The herald., 1895-08-05
A MYSTERIOUS MURDER
Dominick Dreybach Was Killed
For His Money
THE ASSASSIN is UNKNOWN
A Pistol the Only Weapon Found
Thus Far
An Attempt Had Been nade to Cause the
Death to Appear as a Suicide, but
without Success

The coroner held an inquest yesterday
at Ballona on the remains and the jury
rendered a verdict that the deceased had
come to his death from fractu o. the
skull inflicted by parties unknown.
The case is a very mysterious one and
the murderer made every attempt to
cause the death to appear as though
Drey ach had suicided, but the theory
was soon shattered by the investigation
made yesterday by Sheriff Burr, Deputy
Sheriff Jenkins and Coroner Campbell.
No clue to the murderer was found, how
ever.
Drey bach was the foreman of l.. Mes
mers ranch at Ballona and lived in an
upstairs room of the old frame hotel.
The only otner persons occupying the
place were Albert Rimpau and family.
Dreybach collected rent from the cam pers
on the grounds and handled considerable
money. The last anyone remem bers hav-
ing seen of him was last Wednesday aft.
ernoon, and the body was not found until
Saturday morning. 1t is resumed that
the crime was committed Wednesday aft
ernoon beween and o CLOCK.
Both Rlmpau and his 13-year- -old boy
testified that they had seen him Wednes
day morning, while a boy who digs clans
vegetable garden at . p. III. from the
beach. Rimpau was about the place, but
does not remember having heard any
shots fired or any disturbance from mp
stairs. They missed Drey bach for several
days and finally on Saturday morning he
put the boy through window in the side
of the house occupe' by the foreman, and
the search revealed Drey ybach dead. De-
composition had set in and a bad stencil
permeated the room, but Rimpau says he
didtnot detect it.
1t was not until the room of the dead
man was examined that the true condi-
tion of affairs was found. Dreybaah was
lying flat on his back on the bed with his
legs crossed, a thing very seldom OBJ
served in suicides. The arms rested at
the sides ana by the right hand was re-
volvet with: zone of the cnambers empty.
A large hole in the forehead marked the
track of bullet. Upon a further exam
ination the back of the skull was found
to have been crushed in.
At the loot of the bed was window
about twnty feet above the ground. In
the partition running at right angles
with the side in which was this window,
as o bullet hole. The ball had passed
through and lodged in the head board of
the bed in the next room. In the parti-
tion opposite the window was found a
similar hole and in the adjoining room a
second ball was found. Both bulletsl
were OF IS callDer, the size OF the weapon
found on the bed. When the brain of the
man was removed there was found a
third pullet which Sheriff Burr believes
is about "A caliber. On the wall at the
head of the bed was a large blood stain.
At fret it was supposed the shots
through the walls had been discharged
from the window. but no ladder long
enough to have reached the sill by six
feet was found about the place, SO this
theory was dismissed. 1t is thought prob
able that some sort of struggle took
place between Dreybach and the mur- ,
derer.
The deadrman's trunk gave evidence of
having been rifed, although S61 was
found. Mr.. Mesmer asserted that there
should have been at least $500 more than
this amount.
On table in back room on the low
er floor Was brief note written in par
italy French, German and English
hand, bidding farewell to everybody. 1t
was written upon package of tobacco.
Drey bach had never used that bran d.
nor was the handwriting that of the dead
foreman, either.
There are numerous other circum stan
ces that go to prove that Dreybach was
cruelty murdered for his money, and the
case will be fully Investigated by the
sheriff Office.