The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-10
TRYING MONTECITO'S DEAD
County Officers Are Unable to
Prove the Guilt of
Barnard.
No Blood Found Upon His Knife or
Clothing When Under the
M croscope.

SANTA BARBARA, CAL, July 9.-The
inquest over the body of the little dog
trainer, Cyrus Barnard, was concluded to-
day, but the endeavor to ascertain his con-
nection with the Richardson murders
proved abortive. There have been many
cases where men have been shot down
when resisting arrest for the commission
of heinous crimes. Usually their guilt has
either been a matter of wide public Knowl-
edge or their completely has been readily
proved. This is a unique case.
Although a network of suspicious cir
cumstances involve the dead man, there is
positively not one single piece of indisput-
able evidence to demonstrate his compile
ity.
Last night even those who were most
zeslously endeavoring to give the dead
man fair trial, and to raise every posi-
BILE evidence in his defense, went to their
homes almost wholly persuaded of his
guilt and fully expected that the micro
scopic examination of Barnards shoes and
knife, which Drs Hall and Otto had I'M
dertaken to make, would demonstrate the
presence of corpuscles of human blood and
establish the fact that he was the butcher
who had slain gray-haired Mrs. Rich
The physicians themselves expected it.
To-day they reported that the most search
ing investigation proved these articles to
be free from blood. This almost broke
down the case against Barnard.
Whosoever committed these murders
walked in blood, and must have borne it
on his garments. ALI the clothes that
Barnard was known to possess have been
found, and there is no blood about them.
Yet the mans mean, dishonest character,
his lack of principle or worthy sentiment
his corrupt morals, his familiarity wit h
the house and grounds, the desperate re-
sistance of arrest before he was charged
with the crime establish chain of suspi-
cious facts which bring conviction TO most
minds.
Sheriff Hicks directions to Hopkins
when he sent the latter to arrest Barnard
were given to the jury to-day
II told Hopkins to be on his guard, /" the
Sheriff attested, 'for if Cyrus Barnard had
committed those murders he would GER
tainly shoot before he would be TAKEN"
This advice of his superior officer justi-
hes what many have regarded as reckless
shooting on the part of the arresting of
fcer, and raises from him all suspicion
that he fired upon Barnard as a result of
personal animosity or desire for fight.
AS a matter of fact Hopkins has been
1oclluR very ulSIndl over tue IdCI IQdG ne
has killed a man. Although he served as
city marshal of Santa Barbara for years,
and was known as a brave and fearless
officer, having made countless arrests and
handled many desperate men, this is the
first instance in which he had ever taken
another mans life and the second time he
had ever shot any one.
The verdict of the jury, declaring the
killing not only iustifiable but a commend
able act On the part of the officer, is gen.
orally applauded.
John Murray Jr., who drifted into the
inquest as defender of the dead man.
and who has shown himself as cool, cour-
teous and keen cross-examiner as any
lawyer, Is picturesque feature of the
case. BE is the son of the somewhat cele-
brated reader and elocutionist, and few
years ago was known as the rising young
capitalist OF the county, owing block Of
buildings in Santa Maria valued at $50. 900.
He Is finely educated and possesses a face
which impresses the most casual observer
with its beauty, purity and strength.
year or two ago he took up socialistic
studies and, becoming imbued with these
theories, decided all of his property away
and started out penniless to work for the
worlds good and progress. He has been
arrested and hooted at, but keeps steadily
in the path he has chosen.
Murray knew Bernard and has accepted
him as a convenient, useful and not disa-
greeable com panion, whom he was in the
habit OF occasionally taking into the
mountains.
While he despised the mans degraded
character and life yet when he found his
acquaintance shot down and accused of
dreadful crime of which he was helpless
to exonerate himself and saw that every
mans hand was raised against him he
voluntarily espoused the cause of the
dead. In doing this he put himself in the
most equivocal position, drawing upon
himself the Indignation of good men, who
felt that ne was openly posing and in
sense accusing them OF injustice.
Yet Murray has quietly endured the ig-
nominy Of his position and the humilia-