The San Francisco call., 1895-10-12
THEIR STORIES DIFFER.
Ante-MOrtem Statement of the
Victim Denied by the
Slayer.
SHOT TO SAVE MRS. HARRIS.
He Claims the Enraged Husband
Had Opened Fire Upon the
Woman.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, Oct. u.-"Jack"
Harris turbulent life ended at II 80 o'clock
this afternoon, and the prophetic words
uttered shortly after he received the fatal
bullet from Len Callendines pistol
Wednesday night, "My God, believe I'm
done for" have proved but too true.
strange fatality seems to have fol-
lowed every one of the male branch of the
Harris family, each member having met
violent death. Brave old detective Len
Harris, who for years had made himself
dreaded by the criminal element of the
coast and was feared by every member of
that fraternity, met his death in the little
station at Boulder Creek from the pistol of
Azoff, the Russian painter, who forfeited
his life upon the gallows for the crime.
Len Harris, the eldest son, met his death
in Salt Lake City nearly ten years ago,
being run over by railroad train, and
Henry Harris, the twin brother of John,
was shot in this city some six years ago by
Zeigler, pressman on the Record Union.
Harris encountered the former in a saloon,
and in attempting to pick fight with him
was shot and killed. Lastly, John, in a
quarrel with his most intimate friend, Len
Callendine, died violent death.
1t is said that in his dying statement
Harris claimed that. rendered suspicious
by the long absence of his wife, who had
a ecompanied her mother on a visit to a
lady friend. he left his residence and
started in search for her. In passing
through the alley in the rear of his resi-
dence he suddenly came upon his wife and
Callendlne, who had his arm around her
alSf Thau f11rraH onH AaH ond ha
sued them, calling upon his wife to stop.
Callendine, he claimed, seeing that he was
being rapidly overhauled and realizing the
uselessness of attempting to escape by
flight, sprang behind a telegraph pole,
drew his pistol and began shooting.
John, who possessed the grit of his
father, then drew his own pistol "This
means war to the death,'' he said, as he re-
turned Callendine's fire, wounding him in
the pistol hand and receiving in return his
own death wound.
1t is claimed that Callendine told an en-
tireIy different story, claiming that Harris
was the first to begin the shooting by
firing several shots at Mrs. Harris, and
that to protect the woman he drew his own
pistol and fired at Harris.
That Harris at one time had the most
implicit confidence in Callendine is
evinced by the fact that when the former
was committed to the County Jail for some
offense committed he sent for Cailendine
and requested him to take up his residence
at his house and care for his wife during
his term OF imprisonment. This was the
date of Callendines admission as boarder
in the Harris domicile, and it is claimed
that after Harris had lost his position with
the railroad company after his active
participation in the late railroad strike,
and had exhausted his means and was
unable to obtain employment, Callendine,
who was of a saving disposition, furnished
the means to run the establishment.
It is also claimed by those who are cogni-
zant of the facts that Harris, instead of
obstructing Marshal Baldwin in the dis
charge of his duty by disarming him and
carrying him away on his back, in reality
saved Baldwin's life from the maddened
and excited crowd that would in its anger
have torn him to pieces.
Those who claim to be intimate friends
of the two men state that there was not
the slightest ground for jealousy on the
part of Harris in as far as his wife was con-
cerned, as she was and had always been
true to her plighted troth. Even after the
tragedy it was impossible to keep her from
his side.