The record-union., 1894-07-09
Charles v. CraddOck Butchered
in His Bed.
Thomas Slack, an EnPlOYe, Also Shot,
But Escaped.
Awful Deed Committed at an Inn on the Old
NarySViIle Road Description Of
The Supposed Murderer


murder and two cases of drowning yes
terday served to partly atone for any lack
of exciting events in connection with the
great railroad strike.
The person murdered was an old man
named Charles w. Craddock, who kept
public inn on the old Marysville road,
about ten miles north of this city, and
the unknown fiend who committed the
crime also shot Thomas Slack, an elderly
man in Craddock's employ.
The first news of the shocking double
crime-or what afterward proved to be
euch-was received when a country book
agent drove to the Receiving Hospital,
about noon, with Slack, who was suffer
ing from bullet-wound in the face. The
bullet entered on the right side, just be-
meath the jawbone, and passing through
the mouth and between the jaw-bone on
the lett slue, emerged from the left cheek.
The old man had bled freely. but was
able to talk we'll. and told a very clear
story of the shooting.
He said he had been assisting Grad
dock, who is paralytic and almost help
less, for the last two months, doing
chores and waiting Oh customers for his
board and such small sums as Craddock
saw ut TO pay him from time to time.
The tavern is in rather desolate local-
ity, and is known as the Halfway
House. There is very little travel along
the highway, and the only occupants OF
the house recently have been Craddock
and Slack, Mrs. Craddock being with
friends at the town of Nicolaus, Sutter
County.
Slack says he was engaged yesterday
forenoon in constructing kind of bunk
hny Of rad n
occupy during the hot days, as he had TO
lie down most of the time. Craddock had
lust gone into little room in the rear of
the bar-room to lie down, when he
Slack neard footsteps in the house. He
went inside and was confronted by
young man, stranger, and asked him
what he wanted.
The visitor pretended that he was dumb,
and picking up an empty beer glass he
went through certain movements that
gave Slack TO understand he wanted
glass of beer. Slack went behind the
bar, got clean glass and beer bottle.
and was in the act of removing the patent
stopper when the stranger presented
large bright pistol and shot him, as
stated.
Slack says he fell on his hands, and the
would-be murderer, evidently thinking
he had killed him, started for the rear
room where Craddock was lying on his
bed. Realizing that his only safety was
in flight, Slack got up and ran out, max
ing in the direction of the house of Joseph
Guth. the nearest neighbor, a quarter of
a mile away. just before he reached
there he looked back and saw the stranger
in the rear OF the house. apparently look
ing for him.
He told Guth what had occurred, but
the latter would not let him go into the
house, as his face and clothing were COW
cred with blood. and he was afraid the
sight would frighten his family.
Guth, however, got his shotgun and
wanted Slack to return to Craddock's
house with him, but the old man de-
clined. Guth went part of the way, but
fearing that Slack's assailant might shoot
him as he approached, he returned.
Slack then started for this city on foot.
He knew where some Italians were farm
ing few miles away. and went there
and asked them TO take him to town, but
they paid no attention to his appeal. He
returned to the road and trudged along
in the broiling sun until overtaken by
good Samaritan, in the person of the
book agent, who brought him to the city.
Slack said he feared that old man Grad
dock had been murdered by the stranger,
as he was crippled and helpless. How
ever, he did not hear any pistol report
after leaving the house.
About an hour after Slack was brought
to the city Deputy Constable William
country in the vicinity OF Arcade, and
between there and the river, in search of
one s. @. p. Lovelace, who escaped on
Thursday night from the Yuba County
Jail, met John Chantoni, a farmer, who
lives some miles north of Craddock's
place, and learned from him the particu
lars of the shooting of Slack and the hor-
ribIe fact that Craddock had been found
murdered in his bedroom.
Brissell fastened to town, and his
brother, Constable John z. BrisSell, and
another man started at once on horseback
Tor the scene of the murder, armed with
shotguns. Shortly afterward Sheriff
O'Neil and the Deputy Constable left for
there in buggy, also armed with a shot
gun and pistols, in the nope of appre-
hending the murderer. Coroner Clark
was notified, and Deputy Clarence Clark
went out for Craddo0k's body.
The day was excruciatingly hot, the
mercury registering 90 in the shade, and
the Journey over the dry plains and
dusty roads was very trying one to the
officers Owing to the low country being
covered with water, they had to make a
wide detour of several miles. and it was
late in the afternoon when they reached
there.
Sheriff O'Neil and Deputy Brissell re-
turned about s o'clock without having
seen the murderer or finding anyone
who had seen him, unless it was Guth,
field toward the overflow soon after the
tragedy.
The officers say the room in which
Craddock's body was found had the ap-
pearance of q yeritable slaughter house.
There were two beds in the room, on one
of which lay the horribly mutilated form
of Craddock His head had been crushed
almost into snapeless mass, and on the
floor beside the bed lay the Implement
or one of the mplements-empIoyed py
the murderer.
1t was good-sized cobblestone, in
Renlously fastened in a kind OF wire net
work, and is a most murderous-looklng
weapon. Apparently the poor old man
never moved after the first blow, which
must have crushed in his skull, but the
fiend took no chances, and continued to
beat him.. until, as above stated, the head
was mashed into jelly. The blood and
brains had spattered all over the place,
and there can be little doubt that the
murderer's clothes have plenty of blood
marks on them.
But what puzzles the officers. in view
of Slack's story, is the fact that the bar
room itself bears evidence of fight or
struggle The clock behind the bar had
been hit with heavy implement which
made deep dent in the wall alongside
and bottles and glasses were broken and
scattered about in profusion.
In the bar-room was also found the
ouard of pistol, as if it had been broken
off by a heavy blow. It was covered with
blood and matted hair, as if the pistol had
haen llsed to beat Craddock's head into
the condition in which it was found. The
clock had stopped at just two minutes be-
fore 0o'clock.
one theory is that after killing Grad