Yorba's hand was about 2 feet or
more long and about 2 inches thick. Is
was peeled and whitfield out at one end.
1t was concealed about his person. This
ub shown is not the one the Mex
lcAn had. The one he had was
larger and longer and peeled and
whitfield off to fit the hand.
am positive as to my statement in re-
sard to the club Yorba had. 1t was
,bout 200 yards from the wagon to !
7 orba's tent. Yorba had worked one
lay for US while making this road to get !
IN TO our claim and paid him $3.50 for !
I. suppose he WAS trying to jump our
'iaims | hadsno reason to apprehend
my touDl6 rom OrDa. =
ordered him to quit the premises !
bout the 9th of February. l was on :
here about month before l ordered !
Tim OIL During the time we were on
his claim we were building a road
q we could get to it with q :
wagon, We possessed title to the l
lain by having filed on the land &C. !
ording to law and posting notices. 1t
8 government land. went to Los An
eles and made every arrangement in =
egard to the land. Mr.. s. 81. Finley, .
ounty surveyor of Orange county, made Z
ho surveys for us and located on the
lain. Yorba was not on the claim
hen we filed on it. / saw him first $
bout the Let of February. The tent 81
aust have been brought up by the back r
Fay for wa did not 500 The - oo,uo,s- Is