The herald., 1894-04-25
SLAIN WITHOUT MALICE,
Victims of the Point Sur
Disaster.
Roger RyfkOgel Arrested for
Manslaughter.
The Third officer Perhaps Not Alone
Responsible.
Sensational Developments Expected at
His Bodies of tho
Victims Bobbed - Excite
mont 8ubsiding.
~ the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
MONTEREY, CAL, April 24.-All the
excitement attending the wreck OF the
steamer Los Angeles has subsided.
There is no evidence Of anything un-
usual here now, except that in and
around divers undertaking parlors all
has been hustle and activity during the
day. The body of S. N. Sheridan OF
Ventura was shipped to San Francisco
this afternoon by his son, who lie tele-
graph editor of the Morning Call.
Foreman Luce of the coroner's jury
today swore to q complaint against
Third Officer Ryikogel OF the wrecked
steamer Los Angeles, charging him with
mansleughter in having slain 5. N.
Sheridan without malice. Ryfkogel was
arrested and his bonds were fixed at
$4,000.
The preliminary examination OF RVf-
kogel will take place here as soon as
District Attorney Zabala returns from
Eureka, where he is in attendance at
the grand parlor OF the Native Sons.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS EXPECTED.
New developments are sure to spring
up at the preliminary examination OF
Rvfkogel, and it would not be surpris'
ing were some rather sensational reve-
latious to be made that would have q
direct bearing in locating the respon-
sibility for the loss of life at Point Sur
on other shoulders beside those OF the
friendless third officer.
Today Ryfkogel stated that he would
take no steps toward preparing for
his defense until after the preliminary
examination, as it seemed Impossible to
him that he would be made to suffer in
his present position very long. lie
said he realized that he was not in the
most enviable position in the world, but
that he would do absolutely nothing to
implicate others, as this would not be
-,a.,lu He ramarkad that no one, could
I vict1on on incomplete and distorted evi
dence.
However," he said, 81 will take nav
me1icine like man and do nothing to
involve any friend of mine."
BODIES OF VICTIMS ROBBED.
Sheriff Matthews returned today from
Point Sur, where he had been for two
days collecting the property that washed
ashore from the steamer Los Angeles.
In connection with the sherif's ex-
cellent work at the scene of the wreck,
it is interesting to note the fact that
prior to his arrival there the corpses OF
the victims and the small quantity of
plunder that were washed ashore were
in charge of portion of crew of the
sunken steamer. When the bodies were
fret discovered, Light-Keeper IngerBoll
reported that several of them, notably of
passenger Sheridan of Ventura, had
considerable money and valuablea on
them. AS stated above, they had been
''cared" for by q portion of the crew
until the coroner and sheriff arrived,
when they Immediately assumed charge.
Coroner Gordon found nothing on
Mr.. Sheridan except bunch of keys,
which circumstance clearly shows that
in that horrible hour of death some one
has been robbing people right and left.
And as the only once in reach were
those in whose keeping the corpses had
been left, the crime ia traced directly to
them.
A SENSATIONAL REPORT.
One of the most sensational reports
abroad today about Sundays wreck is
that the first boat to leave the Los An
geles had only three people in it. This
statement is current here tonight, and
is the only disturbing element left, now
that the excitement attending the first
news of the disaster and the charging of
Officer Ryfkogel with granddaughter, ia
over. All the information obtainable
up to this time is that four boats loaded
down with passengers were used after
hn I lnnv i
the statement is made that in the confu-
sion following the crash one boat left
the sinking steamer with three men in
it, and that nothing further has been
heard from it.
coRPsEs DUMPED IN THE ROAD.
At O'Clock yesterday morning Un-
dertaker Oliver and his assistant, E.
Duarte, let Point Sur ranch with three
corpses. Coming down Sierra kill,
where the carry-all conveying the first
party of survivors broke down the day
before, the brake rod parted and the
horses became unmanageable. They
took down the steep grade at break
neck speed, passing some OF the sharp
est curves ever laid out on mountain
roads. They had not gone fer when the
tongue OF the wagon broke in tive and |
the vehicle became like ship in q |
storm, without rudder. Finally the |
hub of one wheel came in solid contact
with stump on the roadside, lifting
the wagon clear off the road and send
ing it rolling down the caflon. Mr..
Oliver was thrown about thirty feet
down the hill, and Mr.. Duarte, still
holding the lines OF the runaway horses,
was dragged a considerable distance
along the road. The corpses had been
leaving the wagon one by one during
this time and were strewn along the
way for a considerable distance.
great amount OF time had been lost
BY the undertaken, and more would un-
ioubtedly have been lost had not a gem
lemsn from this city, Mr.. j. dc la
Tore, on his way home from the wreck,
happened along. This party is an ex-
pert with the lariRt, and, taking in the
ituation at glance, gave chase to the