The San Francisco call., 1896-07-28
Given His Death Wound From
Behind as He Faces a
Dying Bandit.
THEIR BODIES FOUND LYING
SIDE BY SIDE.
Armed Men Intent on Netting Venge.
ance Are Seeking for the
Assassin.

NEVADA CITY, CAL, July 27-The
lone toll-taker of the North San Juan
road is dead. Nevada County has been
rid OF q desperate, but the rejoicing at its
deliverance is palled by grief over the loss
of one OF the bravest officers in all Cali
fornia. The body of Sheriff David F.
Douglass was found this morning near
that Of the outlaw for whom posses had
searched in vain for weeks. He had "got
his man." but lost his life. cowardly
bullet had closed the career OF this fearless
officers bullet fred when his back was
turned TO the assassin as the Sheriff
faced the read agent who now. lies cold in
death.
Tonight armed men are securing the
country for miles around, eager to avenge
the death of Sheriff Douglass. Should
his slayer be captured no mercy will be
shown. Never have the people of Nevada
County been so aroused over g criminal
act. Scores of men, some almost frenzied
in their rage, others cool and cautious,
but all bent upon the same purpose, are
searching every hillside and gully. They
make no attempt to conceal their inten-
tion to mete death swiftly to the muir
derer if he is taken. 4 suspicious char
acter named johnson was arrested to-
night, but he is not believed 10 be the
right man.
Smarting under the failure of posses to
run down the road agent who has COM
mitted repeated robberies in this vicinity
of late, Sheriff Douglass had started yes
terday TO attempt his capture single
handed. He came across the outlaw near
the city. Evidently the fellow vas asleep.
When Douglass called to him he reaehed
T. - a. l.
Sheriff was too quick and the outlaw was
slain before he could fire. Then confed-
crate of the toII-taker, attracted by the
shots, appeared and fred at the SherifFs
back. Douglass fell near the body OF the
man he had slain and his death must
have been instantaneous. a bullet from
the assasSin's rife had broken mis- back
Within the past two weeks numerous
highway robberies have occurred in this
/ vicinity. Recently Detective Thomas Glib
son and Charles sladky. of San Francisco,
were halted and robbed by 8 lone road
agent while coming TO this city from North
+ San Juan. Other persons were held up on
the same day. Since then four or i've
robberies have been committed, evidently
all Dy the same outlaw, judging from the
/ description given by his victims.
1
i on Saturday that man supposed to be
/ the robber was seen within a half mile of
town. Sheriff Douglass. Under Sheriff
/ Pascoe and two other men went out to
/ look for him. They found his track and
/ followed it for some distance, but then
/ lost it. Tie bloodhound ssJim Budd'' was
| taken out, but. owing to the thick growth
of the tarweed at one point the dog lost
] ? he nd A
nightfall the officers returned to town.
Sheriff Douglass received information
late st night that fresh tracks had been
discovered in tie neighborhood OF what is
called the Cold Spring, near Wells milk
ranch, less than two miles from town. He
surmised they were made by the road
agent and concluded the fellow might be
camped near there. Yesterday foreDoon
the Sheriff drove in q buggy TO q point a
half mile from town, tied his horse and
struck out through the woods TO look for
the man. The horse and buggy were no
ticed there sn afternoon and they were
! still there this morning. A man living in
that neighborhood who saw the rig came
to town and gave the information TO the
sheriff's Office.
Suspicion was at once aroused and Dep.
uty Sheriff Neagle and Martin McGrath
left town on horseback without delav.
Neagle had heard the Sheriff say he be-
lieved the robber was camped near ths
spring. so they went there direct. When
near the spot they saw the body of q man
lying on the ground. Approaching eau
tiously they found that the man was dead,
and not ten feet from him was a second
body. The one was Sheriff Douglass cold
in death and the other was stranger
NeagIe remained with the bodies and
McGrath returned 10 town to ger help and
spread the terrible news. Douglass had
fallen on his face. He was shot twice,
both bullets entering from behind. One
bullet entered the right side of his back,
ranging upward, striking q vital part,
passing through the vertebra and coming
out on the right side. The other bullet
passed through his right hand. There
was a wound in the right eye, received in
falling. He had fired i've shots from his
revolver.
The robbers coat was under his head
and his arms were spread over a VIM
chester rife. He, too, received two bullets,
both ranging downward. One bullet
passed through the heart and came out at
the hip. The other entered the right side
Of the abdomen, coming out above the hip.
The rifle had not been fired for some time.
The theory is that the road agent was
lying down when Douglass came on 70
him, and, while reaching for his rife, was
shot by the Sheriff, who was an expert
with pistol. The fact that Douglass was
SHOT from behind convinced the officers
that third person fred the shots that
killed the Sheriff and that the murdereH