The herald., 1895-08-19
Where the Cummings Boys Sc.
Creted Their Plunder
A PLACE NEAR THEIR CABIN
Discovery Of More discriminating Evi.
dence Against Them
side County, After Doing Some Clever
Work With the Officers There

There seems to be not the slightest
doubt that the Cummings boys murdered
T. c. Naramore at his ranch near River
side on the Sd of this month. Detective
George Insley has returned from making
a thorough investigation OF tne crime.
and he has gathered enough evidence to
hang dozen men. He and Sheriff W.
ID. johnson and Under Sheriff Dickson
of Riverside county have woven one OF
the strongest chains of circumstantial evil
dence about the two brothers. and there
seems to be not the least loophole for
them to evsde punishment.
When the crime was first discovered the
Cummings brothers and Juan Lopez,
Mexican hand on the place, were arrested
on suspicion. The boy Lopez has proved
most important witness, and almost
sufficient evidence was given by him to
have convicted the others. He also told
the officers that the Cummings belonged
to an apparently organized gang OF
thieves. Lopez took them to a small
ravine about 800 yards from the cabin on
the ranch where the murder was COM
mitted and pointed out a cave in which
the plunder had been secreied. This
that the men were adopts in the art OF
timbering. 1t runs back from a ravine
about ten feet, is seven feet wide ana
five feet deep. Entrance is secured
through door in the top three feet
square Covered over the top is layer
OF two feet OF earth. AS the surrounding
land is used for cattle grazing it would
be almost i'm possible to detect the cave
if person was unacquianted with its
exact location. Inside. the drift is tim
bered with railroad ties and then boxed
with two thicknesses of plank.
Lopez told the officers that lie had
learned of its existence the first parl OF
June. He had seen the Cummings dig
down and go into the place. One day
the; went to the town and he proceeded
to investigate. He opened the door, but
did not enter. He says he saw large
quantity of harness. sacks, boxes and
other articles.
When the officers visited the place moth
ing was found. The print of boxes and
otner Things was plainly visible but
some member of the gang had evidently
removed the plunder to place CT safety.
A thorough searJh was made and some
interesting facts learned. Ventilation
was secured by means of piece OF gas
pipe run about 20 feet from the cave to
clump of sage brush. Over the top OF this
pipe was a tin can, perforated to admit
the air. but put there to keep out the
dirt. Around this had been planted
quantity OF brush
When questioned as to when they had
built the cave Caesar Cummings said that
| it had been done last November. In order
| to allay suspicion and to dispose OF the
| dirt, they dug ditch up the ravine even
| with the END of the cave, and piled that
| from the latter with heaps on the sides OF
! the trench.
The statements of the Cummings as to
the attempted holdup and killing of
and utterly intangible. but one OF the
wounds in the dead mans head was not
explained by the officers until Friday,
when Mr.. Insley discovered the revolvers
belong eingfto them. One OF the weapons
was introduced as evidence al the coron-
er's inquest, but in some mysterious man
ner disappeared. MIR. lnsley made par
ticular effort to locate the weapons, and
finally was rewarded by learning that
they were at Ei Monte. He went out to
the ranch of Burr Cummings, brother
of the supposed nurderers. and told him
that he wanted the two revolvers. With
out any protest Burr went and got them.
An examination soon explained the reason
for the unusual cut in Naramore's head.
The weapons are old Colt nayys that
load with cap and ball. The loading
iron of one had been mended with cop
per rvet that protiuded, and 1t was with
this that the cut in the head had been
made
Quite a nrmber of otner discriminating
evidence was found. 1t has Just been
leearned that responsible citizen of Riv-
erside warned Mr.. Naramore not to go to
the ranch after the rent money, as the
informant had heard the Cummings saw
that they would not hesitate to hold Up
any one for $50.
MIR. Insley states that he has met quite
nun ber of hard characters during his
career as detective, but the Cummings
are without exception tho worst that have
ever come to his notice at any time.
He thinks they have committed other
murders and are the leaders of the des-
perate gang that has infested Ell Mo nte,
where they formerly lived.