The record-union., 1894-07-11
TIE CRADDOCK MURDER MYSTERY.
1t Has Assumed New and interesting
Phases.
The Body of the Missing Chinaman
Found Buried Close by the
Craddock Hotel.

Thomas Slack, the old man who was
shot at Charles W. Craddoclz's inn on the
Marysville road on Sunday, where the
latter was shortly afterward found muir
dered, is undergoing treatment at the
County Hospital.
Sheriff O'Neil yesterday heard that the
old Chinaman who disappeared from the
place about the time of the murder had
been seen in Wheatland, and he at once
left for that place to find him and learn
what he had to say about the tragedy.
Under-Sheriff Ben O'Neil said yester-
day that while there had been no real de-
velopments in the case, there were rea-
sons for believing that there is more to it
than the story told by Slack would indi-
cate.
THE PLOT THICKENS.
Reference was made in the RECORD
UNIONS account of the murder to the
finding OF horse and cart in the vicinity
| of the murder, and the fact that they had
| been stolen from Marysville. The natural
! suppostion was that the rig was stolen
/ by Lovelace, the escaped robber, and that
he drove to Craddock's place. abandoned
! the cart and committed the murder.
Last night the owner ofthe stolen horse
|
Marysville. He states that the cart was
| stolen on Friday, and that Lovelace did
not break Jail until Saturday afternoon.
The officers know pretty well who the
! thief is.
The Sheriff of Yuba and his deputies
watched the house of Lovelace's brother
on Saturday night and at half-past IL
O'Clock they took shot at the escaped
man, but did not get him.
1 frha man xVhn SToln tho bOrqa and "a rt
drove to Craddock's place on Saturday
morning. where he turned the horse loose
and struck across the country to Coyle's
ranch and took breakfast with the head
| ing crew. He then returned toward
Craddock's place. He must have stayed
in the vicinity, for he was found there on
Sunday afternoon, when the neighbors
murder. At this time he had part
ner," and this man, it is said, answers the
| description of the one who shot Slack in
Craddock's barroom that morning,
They were strangers to the people OF
the neighbo6hood, and left the house
| when it was announced that Sheriff
| O'Neil was coming. They were after
ward seen going toward Marysville by a
! butcher who came down the road.
When old man Slack was asked in the
! Receiving Hospital on Sunday evening il
any strangers mad been by the house dur
! ing the preceding day he replied that on
! Saturday two men in cart stopped there.
They wanted to get some feed for their
! horse, but Craddock had none, and after
watering their animal they drove on.
This corroborates the statement above
made, but Slack said he saw these men,
and that he could identify the man who
shot him. He did not suspect either of
them, but admitted that he did not OBJ
serve both closely.
THE CHINAMAN MURDERED.
But now comes one of the greatest
mysteries connected with the crime. 1t
was not only double crime, but triple
one. Yesterday afternoon, while Sheriff
! O'Neil was on his way toward Wheatland
in search Of the missing Chinaman, the
latuer's body was found buried within a
! few yards of the house.
Word of this discovery was sent last
evening to Sheriff O'Neil, and he will
now set about investigating this new
mystery.
The question arises, if Slack was shot
as he says, and Craddock murdered inn
mediately atterward, could the murderer
have had time 10 also kill and bury the
Chinaman in the short time that elapsed
before the neighbors arrived on the
scene?
| II ere is a chance for some bright de-
tective to work up an interesting case.
4