The San Francisco call., 1895-11-03
Shot Down Like a Dog
While in the Hands Of
Officers.
TOLD AT THE INQUEST.
Witnesses Give Evidence That
the Killing Was Most
Brutal.
CROW AND VAN HORN ACCUSED.
Charged by the Coroner's Jury With
Being Implicated in the
Murder.
CROW AND VAN HORN ACCUSED.

thrilling accounts OF recent happenings In
the vicinity of Round Valley were re-
markably correct and graphic descrip-
tons of those outrageous occurrences.
When THE CALL made demand for
transcript of the testimony it was impos-
sible at the moment to find any trace of
the document. Apparently it had disap-
peared from the face of the earth. The
persistency of THE CALLS representative,
however has had its effect, and about two
weeks after the conclusion of the hearing
the transcript was filed.
R. c. CarIin, County Clerk of Trinity
County, has supplied the following official
record of the proceedings of the Coroner's
jury:
B. w. VAN HORN.
B. w. Van Horn, after being sworn, says:
My name is Baylis Wesley Van Horn, aged n
years, occupation rancher.
Question-Where were you born? Answer
Colusa County, Cal.
q How long have you lived in this county {?
a. Eleven years.
q. We're you acquainted with Jack Little
field? A. Yes, sir.
q. How long have you known him? A.
About ten years.
q When did you last see him? A. On the
evening of the 27th of last September.
@. What was he doing? \. He was riding
along the trail I had him in charge.
U. why was II you naQ MN IN charger A.
I went over to Mr.. Einton's place and Mr..
Ninton told me that Jack had shot him.
Johnny told me Mr.. Vinton wanted TO see me.
Q, Where were you when Johnny told you
this? 4. AT my place
Q. Where is Your place? A. About six miles
northwest OF here, on the trail to Mad River.
@. Was there warrant sworn out for the ar
rest of Littlefeld? A. No, sir.
Q. Where did you go from Mr.. Vinton's house?
A I went toward the place where Mr.. Vinton
was shot, then l took down the ridge to the
WvlepEia corral
@. What did you do there? A. We struck the
trail there and went on down TO the Eel River.
Q. Where did you go from there? A l went
on down the trail toward Round Valley.
@. Why did you go that way? A. found
that Jack had gone that way with the cattle.
Q. Where did you find Jack? A. found him
on the trail about three miles from the river.
Q. Who was with you? A Johnny Crow.
@. How came he 10 be with you? 4. I asked
him TO go with me, as l did not care TO go alone,
af there was bsi feeling between Jack and me.
40. Were you both armed? A. Yes, sir
e. What kind Of arms had you? a. had a
sik-shooter and Mr. Crow had Winchester.
Q. What eeliber was the Winchester which
Mr. Crow had? A. I think it was a 1865 and
mine was q 45 Colts.
@. What time OF the day was it when you ar
rested Littlefield? A. AS near as can tell it
was about half past or o'clock P. N.
Q. Where did YOU start after you arrested
him? A. Started back on the trail toward
Weaver.
Q. Who all were. present when YOU made the
arrest? A. Myself, Johnny Crow. Jack Little
field, Jimmy Willburn, John Waltham.
@. How far did you intend to go that night
with Littlefeld? a. intended to go to my
place
Q. How far is your place from where you ar
rested Jack? a. 1t must be seventeen or eigh-
teen miles.
@. Alter you started for Weaver did you
meet any one? a. Yes, sir Mr.. Box, Hiram
Willburn and l think Aaron Willburn, Rose
Ross, also Annie Crabtree.
@. Where did you meet them? A. About half
way between where crossed the river and the
place where | arrested Jack.
Q. Was Jack armed when you arrested him?
a. Yes, sir.
Q. What did he do with his arms? A. He
gave them to me. asked him for them.
Q. What did you do with them? A. tied it
on my saddle. 1t was pistol.
@. Did you have the pistol when you met the
mob? A. Yes, sir
Q. Have you the pistol yet? A. No, sir
O. What did you do with it? A. gave it to
the Justice of the Peace a the inquest.
Q. Did you pass any one on the trail while
you had Jack in charge? A. No, sir.
@. Those above named were the only ones
you saw? A. Yes, sir.
O. How far is it from the place where you
arrested Jack to the place where he was shot?
A. should judge 1t was about seven or eight
miles.
O. How far is it from the place where you
met Mr.. Box and the others to the place where
Jack was shot? A. II must be six miles or six
and half miles, something like that.
Q. Did you stop on the trail while you had
Jack in charge? A. We stopped at the river to
get drink.
q. How long did you stop at the river? A.
About five to fifteen minutes
@. How long were you coming up the noun
tain? A. think it took two hours, and maybe
q little longer.
@. How long were you coming down to the
place where Jack was shot-from the top? A.
Perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes.
O. Did you see any OF the men before they
told you to stop? A. No, sir.
Q. What did they tell you to do when they
first spoke? A. The first word was, "Hold on
there we will take charge of that man"
@. Was that all they said? A. That was all
that was said before the first shot was fired.
Q. What did you do after they told you they
would take charge OF that man? A. l stopped
and looked around.
Q. How long did you stop? A. 1t could not
have been but a few seconds.
Q. What did you do then? A. l started on
down the trail.
Q. How came you to start down the trail? A.
They commanded us TO go on.
@. What were the words they used? A. The
first words were: "You fellows 60 on therei"
] heard the command three or four different
times.
Q. Did they tell you to go fast? A. 1 did not
hear the command to go fast.
Q. How far was Crow behind you when the
shooting took place? A. About twenty or
behind me.
q. Where did you go after Littlefeld was
shot? A. l came down the trail direct TO this
o. Did Crow come with you? A. Yes, sir.
q. Did he stay with you all night? A. Yes,
sir.
U. Az Wudb uOuse yOu otdyi a. AZ my
house.
Q. How long were you going from the place
where Jack was shot to your place? A. i should
judge an hour and half or an hour and three
quarters.
q. Did you meet any one or see any one while
you were going home from where Jack was
shot? A. Yes sir.
@. Who? a. We saw two parties-Walter
CLARK, the other one they called George.
O. What time of day was it you saw them?
A. Near O'Clock, or little after s.
hat A.
going out in the field.
Q. Was there any one at your house beside
yourself and Crow when you got home? A.
Yes, sir.
Q. Who? A. My father, mother, brother and
q boy by the name of Tom Crabtree.
Q. What time did you get home? A. AT quar-
ter-past p. M
q. Did any one else go to Vinton's place with
You? A. There was.
Q. Who were they2 A. My brother Gordon.
Q. Who did you find there when you got
there? A. Tom Hayden, Buck Laycox, Fred
Radcliff, Joe Gregory.
Q. When you started off what did the rest do?