The San Francisco call., 1896-07-08
SLAIN BY
TWO MEN,
The Montecito Murders Not
Committed by Barnard
Unaided.
PROOF THAT HE HAD A
CONFEDERATE.
Footprints of a Second Assassin
Found Near the Corpse of
Ethel Richardson.
A STRANGER LURKED ABOUT
THE GROUNDS.
His Description Fits the Suspected
Stepson-Death of the
Mother.
A STRANGER LURKED ABOUT
THE GROUNDS.
His Description Fits the Suspected
Stepson-Death of the
Mother.

SANTA BARBARA, CAL, July T.
Three deaths by violence within twenty
four hours, two horrible murders and a
swift ano bloody vengeance descending
upon their supposed perpetrator. Three
lnquests within two days. What record
for quiet, idyllic, peaceful Santa Barbara.
At 7:30 o'clock this morning Mrs Rich
ardson passed away-died without once
regaining consciousness TO proclaim her
murderer's name. All day yesterday she
was tenderly cared for and a vigilant
watch maintained to take advantage of
any passing gleam of intelligence but the
whlte-haired woman sank into her last
rest without once awakening to a knowl-
edge OF the consummation of the dreadful
tragedy and her young daughters fate.
The suspicion involving Scott Richard
son, Mrs. Richardson's stepson, will not
down. If Barnard committed the muir
ders, the question arises as to whether or
not be was acting as an accomplice. The
fact that two sets of tracks, the one made
by large shoe and the other by a small
shoe, were found in the Richard son yard,
and that the smaller OF these tracks fol-
lowed the trail of the girls naked feet,
would indicate that two men were con-
cerned in the crime. This would also ac-
count for the front door being found
closed, the one having apparently waited
there and locked the premises to delay the
detection OF the crime while the second
made sure of his victim.
In corroboration of at least portion of
this theory is the fact that mysterious
fugitive was followed last night through
the underground of Montecito Creek in
the neighborhood of Mr.. Worthington's
house by large posse of men, with Cyril
Doulton as their leader.
This man dashed through the brush
down to the creek and was swallowed up
sin darkness, but to-day men have been
beating the vicinity, hoping to find some
trace of the fugitive.
Two of Ethel Richardson's intimate
friends say that week ago she called
their attention to a man who was crossing
field adjoining their place, saying:
There is that man again. He has been
hanging about here for four or five days.
/ wonder what he does it for.'
This man was tall and slender, with
light hair. Neither Ethel nor her friends
had ever seen her stepErother, Scott Rich
ardson, who corresponds to this descrip-
ton. The man was not Barnard, who was
notably diminutive and was known to all
three.
Should Scott Richardson turn up alive
and innocent in some distant place where
he can prove a clear alibi it will be lesson
to all who rely apon theories or upon cir
cumstantial evidence. Had he shown
himself on Santa Barbara's streets yester-
day his life would not have been worth a
straw. His declared hatred and enmity
tor his half-sister and his stepmotker, his
b ol-o 80
and the direct benefit he would enjoy from
their death, made so strong a case against
him in the absence of any proof OF an
Cther's completely that he would scarcely
have been rendered the formality of a
trial. A lvnching bee was as good as or
ganized last night.
1t was rumored on the streets to-day
that Scott Richardson and Cyrus Barnard
were close friends, and this strengthens
the suspicion of completely, if Barnard
were really concerned in the crime. At
one time to-day Sheriff Hicks thought
that he had located Scott Richardson in
Minneapolis, but an urgent telegram sent
by the Sheriff early this afternoon, stating
the circumstances of the crime and urg-
ing upon him an immediate response,
brought no reply. Moreover, the Mime
make personal delivery of the message
only and to at once notify this Office
should Richardson be found.
AS soon as the tidings of Mrs. Richard
sons death were received, Coroner Ruiz
impaneled jury consisting of the follow
ing gentlemen: F. P. Myers, 1. B. Parks,
James B. Ackers, John Hartnell. o. NJ.
Covarrubies, B. Young, Dan Kelly, E. Fl.
Frost. After making careful inspection
OF the premises and the body, and listen
ing to the physicians description of the
injurias, the jury adjourned to ]. n.
Killers undertaking establishment,
whittier the bodies of the murdered women
had been carried, and began taking testi-
mony.
1t was a surprise to many that the in
quest began with an inquiry into the cir
cumstances attending the killing of Cyrus
Barnard last night and that its trend was
almost entirely i'll the direction of proving
the guilt of the dead man, Mrs. Richard
sons name being scarcely mentioned dur
ing the inquiry. 1t is human nature when
an officer of the law has shot a man down
In the pursuance of his duty to seek to
justify himself and his deed. and it is only
human nature for his fellow officers, who
may any day find themselves in like
position, to stand Loyalty by him and
value at its utmost any testimony that in
eliminates the dead man and would seem
10 make the taking of his life but an acci-
dental anticipation of justice. The in
qulry in this case tended to make the most
OF every suspicious act of Barnard and
every unexplained circumstance.
This was notably the case in a certain
statement made to the jury in the course
OF the inquest, to the effect that it had
been impossible to procure certain wit
ness by whom it would have been easy to
prove that one day last week Barnard
boarded the Hot Springs stage, leaving it
at the Richardson place. As matter Of