The San Francisco call., 1896-07-07
CORY REVEL
OF A F|END.
Two Women of Montecito
the Victims of an
Assassin.
SHOT AND STABBED IN
THEIR HOME.
Mrs. Richardson Is Mortally
Wounded and Her Daughter
Put 10 Death.
VENGEANCE THE MOTIVE FOR
THE CRIME.
A Man TO Whom Suspicion Pointed
Commits Suicide to Escape
Arrest.
VENGEANCE THE MOTIVE FOR
THE CRIME.
A Man TO Whom Suspicion Pointed
Commits Suicide to Escape
Arrest.

SANTA BARBARA, CAL, July 6.-The
hand OF an unknown assassin has wiped
out the surviving members of one OF the
best-known and most respected OF all the
wealthy and cultured families who have
made their homes in beautiful Monteclto.
The dwelling of Mrs. II. r. Richardson
was invaded last night by this hend, the
equal of Butcher Dunham in savage feroc-
ity, and the aged woman was wounded
with knife and bullet until her death is
but the question of a few hours, Il er
pretty daughter Ethel was murdered, the
butcher pursuing her from the house, after
he had twice shot her, and finishing the
bloody work by clubbing the girl into in
sensibIlity and then cutting her throat
Mr. Richardson's son, who had threat
ened the lives of his stepmother and step
sister, has been under suspicion; but the
suicide tonight of Cyrus Barnard, an
other suspect, may clear the mystery and
prove the innocence of the relative.
Four miles from town, a little beyond
the cemetery, near the frequently travelled
road TO the beautiful suburb of Montecito
and on a slight em1nence fronting the sea,
stands a large gray villa surrounded by
broad lawns and Towering shrubs. This
house was erected six years ago by Henry
f. Richardson, Canadian gentleman of
wealth and former resident of Coaticook,
IN the province OF Quebec. The Richard
sons were people of intelligence, but of
simple, home-loving tastes. Their only
daughter, Ethel, Is years old, attended
the Santa Barbara High School, gradual
ing two years ago, since which lime she
has been taking postgraduate studies at
the same school, with the intention of re-
moving to Berkeley to pursue a higher
course this fall.
Ethel was a pretty girl of medium
height, with q girlish figure, beautiful
complexion, blue eyes and a quaint,
bright face. In character and disposition
she was exceedingly winsome, and she
was general favorite among all who
knew her.
The mother was a woman of middle age
and sweet and kindly disposition. The
father was generally recognized as an up
right and faithful friend, but somewhat
stern.
wayward son, Mr.. Richardson's child
by his first wife, was their one sorrow and
shame. On March 30 of this spring Mr.
Richardson died, with almost his last
breath condemning his son. Since his
death the wife and daughter have lived on
without servants In the great house, oc-
casionaLy having friend there for COM
pany. Yesterday afternoon they drove
out to visit sick friend and afterward to
the cemetery to give kindly directions to
the sexton to PERM the burial of friend s
child in their lot. They returned home at
dusk, and from this hour the history of
the night is a mystery, the subject of
dreadful speculation.
a Iaborer, Frank Cordero, passing down
the road on foot at 6 30 o'clock this morn
ing saw in field beside the Richardson
grounds, at point where they angle
sharply with the road, what he conceived
to be the body OF man lying on the
ground. He walked on to the camp and
reported the circumstances to a fellow
workman, proposing that they return and
examine it, as it might be some one they
knew.
The men returned and, entering the
field, beheld a horrible and piteous sight
Prone on the stubble-held, lying on her
face, cold in death, horribly bruised and
dlshgured and covered with blood, was
the body of poor Ethel Richardson. There
were bullet holes in her neck and cuts on
her head, and the fair young figure was
nude, save for blood-stained little knit
shirt that but partially covered it. Her
arms were folded under her and in her
hands was a nightrobe drenched with
blood. Pools of blood stood on the black
soil about her.
Kindly hands placed a sheet over the
mutilated form and the Coroner and
Sheriff were summoned by telephone from
town. Meantime Cordero and his Cali
fornian friend proceeded to the house,
knowing that the two ladies dweIt there
alone and unprotected, and suspecting
that the tragedy which had found so
ghastly termination in the field might
have had its beginning there
The stiffness of death reigned in and
about the premises, confirming their
worse forebodings, but they found all of
the doors securely locked. These Cali
tornlans are men bred to note and value
every trivial indication, and before the
crowd OF curious and sympathetic had in
Vaded the premises they made thorough
and searching examination of the grounds
They found the track of a small mans
loot leading INTO the grounds from point
near the public road and close beside a
little cowshed at the end of the sta ble
These footprints they traced to the house
and they atterward found the print of the
girls bare feet leading from the front We
randa around the house, drops of blood
marking her course anG the tracks of the
man following, the PAGES of both far apart,
showing the wild race the girl had made
Tor her life around the honse They fol-
lowed them and along the road leading to
the entrance to the grounds, where stout
chain hung between two stone posts.
Here Ethel evidently climbed over the
chain, intending to reach the nearest neigh
bors, the Wallens, living an eighth of
mile distant.
The man leaped a barbed-wire fence
and intercepted her, finishing his bloody
work by first beating her with the loaded