The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-18
Deputy Sheriffs Take the Field
and Make an Important
Capture.
HAVE CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE.
The Unknown Victim Had Been Pros
pecting Around Sonora for
Some Time.

SONORA, Gall, June l(.-LaSt Inurs-
day three cattlemen-BilIy Hunter, an In
dian, alvin Shaw and Roasco-who went
out looking for some stray calves in the
jawbone country. About forty miles from
Sonora, while passing a canyon the horse
OF Roasco suddenly snorted, which made
his rider look around.
He noticed the remains of a recent fire
and exclaimed: Boys, they have killed
and cooked one of our calves and buried
the hide" and then began to look for a
likely place where it might have been
buried. The search was soon rewarded by
noticing a recently dug and covered-up
hole.
Roasco at once proceeded to open it up,
when, to his horror, he perceived sticking
out from the earth the hand of human
being. So scared was he and the remain
der of his party that they at once repaired
to camp, SIX miles distant, without max
ing any further Investigations. On reach
ing camp they at once sent word to Sonora.
Deputy Sheriffs Lee Pierce and Jim DON
ohue set out at P. N. Saturday, accom-
panied by Coroner Burden and his son
Harry. On reaching RoascQ Camp with
out delay they set out for the scene of the
tragedy.
The body was at once exhumed and
washed, as it was perfectly nude, and at
the back of the right ear was found a bull
let wound which must have Immediately
proved fatal, while other gunshot wounds
were found on the body extending from
the right TO the left hip.
A bullet-wound was also found through
the tongue.
After Coroner Burden had covered the
body in an oilskin and wrapped it care
fully in clean blankets, the body was again
buried and monument of stones erected
over it so that in future, should his rela-
tives be found and it is deemed advisable,
he might be buried elsewhere.
The sheriffs, meanwhile, were busy
looking for any evidence that might lead
to the identity of the dead man or his
cowardly murderer or murderers, and
among the ashes unearLhed several but
tons, part of a brace or strap and buckle
and one or two pieces of wearing apparel
About 100 feet from where the fire had
been started were picked up two pieces of
photograph, which showed the face of a
man identical with that of the deceased,
while on the lower part of a photograph
were the words in gilded letters MAX
wells Gallery, Spokane Falls, Wash"
With this slight clew to work on the
two Sheriffs started out to find the cow
ardly assassin. They soon got c1ew and
followed it up closely, with the result that
On Monday night about o'clock they
came upon the camp of the murderer on
Big Creek, about six miles above Grove
lano.
Here four pack animals were found un-
saddled, and the suspected party, in COM
pany with travelling peddler, was trying
to take things easy. After the officers had
talked with the man for some time he was
told to consider himself under arrest for
murder, on which he turned CHASTITY pale
and at the same time great beads of sweat
poured down his face and he trembled
violently.
The prisoner, whose name is Mcmillan,
was at once started on his trip to Sonora's
County Jail. This afternoon his COM
panion, the peddler, was also arrested, not
for completely in the crime, but as posi-
BILE valuable witness. He will be charged
with peddling without a license.
Among the arrested mans effects were
a shotgun and some No. shells, identical
in every way with those picked up in the
ashes. The murderer had hoped that by
stripping his victims body and burning
his clothes all evidence would be removed,
but by wonderfully fortunate chance
enough had escaped the flames to BRING
home to the cold blooded assassin the
guilt of his awful crime.
The dead man had been prospecting
around here for some time and his identity
will soon be established. Sonora is loud
in its praises over the clever capture made
by the Sheriffs.